No, not The Verve; settle down. It’s The Verge, as in being on the verge of becoming big in the world of jazz.
As regular readers will know I struggle with jazz reviews. It’s all a little technical for me. But I always keep an eye open for something a little different, and this is.
Firstly, a little about The Verge. They arose out of their student days at the legendary Norwegian Jazz School NTNU, the Science & Technology University in Trondheim which strangely has a music department. I’ve lost count of how many others from that place have appeared in these pages.
Then they went on to forge individual careers with a several bands within not just the local, but also the European Jazz, Improv and Rock scenes.
That’s interesting because you can hear the jazz and rock influences literally from the opening bars of this single, ‘Nessesse’, which is lifted from their eponymous debut album, which be released on 4th October.
That album consists of seven original tracks composed by the different members of the band and thus with great variety in them. We are promised “sonic soundscapes that range from fiery melodic jazz to prog rock, from atmospheric free-improvisation to heavy riffs.” Can’t wait.
That’s a peculiar word, ‘Nessesse’. I’ve no idea what it means. The nearest I can find to it is Esseesse, which is some sort of American muscle car. And I can’t get out of my mind the British comedians Paul Whitehouse and Catherine Tate, who in their respective 1990s TV programmes reduced the entire Spanish language down to “eth eth es eth es eth es eth” (say it quickly).
And quickly is the operative word with ‘Nessesse’. It comes out of the traps like a ravenous greyhound when that electric rabbit comes past and with what is effectively a drum solo. To start it??
Then a battle of the bands commences between guitar and horns while the drummer Ingvald Vassbø continues to whip the kit. It sounds like one of those stylish 1970s TV or movie cop drama soundtracks in which Starsky and Hutch or Will Graham are racing against the clock to stop the serial killer from claiming another victim while the Moon is full.
At the same time Aksel Rønning manages to make his saxophone sound like the one in Madness’ songs (or should that be Madnessesse eth es?)
As a one-time (long ago) drummer myself I’m particularly impressed by Mr Vassbø’s prowess (eth es). He keeps up a complex rhythm throughout with the energy of a youthful Carl Palmer.
Just short of halfway through it collapses into freeform mayhem, a cacophony of sound but which yet retains its structure until the last 30 seconds or so when by comparison it sounds like it’s writing its own obituary.
The press release made this observation:
“For multiple reasons ‘Nessesse’ consists of just one ostinato. One reason for this is to treat the meditational spirit of THE VERGE to a free space of improvisation. Another is to pay tribute to our inspirations from the free jazz of the sixties. “Nessesse” is a place where our creativity runs free to make the composition’s small framework into a full song, with lots of energy, chaos and order.”
Hm. In 10 years of this reviewing lark I’ve learned one or two musical phrases. One of them is ostinato and I do actually believe that I could pick out melodic and rhythmic ostinatos here.
But that paragraph above could have come straight out of the spoof Jazz Club, another of Paul Whitehouse’s many vehicles, couldn’t it?
Here’s a clip to show what I mean:
Allow me to sum it up another way. This band rocks, man.
And I imagine their live act is something to behold if they can replicate this.
THE VERGE comprises:
Emil Storløkken Åse on Guitars
Aksel Rønning on Saxophone and Flute
Alf Høineson Electric Bass
Ingvald Vassbø on Drums.
Find them on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065744882524
(Note: There is a Welsh covers band called The Verge, don’t get them confused).
Bandcamp: https://the–verge.bandcamp.com/album/the-verge
