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Arve Henriksen: The Touch of Time
ByBeyond trumpet, Henriksen is often credited with 'electronics' and has occasionally sung wordless vocalizing which can sound deceptively like a trumpet. For his latest ECM release, Touch of Time, he teamed up with Harmen Fraanje, the innovative Dutch pianist. No-one else participated this time around, that's it. The duo decided to leave behind the potential organic heartbeat of drums and bass or any other instruments.
All compositions are originals and the disc unspools new-age styled musings as it progresses. The pair begin by conjuring up windswept moods with the whispering tones of "Melancholia." It is as if Henriksen's plaintive horn is announcing the arrival of an ancient wooden ship which is drifting and attempting to emerge from a murky, misty fog. As for pianist Fraanje, he reverently interacts with Henriksen by presenting delicate cascades of celestial droplets. Next up, Fraanje initially leads the way on the dreamy "The Beauty of Sundays" while Henriksen pensively emerges like a soothing, warming sunrise. Fraanje again leads the way on the extended "Redream" and, after Henriksen's understated arrival, they slip into a relaxed give-and-take musical dialogue which continues with other pieces such as the delicately crafted "The Dark Light," "What All This Is," "Winter Haze" and others. "Mirror Images," is a bit different as they take a slightly darker journey and dip into a more mysterious pool featuring a breathy trumpet. Throughout Touch of Time, Henriksen and Fraaje repeatedly focus on sculpting moody landscapes. There is a soothing consistency but that also means bold solos or catchy melodies are left behind this time around. Many pieces teasingly fade and evaporate instead of simply ending. Also, with a total running time of forty minutes, the duo offers just the right length and never overstays its welcome. As the last notes recede, the artists ultimately leave listeners wondering and contemplating.
Track Listing
Melancholia; The Beauty Of Sundays; Redream; The Dark Light; What All This Is; Mirror Images; Touch Of Time; Winter Haze; Red And Black; Passing On The Past.
Personnel
Arve Henriksen
trumpetHarmen Fraanje
pianoAlbum information
Title: The Touch of Time | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: ECM Records
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Arve Henriksen
Album Review
Scott Gudell
The Touch of Time
ECM Records
Miles Davis
Maria Schneider
Harmen Fraanje