At one time, you had “jazz” and “classical music.” Then jazz tried to incorporate classic harmonies and classical imbibed polyphony, but you could still tell which was which. Now, the cross pollination is so strong that it’s just a matter of which sticker is on the liner notes, as these two recent releases attest.
Frank Carlberg plays piano and Rhodes as he leads a 16 piece band conducted by JC Sanford for pieces attributed to thoughts on Thelonious Monk or pieces by the Spherical One himself. The term “dreams” in the title is apropos, as tunes such as “A Darker Shade of Light Blue” and “No Fear, My Dear” draw hints of Monk melodies, but turns them into almost subconscious and meandering thoughts. Dashes of “I Mean You” are speckled through “Dry Bean Stew” for John O ‘Gallagher’s alto while Jeremy Udden’s alto is featured on the quirky interpretation of “Straight No Chaser” on “Sphere.” Some vocals by Christine Correa are delivered during a frisky “You Dig!” while the band stretches out like a Yoga class on “Round Midnight.” Subliminal in many places, with the band almost but not quite forgetting that Monk was a master of bebop.
Anders Lonne Gronseth plays a surfeit of reeds and brings together an eight piece band of Hanne Rekdal/fl-bassoon, Morten Barrikmo/cl, Martin Taxt/tuba, Sigrun Eng/cel, Audun Ellingsen/b, Anders Aarun/p-key and Andreas Bratlie/perc. Much of the time the ensemble displays an ECM-style chamber sterility with Gronseth’s icy tenor on “Caput Mortuum” and eerie strings on “Bisque” and “Sinopia.” Keeping things interesting is the addition of Middle Eastern and Central Asian percussion and harmonies as on ”Jonquil” and “Icterine.” Aarum’s piano gets bluesy on the sublime “Celeste,” standing out like a candle in an igloo.