FUSK – “The Jig Is Up” (WhyPlayJazz, 2018)

“The Jig Is Up” will be released on April 27, 2018 by “WhyPlayJazz” label. Album was recorded by “FUSK” – it’s a jazz quartet, which members are Kasper Tom Christiansen (drums, compositions), Tomasz Dąbrowski (trumpet), Andreas Long (bass) and Rudi Mahall (bass clarinet). The music of “FUSK” is full of contrasts and dynamic stylistic changes. Four interesting and creative avant-garde jazz masters had been playing together long time – their collective improvisations is a marvelous synthesis between expressive and passionate improvising, spontaneous musical decisions, original and interesting stylistic waves, sudden turns and colorful contrasts. The main attention is paid to the expressive, free and vivacious improvising and the search of new and unusual ways  of playing. Kasper Tom Christiansen compositions are arranged very inventively and expressively – each musician can explore new ways of playing and show his own style, abilities of playing and interesting playing manners. Tomasz Dąbrowski music is vivacious and dynamic, full of expressive solos, vivacious and playful melodies and spontaneous solos. Andreas Long playing style also is somewhere between bebop, hard-bop, contemporary jazz and experimental jazz. He can masterfully combine together many different things and music styles. Rudi Mahall music is mostly based on experimental jazz and modern jazz synthesis. Spontaneous solos, rigorous blow outs, expressive and splendid riffs, dynamic and constantly changing rhythmic – all these elements contain his playing style. The music of the “FUSK” is based on contemporary, modern and experimental jazz synthesis. Even though, the sound is more similar to the contemporary and modern jazz, there’s also are full of unpredictable changes, stylistic waves and nusual sounds.

The compositions of this album are based on contemporary jazz. The organic and marvelous synthesis between expressive and passionate bebop, hard-bop, bost-bop, neo-bop and experimental jazz is heard in all the compositions of this album. All compositions have interesting sound and are based on rich musical pattern. Difficult music pattern, independent melodies, sharp harmony, unusual sounds, sharp and rigorous chords, dynamic rhythmic, various polyharmonic and polyrhythmic combinations, huge range of evocative and innovative playing techniques and expressions – all these elements bring gorgeous and expressive sound to this album. Tomasz Dąbrowski trumpet melodies are bright and vivid. Touching, striking and vivacious solos, wild fast, roaring and rapid passages, sharp, aggressive and rigorous blow outs, loud, vibrant and impressive riffs contain the main pattern of his compositions. Improviser masterfully combines together different playing techniques, modern music expressions, experimental ways of playing and free, spontaneous and passionate improvising. Rudi Mahall bass clarinet gently go along with bright, loud, expressive and vibrant trumpet. Monotonic solos, memorable melodies, virtuosic and very fast solos, deep and static bass line – all these elements from the abstract, silent and interesting musical pattern grow to turbulent, fast, loud, active and especially emotional and expressive improvisations. Musician succesfully and inventively manages between absolutely different playing manners, techniques, sound experiments, emotions and other elements of musical language. Andreas Long bass improvisations are free and spontaneous. It’s also full of contrasts and opposites – after calm, silent and monotonic episodes there comes bright, loud, intensive and touching episodes, marvelous spontaneous solos, expressive and vivid melodies, gorgeously illustrated with unusual timbres and sounds. Kasper Tom Christiansen drums improvisations make an effort to whole sound. It puts the compositions between modern and experimental jazz. Drummer create and keep a solid and firm rhythmic basement. The main elements of bebop, post-bop, neo-bop and other similar modern jazz styles are connected together with colorful timbres, percussion sounds and turbulent free improvisations along with other musicians. Improvisations by each musician are hoighly different – it’s a marvelous, impressive and organic synthesis between various playing techniques, rhythms, timbres, expressions and emotions. This album has bright, innovative and touching sound.