Tom Ollendorff

Where in the World

Fresh Sounds

Tom Ollendorff is a rising guitarist in the UK jazz scene. A tour of the UK and Ireland in March of 2024 included the pianist Aaron Parks, who joined Ollendorff’s frequent collaborators, bassist Conor Chaplin and drummer James Maddren. Parks, of course, has great familiarity playing with guitarists in his quartet, Little Big, which straddles the lines between rock and jazz.  However, Parks’ latest release on Blue Note, By All Means!, does not. It is due next week. Lest we regress, however, the leader here is Ollendorff, who penned all nine of these wondrous compositions. He considers them his ‘whole musical world,’ a reference to the album title. Inspired by Gustav Mahler’s approach to symphonies, Ollendorff dug deep into these compositions. He produced the album himself.

That distinctive piano/guitar blend is heard immediately on the flowing opener, “Past Lives.” Parks takes a brimming turn with hints of blues as the bass-drum tandem of Chaplin and Maddren keeps the pocket consistent and clean. Ollendorff’s solo flows seamlessly after Parks, in a highly lyrical fashion. The tune is a comfy opener for more fiery fare that follows. Yet, it seamlessly segues into the title track, a contemplative, reflective piece rich in harmonies.  Ollendorff’s tone is tender, crisp, and melodic. Think in terms of Gilad Hekselman.

Ollendorff opens “Three Bridges” with dynamic lines, soon joined by a bustling rhythm section. The piece carries a strong rush of momentum in Ollendorff’s inspired picking, spurred on by  Parks’ comping and, later, riveting dialogue with the guitarist.  When his turn comes, Parks plays joyously in this infectious piece that, believe it not, seems to end too soon at seven and a half minutes. It has the feel of a car rolling through those sweeping mountain and valley roads. You just want to keep going. A previous version appeared on Ollendorff’s 2023 Open House with Ben Wendel. “Last Leap” swings hard, underpinned by Chaplin’s walking bass and rapid-fire picking by the guitarist over Parks’ comping. We hear a drum break here as well, and the piece seems to move at an even faster pace afterwards.

Two pieces were inspired by Ollendorff’s trip to the Far East – the steady “Tokyo Waltz, a feature for Chaplin’s lyrical plucking, and “West Lake,” moving from the pastoral to the urban as Ollendorff reflects on China. The quartet is initially at lightning bebop speed in “Meaningless Mirror” before engaging in a less energetic but engaging improvised style in the latter half. “Worried World” is a short piece with melancholy befitting the title. “Atlantic Angels” begins in the same mode, the guitarist and pianist responding to each other’s darting notes and chords as the tune just glides and floats, remarkably without any sustained lines. There are subtle hints of classical motifs, but the quarter never gets bogged down, gathering a sense of pace and purpose as the piece evolves, sending us further into a dreamlike state.

Where the World is one of the sneaky good albums, with melodic lines that linger long after it stops playing, likely to keep luring the listener back for repeated listens.

• Jim Hynes

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