DESCRIPTION:
From the album Space (CAMP 004) On the beach, feat. Ab Baars & Tobias Delius on clarinet.
All streaming services https://ffm.to/chrisabelenspace.oyd
https://www.chrisabelen.com

Jazzman Magazine [France] - Grand Disque [****]

Trombonist, composer and arranger Chris Abelen studied with Willem van Manen, discreetly standing in for him in the Willem Breuker Kollektief in the mid 1980s. As a musician he prefers working intensively with a regular band. His current quintet has been performing for ten years and the three CDs from that period convey a clear picture of the development the ensemble has gone through, as well as their attention to detail and fabulous ensemble playing. The contribution of the Zapp! string quartet - as featured on their CD "Chamber Grooves", Trytone 559-021 - enables him to show off all of his qualities: his sumptuous and refined style of writing, his masterful ability to create a sound balance, which is a result of the sophisticated relationship between opposing instruments and tone colours, without employing pompous and excessive instrumentation. This game of contrasts yields wonderful results, for example when the strings play 'softly', much like chamber music, while a piercing clarinet or a hard funky guitar is thrown against it. So much sophisticated subtlety could easily lead to a loss of tension, but as the leader of the band is well aware of this danger, he gives plenty of room for elaborate solos to develop in these thirteen pieces. What a relief to be able to breathe and stroll around freely in a 'space' that is not unnecessarily cluttered. There is no need for excessive loudness, as the clarity of the performance enables the listener to hear every single detail of what is on offer. A virtue only too easily forgotten in contemporary orchestral jazz. Chris Abelen has undeniably reached a very high standard.

Jean Buzelin.

Chris Abelen Quintet

Chris Abelen - trombone
Tobias Delius - tenor saxophone
Corrie van Binsbergen - guitar
Wilbert de Joode - double bass
Charles Huffstadt - drums

Zapp String Quartet

Jasper le Clercq - violin
Friedmar Hitzer - violin
Oene van Geel - viola
Emile Visser - cello

Ab Baars - clarinet

Recorded by Dick Lucas, september 29 & 30, 2004 Bimhuis, Amsterdam