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STARLIGHT BARKING
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CD 282
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Stekpanna fans will enjoy this set of typically hip, happening, and deeply groovy originals alongside a characteristically quirky deconstruction of the heavy metal classic Paranoid. Those new to the maverick Anglo-Scandinavian trio will find engaging melodies and expressive improvisation in a spacious sonic landscape – think EST with guitars, only cooler and wittier.
Mads Kjølby: electric & acoustic guitars
Steve Kershaw: double bass
Petter Svärd: drums & percussion
‘Igor’s U-Turns’ from the CD was played on BBC Radio 3’sJazz Line Upprogramme on 21stFebruary 2010. This is how presenter Claire Martin described the trio:
‘Stekpanna are an award-winning Anglo-Scandinavian contemporary jazz trio. They played their first gig in 1996 in L.A., and won a Battle of the Bands competition, and have since played hundreds of gigs across 26 different countries. They play a distinctive modern European style of unclassifiable post-jazz, and their repertoire consists of original compositions by all three members of the band, alongside re-workings of classic tunes that aren’t usually associated with jazz – think Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. L.A. Weekly described them as ‘Hip, happening and deeply groovy’, so here they are…’
This CD is also available by digital download:
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CD TITLE: STARLIGHT BARKING
Catalogue No SLAMCD 282
ARTISTS: STEKPANNA
Mads Kjølby: Electric & Acoustic Guitars
Steve Kershaw: Double Bass
Petter Svärd: Drums & Percussion
Tracks
1. Moscow Night Train (Petter Svärd) 5.57
2. Igor's U-Turns (Mads Kjølby) 4.23
3. (Stek)-Paranoid (Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward, Geezer Butler; arr. Stekpanna) 3.49
4. The Tone, The Whole Tone, And Nothing But The Tone (Petter Svärd) 4.20
5. Brother Nick (Petter Svärd) 4.54
6. Calypso Collapso (Steve Kershaw) 2.42
7. The Ballad of the Heavyweight Champions (Mads Kjølby) 6.43
8. So You Claim (Mads Kjølby) 4.30
9. Sunday (Mads Kjølby) 5.11
10. Starlight Barking (Steve Kershaw)4.25
Total playing time: 46.54
Recorded at On Location Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark, 28/02/09 & 01/03/09
Engineered by Thomas Vang Mastered by Eric Smith at Monster Sound Studios, England
Stekpanna is a guitar trio based in Copenhagen, and they've been around since the late ‘90s. If you don't notice Steve Kershaw's stand up acoustic bass in the artwork, you might think (3) is a pretty rocking affair. You couldn't be more wrong. Mads Kjelby plays electric guitar for the most part, but he uses almost no distortion or alteration of his guitar's tone. His music is made up of the pure bell-like tones a subtly amped guitar will give you, so there is more Tjader and Smith than funk here. Likewise drummer Petter Svard favors a slimmed down kit, and the trio is great at creating a gentle shuffling beat that lifts the guitar melodies gently, at times with lines as simple as Satie. Recorded in January and February of 2009, it's another sign that all flavors of Jazz are still thriving in Copenhagen.
Phillip McNally Cadence, July 2010
ALL ABOUT JAZZ, ITALIA.
Il primo brano di questoStarlight Barkingdel gruppo anglo-scandinavo Stekpanna è decisamente esplicativo della musica che possiamo ascoltare nel resto dell'album. Si parte con una introduzione misteriosa che ricorda le atmosfere incantate dei fiordi popolati dai folletti nordici, per poi passare ad un clima più solare, quasi latineggiante, dove il chitarrista Mads Kjolby sembra voler evocare più Pat Metheny che non Terje Rypdal.
Anche i restanti 9 brani sono scritti dai tre componenti del gruppo, con una importante eccezione della quale parliamo di seguito. I tre musicisti si muovono con la giusta souplesse in uno scenario di jazz moderno disincantato e ritmicamente lieve, senza grandi forzature, ma allo stesso tempo pieno di grazia e di coerenza. Senza scordare mai di immettere nel mix anche una sana dose di ironia.
Il chitarrista è sempre al centro della scena e il suo protagonismo, forse un po' prevaricante, risulta essere comunque funzionale al contesto. Il bassista Steve Kershaw e il batterista Petter Svard assecondano perfettamente il lavoro di Kjolby e sanno ritagliarsi piccoli spazi senza mai però forzare il concetto di fondo che è quello di un guitar trio moderno, delicato ed elegante.
La decostruzione del celebre "Paranoid" dei Black Sabbath diventa l'occasione per mettere al lavoro uno strumento ben affilato che nelle mani degli Stekpanna serve per tagliare via le scorie, giungendo a sintetizzare e addolcire l'essenza di un riff che nella sua forma originale un po' ruvida ha dominato la scena dell'heavy rock per tanti anni. Una metamorfosi sorprendente che ci colpisce quasi come se ci trovassimo di fronte ad un lupo selvaggio che, dopo un bel bagno nell'acqua salata e profumata di torba, si è trasformato magicamente in un bel levriero spagnolo. Che ulula alle stelle.
Mauritius Comandini http://italia.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=5262
TRANSLATION
The first track of thisStarlight Barkingof the Anglo-Scandinavian Stekpanna is very explanatory of the music we listen to the rest of the album.It starts with an introduction that recalls the mysterious enchanted atmosphere of the Nordic fjords populated by elves, before moving to a sunnier climate, almost Latinate, where the guitarist Mads Kjolby seems to evoke more Pat Metheny that Terje Rypdal.
The remaining 9 tracks are written by the three members of the group, with one important exception which we speak below.The three musicians are moving in the right souplesse into a scene of modern jazz and rhythm slightly disenchanted, without much forcing, yet full of grace and coherence.Without ever forget to enter also in the mix a healthy dose of irony.
The guitarist is always at center stage and his hero, perhaps a bit 'prevaricating, there are still functional context.Bassist Steve Kershaw and drummer Petter Svard nourish the job perfectly and know of Kjolby carve out small spaces but never force the basic concept is that of a guitar trio, modern, delicate and elegant.
The deconstruction of the famous "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath becomes an opportunity to begin work at a sharp instrument in the hands of Stekpanna used to cut away the waste, leading to summarize and soften the essence of a riff that in its original form a bit 'rough dominated the heavy rock scene for many years.An amazing metamorphosis that strikes us as if we were dealing with a wild wolf, after a swim in salt water and perfumed with peat, is magically transformed into a beautiful Spanish greyhound.Howling at the stars.
I was interested to see the Stekpanna release - saw them in Fulham first time around many years ago. Love the way they draw the venom from Paranoid - a rocker worth covering by jazzmen! Mark Gilbert, Editor, Jazz Journal.
THE MUSICIAN, SPRING 2010
Stekpanna:Starlight Barking Expressive jazz trio Stekpanna consists of bassist Steve Kershaw, guitarist Mads Kjolby and drummer Petter Svard. Possessing portfolios of significant work in their own right as soloists and group members, plus considerable experience touring across Russia, Scandinavia and Cuba, the trio offer a relaxed and ultra-clean sound. Echoing some unusual combinations in their repertoire – Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and James Brown for example – the unexpected twists and turns the threesome engage upon thrill and surprise in equal measure.
Jazz Journal, March 2010
This the fourth release from this Danish-Anglo-Swedish trio. It was always a band focused on rhythm and hummable melody; the opening track begins sinisterly with shimmering and rumbling and twanging before giving way to long, languid guitar lines which lope along over locomotive drums and a (there is no other word) groovy bassline. Mention must be made of their deconstruction of Black Sabbath’s Paranoid. It may seem to be jumping on the bandwagon popularised by the likes of the Bad Plus, but Stekpanna have been doing this sort of mischief for years (previous albums have included tracks such as A Whole Lotta Love Supreme) and the simple changing of the rhythm makes the tune entirely theirs. The Tone,The Whole Tone And Nothing But The Tone might refer to whole tone scales but it could equally summarise the sound of the whole album. The sound throughout is gorgeous. This is music to make you smile. Dave Foxall
The Four Shires, February 2010
More years ago than I care to admit I was wearily travelling on an overnight train from Moscow to Leningrad (or St. Petersburg as it now is) having spent the previous two days crossing Europe in similar style. This memory was triggered by the latest release by the Anglo-Scandinavian contemporary jazz trio Stekpanna, whose bass player Steve Kershaw lives in Deddington, just south of Banbury. The much travelled band have appeared a number of times in Russia, and have performed in this country with some of the best musicians from there. Their new CD, "Starlight Barking" is available this month and opens with an atmospheric track Moscow Night Train inspired by the trio's endless overnight journeys across Russia. Trains and railways have always been a favourite theme of jazz composers and this is an excellent addition to the list. You can almost feel the motion of the train. Drummer Petter Svärd penned this composition and also the interestingly titled The Tone, the Whole Tone, and Nothing But the Tone, which uses the whole tone scale favoured by, amongst others, Thelonious Monk. The melody line is superb and the musicians seem to be having a ball with this one: certainly one of the better tracks in this excellent album. Necessarily, guitarist Mads Kjølby is featured most frequently as soloist especially on his own compositions; So You Claim being very typical of his work, and Sunday on which acoustic guitar is heard conjures up one of those quiet, stress-free Sundays (do they still exist?). The trio have adapted rock band Black Sabbath's Paranoid to produce (Stek)Paranoid whilst Kershaw contributes a Cuban flavour in Calypso Collapso and the title track which "honours" his springer spaniel. I have praised the work of this trio previously and continue to enjoy their recorded work. You may, like me, have come up through the mainstream of jazz yet you will almost certainly find much to enjoy in this CD. If you are a committed contemporary jazz fan this will be a necessary purchase. It is available from Slam records - based in Abingdon - on www.slamproductions.net Mick Day
Abbaiando alle stelle di Vittorio LoConte
Stekpanna è un classico trio jazz per chitarra e ritmica costituito da Mads Kjølby chitarra acustica ed elettrica, Steve Kershaw contrabbasso e Petter Svärd batteria. Fino a qua si potrebbe pensare ad una band che fa degli standard, che cerca di orientarsi alla tradizione di un Barney Kessel. Ed invece no, preferiscono composizioi proprie che riflettono le loro visioni musicali es eseguono unvecchio brano che è un classico dell´heavy metal: "paranoid" della band intorno all´ormai famoso, dopo le disavventure televisive Ozzy Osborne. Mads Kjølby cambia le sue chitarre e la ritmica lo sostiene vivacemente evitando di ricalcare orme stantie. La prima cosa che colpisce delle loro musica è l´originalità, all´interno della strada maestra del jazz, ma neanche presa troppo sul serio. Così si affacciano elementi europei, fusion che vengono modificati e resi con una pronuncia jazzistica che fa leva su una preparazione strumentale notevole. Sono dei maestri dei loro strumenti e non ne fanno mistero. Una band notevole che ha le qualità per essere presa sul serio a livello internazionale. http://www.musicboom.it/mostra_recensioni.php?Unico=20100210225930
STEKPANNA / Starlight Barking (Slam Productions)
Voilà plus ce que j'attends de Slam: du jazz moderne, intelligent, rigolo même. Ce trio angloscandinave (Mads Kjølby, guitare; Steve Kershaw, contrebasse; Peter Svärd, batterie) n'en est pas à son premier album. Starlight Barking frétille d'échanges allumés entre acolytes. Je détecte une forte influence de Monk, un peu de Mahavishnu Orchestra aussi. Et on trouve une reprise audacieuse de "Paranoid" de Black Sabbath!
That's what I was expecting from Slam: modern, intelligent, funny jazz. This Anglo-Scandinavia trio (Mads Kjølby, guitar; Steve Kershaw, bass; Peter Svärd, drums) has a few other albums under their belt. Starlight Barking is full of enlightened exchanges between long-time friends. I can hear a strong Monk influence, and a certain Mahavishnu Orchestra flavor. And wait until you hear their bold rereading of Black Sabbath's "Paranoid"! François Couture http://blog.monsieurdelire.com/2010/01/2010-01-06-jackout-stekpanna-aram.html
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