ELLAS KAPELL

EMBER

Naxos Prophone Records

Lovisa Jennervall, vocals; Manne Skafvenstedt, piano/synthesizers; August Eriksson, double bass/electric bass/violin; Edvin Glänte, drums/percussion; SPECIAL GUESTS: Johan Christofferson, alto saxophone; Tobias Wiklund, cornet; Guster Alte, pedal steel.

This Swedish quartet, Ellas Kapell, makes music that stretches my brain waves.  It pushes against the walls of a box that tries to keep music from growing and exploring.  These four musicians present an hour of amazing music that challenges and shatters the ceiling of creativity. They are innovative.  These musicians refurbish familiar old tunes with brilliance and beauty. They open with the Bill Evans original, “Very Early.”

I was captivated on how Ellas Kapell introduced this song.

The voice of Lovisa Jennervall is crystal clear and intriguing. Her bandmates bring their own distinct and impressive talents to the table.  Their music spreads across my listening room like a huge feast of amazing, exotic dishes. Each song becomes a delicious morsel to taste and enjoy. I marvel at how they take tunes I know and love like “I Didn’t Know What Time it Was” or “All the Things You Are” and makes them brand new.

One of the most unusual arrangements and challenging musicality is found in the very familiar “How Deep is the Ocean” and “The Very Thought of You.”

This group, formed in 2016, has appropriately carved out a space for themselves on the Scandinavian jazz scene.  Their musicality won the “Orkesterjournalen readers’ poll” earning “Vocal Jazz of the Year” from Lira Musikmagasin.  Their unique production inspired over 7 million streams.

Not only are they talented, they took full control of their ideas, creativity and production.  In other words, they asserted full ownership of their sound, right down to mixing their own album.

Ellas Kapell put funk drums and a rich, funky bass line underneath the vocalist’s sincere exploration of Billie Holiday’s poignant song “Don’t Explain.”  Manne Skafvenstedt’s exceptional addition of a synthesizer-solo shocks and challenges the norm, bringing a fresh perspective to this beautiful ballad.

This is a group that takes huge risks and pushes the boundaries out of their way! Each member is an inventive arranger.  They re-mold these jazz songs into unforgettable statues of brilliance.  This is an album I will play over and over again.

The only criticism I have is of the artwork and design on this album.  Your names are as important as the music. Next time, make the font big enough to represent the genius I hear in your music.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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