Coco Chatru Quartet - 2025 - Limbokolia

(43:41; Trygger Music)

Track list:
1. Tuggummi, Sol Och Betong 3:17
2. Zinkmannens Skafferi 6:38
3. Spif 4:36
4. Ormen Med Giget 3:22
5. Klätterträd 4:18
6. Cikadan Och Turturduvan 3:52
7. Waterslide 4:10
8. Trubbel I Källaren 5:24
9. Cocos Bolero 5:34
10. Melancholia 2:30

Line-up:
Linus Kåse - alt saxophone
Charlie Malmberg - baritone saxophone
Håkan Trygger - double bass
Daniel Kåse - drums, vibraphone


Swedish foursome Coco Chatru Quartet are out with the album "Limbokolia", following just a year after their initial studio album. Like their previous album this production revolves around instrumental compositions inspired by the story of the Swedish adventurer Coco Chatru, in this case with a search for the mystical place Limbokolia being the issue explored in more detail.  With a much more detailed backdrop to the concept described on the album itself. "Limbokolia" was released by Swedish label Trygger Music in the early summer of 2025.

Like with the previous album by the band, it is a classic era vintage variety of instrumental jazz that is explored here. All instruments are of the acoustic variety, and the style and expression is a melody and harmony oriented one of the kind that I understand first came to prominence sometime in the 1940s.

While the bass has a central role on this album too, with a few lead sections appearing throughout the course of this album and with a generally distinct role in the arrangements as a whole, it is the alt and baritone saxophones that tend to grab the limelight here. With a nice balance between dual harmony solo runs, lead sections with a dominant and supportive saxophone, intertwined solo runs as well as sections where one or the other have the lead role without a secondary saxophone in a supporting role. Surges and swirls and dramatic calls are very much present, with more occasional use of a more soft and careful mode of delivery. Much according to the moods and atmospheres explored.

Mournful escapades and uplifting creations are both present here, with expressive details being used to good effect for compositions with a more dramatic or chaotic flair. With very occasional lapses into territories with a more challenging mode of delivery but where the majority of the playtime revolves around distinct melodies and harmonies and landscapes with a more appealing and compelling charm to them.

A new dimension explored a bit on this production are compositions that in part or in full revolve around a more mystical mood, and in these cases the drums make way for the vibraphone to be a key element to create and sustain that more mystical sounding presence. For my sake adding these are creations that expand the range of association to include a phrase like myths and legends - which of course is a distinctly subjective association.

As with the first album by this quartet, the music we find here and the landscapes explored come with a great deal of vintage charm. And while the focus on melodies and harmonies and the more relaxed role of the expressive attitudes of the performers gives this album a compelling quality in its own right, personally at least I believe that the reduction in bass solo runs and the inclusion of the vibraphone both are details that may well slightly expand the audience potential of the music explored.

I'll also add that I got a bit of a good humored smile on my face when I saw that the band had made a charming, simple board game that followed the vinyl version of the album. Fun!

If vintage era instrumental acoustic jazz with saxophones as the main lead instruments and a stronger focus on melodies and harmonies than explicit expressive features sounds like your kind of music, chances are very good that you'll find "Limbokolia" to be a most charming production.

Olav M. Björnsen, June 2025

Links:
https://cocochatru.se/