Reviews RCD2185
Over the last nine years, Norwegian three-piece Bushman's Revenge have blazed a trail into guitar power trio heaven, consolidating their reputation as a kind of 21st century Cream with a keen ear for the punchy cover version: past albums have seen them reinterpreting music by artists as diverse as Sonny Sharrock, Black Sabbath, Ornette Coleman and The Pixies. But for this eighth outing (with a title that translates as Jazz, From Memory), they've reined in the excesses and taken a step back to their jazz origins. Cover versions are still a factor, with a moody run through McCoy Tyner's modal classic 'Contemplation' and a softly mellifluous take on Albert Ayler's 'Angels' that builds to rolling thunder. But it's in the originals that a new, carefully reconstituted voice most clearly shines through.
Jazzwise (UK)
Jazz rock could be read as a conceptual overlap in music's Venn diagram that is, in practice, almost empty. Either the rock is mere coloring, or the jazz falls short. Bushman's Revenge offer a full-throttle counterblast to this contention, their sound a pure melding of rock energy and jazz freedom. Jazz, Fritt Etter Hukommelsen is a back to basics affair. The production is open textured, the trio's sound coalescing rather than converging into a singular attack. Gard Nilssen's drums play a more conventional jazz role, while Even Helte Hermansen's guitar still makes incandescent runs. These tracks prove their sound comes from the trio's tension and poise, and not merely from having the amps turned up to 11.
The Wire (UK)
It starts with a terrific reading of McCoy Tyner's Contemplation and ends with Hermanssen's Lola Mit Dem Gorgonzola, as light and airy a piece of jazz guitar as you'll hear all year. Perhaps too much brow-furrowed riffage in between for the average jazz taste, but there's no mistaking the musicality of these guys, now well into their second decade and on their seventh disc for Rune Grammofon; a highly successful amalgam of jazz and heavy rock.
Jazz Journal (UK)
Admittedly, I've never been a big Bushman's Revenge fan, but this album is superlative. Some of the best "jazz" guitar I've heard in years.
Freejazzblog (US)
Sometimes albums arrive quite out of the blue and surprise me. Bushman's Revenge is one of those. A Scandinavian band who have been together for a number of years, I had not come across them prior to their latest album Jazz, fritt etter hukummelsen which translates to Jazz, From Memory. Certainly they have covered a few big names on this outing including McCoy Turner and Albert Ayler. First up is Turner's memorable Contemplation from his album The Real McCoy (1967) which featured Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone and Elvin Jones on bass. The track is an obvious choice for Bushman's Revenge as The Real McCoy featured McCoy and co dealing at times with fragments of melody fueling the bands manovours. To that end, Bushman's Revenge guitarist Hermansen utilizes a treble tone and meanders. Then opens up with tasty solos which increase in pace and dynamics. McCoy would be smiling. In the bands bio, its goal according to Hermansen, is to explore the link between Shorter / Coltrane's world on one side and electric blues / Hendrix on the other without having to turn everything up to 11. The band indeed reach their mission via 0500 where a lengthy bass intro incorporates a Cream-like rendezvous while Bo Marius and Gamle Plata Til Arne create cool atmospheres of music. Bushman's Revenge are one cool discovery, approaching jazz in their own very special way. The band indeed reach their mission via 0500 where a lengthy bass intro incorporates a Cream-like rendezvous while Bo Marius and Gamle Plata Til Arne create cool atmospheres of music. Bushman's Revenge are one cool discovery, approaching jazz in their own very special way. The band indeed reach their mission via 0500 where a lengthy bass intro incorporates a Cream-like rendezvous while Bo Marius and Gamle Plata Til Arne create cool atmospheres of music. Bushman's Revenge are one cool discovery, approaching jazz in their own very special way.
Hamilton Press (NZ)
BUSHMAN'S REVENGE did not scare me from hell from the first "hello", but captivated me as they juggled with Motörhead, Sonny Sharrock, Ornette Coleman and Dick Dale, with the Beasty Boys and the Beatles, like Ghostrider in Ghostwriter Anti-Christ turned into an astronaut and 'Iron Man' into 'Iron Bloke', allusive to the devil come out. Even Hermansen, Rune Nergaard & Gard Nilssen have always played jazz by heart and free mouth, but now with jazz, Fritt Etter Hukommelsen (RCD2185) with announcement. 'Contemplation' by McCoy Tyner's 1967 Blue Note classic "The Real McCoy" as a prelude is an announcement. As well as 'Lola with the Gorgonzola' as a tribute to the Swedish piano melancholic Jan Johanson at the end. Arne in 'Gamle plata til Arne' means Arne Nordheim, and in addition to 'Angels' by Albert Ayler, it broadens the horizon when you consider that a trio in the format of Cream and the Hendrix Experience is available, without any singing. The guitar sings and highlights the bluesy lining of the Blue Notes, with Nergaard buzzing as if he had double bass strings under his fingers. Hermansen's intensity rises above eight thousand meters as if it were molehills. Nergaard plucks the intro for his '0500', which is then jazzyly launched with ticking drumming to pensive guitar, which Nilssen's feverish style increasingly turns the blood into liquid gold. 'Bo Marius' sparkles in a time-forgotten manner and in a melancholy evening glow that thickens the guitar tone creamy. In general, Hermansen sounds as if he wants to gallop Sharrock to Valhalla, or sing with the angels, who are homesick against a roaring horizon, their sky-high jubilation presses to white heat. Finally, 'Lola' takes it lightly and bitterly, broken by Johanson's prism between funny that way and weep for me.
Bad Alchemy (DE)
The eighth album by the Rune Grammofon-Colossus is a free translation of "jazz, from memory". According to her own statements, her first "proper" jazz album - you can definitely sign that way. Has everything the infamous cowboy boot jazz police could ask for. Expansive solos, nice themes, a healthy rock feel, one can recognize the Marshall amplifier, a bit proggy, good production - everything the jazz proger / progjazer / jazz rocker / rozzjacker / jackrozzer dreams of. And for that the expiatory Bushmen from the north really take all the time in the world. Super dignified is done here. The “jazz” from the Norwegian memory is benevolent and enables the whole family to have a relaxed and accessible fusion-blues-progrock experience between (sic) “blues-hendrix vs. Shorter ". You wouldn't have had to apply this thick here, but it fits how they do it. There's something extra for all fans of standards. Namely a velvet-glove-ruffian version of the McCoy Tyner classic Contemplation and a pretty shredded angel by Albert Ayler (if he knew!). Every animal has its own litter. Anyone who loves the concept will love it. Cross-divisional and cross-divisional satisfaction at the highest level. Sample tip: Gamla Plata Til Arne (total cuddly rock doom). There's something extra for all fans of standards. Namely a velvet-glove-ruffian version of the McCoy Tyner classic Contemplation and a pretty shredded angel by Albert Ayler (if he knew!). Every animal has its own litter. Anyone who loves the concept will love it. Cross-divisional and cross-divisional satisfaction at the highest level. Sample tip: Gamla Plata Til Arne (total cuddly rock doom). There's something extra for all fans of standards. Namely a velvet-glove-ruffian version of the McCoy Tyner classic Contemplation and a pretty shredded angel by Albert Ayler (if he knew!). Every animal has its own litter. Anyone who loves the concept will love it. Cross-divisional and cross-divisional satisfaction at the highest level. Sample tip: Gamla Plata Til Arne (total cuddly rock doom).
FreiStil (AT)
The tøffeste norske rockegitaren har befunnet seg i jazzen de siste årene, med band som Hedvig Mollestad Trio, Møster! og Bushman's Revenge som særdeles velputrende volcanoes. Sistnevnte band he nå ute med det som har rukket å bli deres niende album. Snodig, for trioen virker fortsatt som et ungt og lovende band, som har vært på leting etter fellestrekkene mellom 60-tallsjazzens amerikanske kraftsaksofonister og britisk blues og funrock dem ... med "Jazz, fritt etter hukommelsen" har bandet gjenvunnet dynamisk force som kanskje forsvant i noe i lavastrømmene. That he rom for other tempi og fargesjatteringer i musikken ... Det begynner riktig så ettertenksomt med en seigtflytende versjon av McCoy Tyners "Contemplation", som opprinnelig befant seg på Coltrane-pianistens strålende album "The Real McCoy" fra 1967. Men Joe Henderson's contemplative saxlinjer er her omgjort til gråtende gitar, ikke ulikt den lyden alle i rockeverden ville forsøke å emulere omtrent samme år. Bassist Rune Nergaard has the "0500" label, including the innerskin or with the help of the band for the elititars for the rest of the trio etterhvert eser in the composition. The psykedelisk bluesen i "Bo Marius" hypnotized med sin insisterende basslinje. I tolkningen av Albert Aylers "Angels" lykkes også Hermansen i å vikle sammen vibrasjonene fra Aylers åndelige saksspill med Jimi Hendrix 'tilsvarende på seksstrengerenen, i et stykke vidunderlig musikk som oppleves som invertert gospel. Overrasking he avsluttende "Lola with the gorgonzola", the bandet snarere nærmer seg gräddostens gospel, med toner som nærmer seg det nordiske. Med visper på trommen og det hele. Og snart he det jul.
Dagens Næringsliv (N0)
I det violent hard jazz landskapet som har eksistert til lands de siste årene - mye takket være plateselskapet Rune Grammofon - har Bushman's Revenge stått som en urokkelig bauta. Trioen he lyden av gitarist Even Helte Hermansen, som vugger deg i søvn med fløyelsesmyke melodilinjer, eller som sammen med bassist Rune Nergaard og trommis Gard Nilssen booster hjernecellene i nesten spasm-active grooves ... Om et band er som en person, med flere - og Often motstridende - karaktertrekk, vil Bushman's Revenges to siste utgivelser representere all deres ytterpunkter. Noen fortalte meg en gang at det finnes to typer hunks i verden: De som ønsker å være det, og de som bare er det. Og av en eller annen grunn har det alltid slått meg at musikken til Hermansen, Nergaard og Nilssen går under sistnevnte category ... Jazz, Fritt Etter Hukommelsen er motreaksjonen, hvor de tre sier seg fornøyde med sin eventyrlige utflukt og puster lett ut i den myke åpningen av «Contemplation». Hvorvidt det er et rent jazzalbum he nok åpent for diskusjon, eller kanskje ikke - etter albumtittelen å dømme he det nok mer ment som et grunnlag for komponeringen heller enn selve oppskriften. Bushman's Revenge clearer alltid å la kroppen lette i små øyeblikk, til de tar en plutselig uventet vending og du har bakkkontaktkontakt igjen. Hukommelsen he jo gjerne slik, at the sorterer ut visse elementer og henter inn other. Og mens låten "Lola Mit dem Gorgonzola" drar referanser til 60-tallets store jazz pianist Jan Johanssons visestil, he "Gamle Plata Til Arne" et tyngre og mer eksperimenteltil tilbakeblikk til bandets of all foremost jam session. The fire originallåtene og to coverne som utgjør albumet, har likevel noe mer rått over seg, på tross av den mer dempede characters. Høydepunktet kommer allerede i andre spor, "0500", for Nergaard åpner med en lavmælt bassolo og blir omringet av Hermansen og Nilssen. Som følelsen av et solstikk har det døsige og svevende drivet noe utålmodig over seg, som om kroppen venter på at hodet Skal slutte å surre og blodet slutte å boble. Og på tross av tyngden i de åtte minuttene clearer Bushman's Revenge alltid å la kroppen lette i små øyeblikk, til de tar en plutselig uventet vending og du har bakkkontaktkontakt igjen. Bushman's Fire og Jazz, Fritt Etter Hukommelsen beviser at Bushman's Revenge ikke he blitt tregere med tiden. You can go to the top of the tilbake, or you can go to the house. Med mindre å bevise,
Morgenbladet (NO)
På sitt sjuende studioalbum for Bushman's Revenge tilbake til de green-laying jazzinspirasjonene sine. Trioen byr på et friskt Perspekt på æraen da John Coltrane ble sett på som en slags gud, tiden da Wayne Shorter og Jimi Hendrix drakk fra samme åndelige lyd-brønn. Guitarist Even Helte Hermansen, bassist Rune Nergaard og trommeslager Gard Nilssens tilnærming er denne gangen mer reservert, og noen ganger til og med lyrisk, til forskjell fra deres gjenkjennelige høgoktansk, sjangersmelt-end estetikk. The tar med seg sitt tighte, organiske samspill inn i en kjent og structured-ert jazz-sammenheng. På denne plata veksler trioen mellom et knippe ulike innfallsvinkler til jazzrøt-tene. McCoy Tyner's "Contemplation" blir gjenoppfunnet som et sakte og atmosfærisk elektrisk-blues-stykke, with focus on the briljant gitarsolo fra Hermansen, mens den nest "0500" legger til mer energi i the bluesy atmosfæren. "Bo Marius" Fremhever Bushman's IRevenges smart rytmiske tilnærming. The three seg rounds off en avhengighetsskapende, hypnotisk puls. "Gamle Plata Til Arne", som refererer to Arne Nordheims gamle plateklang som var i stu-dioet, viser trioen dypt inne i en psykedelisk bluesjaet, med mange dramatiske, ecstatiske vendinger; og enda mer progressive git-arspill fra Hermansen. Tolkningen av Albert Aylers classic "Angels" følger grunnrisset av originalen med clearly og presis levering som fanger låtens åndelige kjerne. The avs-luttende stykket "Lola Mit dem Gorgonzola" tar oss med hjem, who went nikkende mot the svenske pianist Jan Johanssons arranger av tradisjonelle folketoner, bløtlagt i typisk nordisk melankoli.
Jazznytt (NO)
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