Different Rivers

''Different Rivers'' is an album by Norwegian jazz saxophonist Trygve Seim, released on ECM Records. Released in 2000, ''Different Rivers'' was Seim's solo debut for ECM Records and began his long association with the label, as both a leader and sideman.

The album was recorded and produced throughout 1998 and 1999 and, unusually, without the direct production assistance of ECM founder, Manfred Eicher. Instead the album was recorded at one of Eicher's favoured Oslo studios using long-serving ECM audio engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug. Eicher is credited as 'executive producer'.

''Different Rivers'' is noted for establishing Seim's jazz aesthetic, entailing unusual arrangements and instrumentation, as well as infusing classical and Eastern influences.

Reception

Warmly received by many jazz critics upon release, ''Different Rivers'' won the German Record Critics Prize, "Jahrespreis – Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik" in 2001 and is frequently considered a landmark album in ECM's recording catalogue.

In a 5-star review for ''The Guardian'', John Fordham wrote that ''Different Rivers'' was "destined to become one of ECM's classics", describing the album as falling into the free jazz idiom while revealing Seim to be an "up-tempo Wayne Shorter playing Ben Webster". Jazz musician and author, Mike Zwerin, was similarly enthused by the album. Writing in ''The New York Times'' he declared ''Different Rivers'' to be both melancholic and hypnotizing, describing the listening experience as "like a fireplace in an ice palace, you get hooked on it; it's almost physical".

Seim's impressionistic jazz aesthetic was not universally appreciated, with ''Jazz Times'' describing ''Different Rivers'' more negatively, as "new-age jazz, mostly composed, with ultraslow tempos and almost immobile lines". ''Different Rivers'' nevertheless continues to attract positive jazz criticism. In revisiting the album's ECM Touchstone Series re-release, the ''Jazz Journal'' described ''Different Rivers'' as "...a masterclass in precision and control ... a most remarkable achievement".

The landmark album status of ''Different Rivers'' was celebrated in 2010 when Seim's composition, 'Ulrikas Dans', was selected for inclusion on Arild Andersen's ''Celebration'' album, alongside those of seminal ECM artists, including Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, Dave Holland, and Chick Corea. Recorded with Tommy Smith and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, ''Celebrations'' was devised as a contribution to ECM's 40th anniversary celebrations. ''Different Rivers'' was later one of 25 ECM albums selected for re-release under the 'Touchstone Series', to celebrate the label's 50th anniversary.

Track listing

All tracks composed Trygve Seim.

# "Sorrows" - 6:27
# "Ulrikas Dans" - 7:49
# "Intangible Waltz" - 5:47
# "Different Rivers" - 5:51
# "Bhavana" - 4:23
# "The Aftermath/African Sunrise" - 6:16
# "Search Silence" - 0:50
# "For Edward" - 5:33
# "Breathe" - 9:19
# "Between" - 2:18

Personnel

* Trygve Seim - Tenor and soprano saxophones
* Arve Henriksen - Trumpet, trumpophone, vocals
* HÃ¥vard Lund - Clarinet, bass clarinet
* Nils Jansen - Bass and sopranino saxophones, contrabass clarinet
* Hild Sofie Tafjord - French horn
* David Gald - Tuba
* Stian Carstensen - Accordion
* Bernt Simen Lund - Cello
* Morten Hannisdal - Cello
* Per Oddvar Johansen - Drums
* Paal Nilssen-Love - Drums
* Øyvind Brække - Trombone
* Sidsel Endresen - Recitation
* Jan Erik Kongshaug - Engineer
* Trygve Seim, Christian Wallumrød, and Øyvind Brække - Producer
* Manfred Eicher - Executive producer

References

External links

* {{Discogs master, type=album, 3053428

2000 albums
ECM Records albums
Jazz albums by Norwegian artists