Red Gazelle Trio - 2025 - On a Human Level

(42:56; Zack's Music)

Track list:
1. Til Mor (Prolog) 1:02
2. Murky Waters 2:46
3. Unfiltered Serenity 6:29
4. Point of Departure 2:59
5. While We Wait 5:59
6. Antidote 6:16
7. All at Once, Once Again 4:55
8. Punktum 5:29
9. Could Have Been 5:08
10. Vuggevise (Epilog) 1:53

Line-up:
Kristoffer Vejslev - guitars
Peter Price - bass
Simon Forchhammer - drums
with:
Ned Ferm - saxophone
Jakob Sørensen - trumpet


Danish threesome Red Gazelle Trio started out back in 2016, and in the nine years since their formation they have released three studio albums. The first of these a self-released production, and later on they have released their albums through the Danish boutique label Zack's Music. The most recent of these is called "On a Human Level", was released at the start of 2025.

It is an often soft and elegant take on the jazz music tradition we get on this production, where the core trio of a band has been supplemented by guest musicians contributing with trumpet and saxophone respectively. While this is a jazz band, where expressive details will be a bit of a given, in this case we have a band that explore such tendencies in more of an understated manner.

Careful, dreamladen landscapes with a careful guitar presence and more delicate lead instrument sections is the name of the game here. Dampened brass textures and careful surges combined with elegant and careful acoustic or electric guitar leads are cornerstones here, and music the same can be said for the numbers where the saxophone is present as well as in the creations featuring both the saxophone and the trumpet. The tempo is mainly set at slow, with the moods and atmospheres more often than not are being set in a melancholic or a bit of a mournful disposition. Landscapes that for me at least conjure associations towards longing or loss, about the intimate and vulnerable parts of our heart and our soul.

We do get a few exceptions along the way though. The borderline tribal inspired and captivating bass and drum combination on 'Unfiltered Serenity' is a more lively and uplifting creation from the start until the end, while the use of the light toned, reverberating careful guitar notes on 'While We Wait' is one that makes me think about matters a little bit unnerving, and gave me some subtle associations to the old TV-series Twin Peaks and the quirky otherworldly atmosphere explored there. And while perhaps more in line with the general mood and atmosphere, the slight touch of blues in the latter song and the perhaps accidental 50s sounding guitar details in 'Punktum' were both charming expansions of the landscapes explored on this production.

 If you tend to enjoy a more subdued and understated variety of instrumental jazz that plays upon the appealing qualities of a more subtle use of expressive elements and careful instrument details and resonances, I suspect that this dreamladen and melancholic and at times slightly mournful creation by Red Gazelle Trio is an album should be quite the compelling creation.

Olav M. Björnsen, February 2025

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/redgazelletrio/
https://zacks.dk/