Undercurrent Trio & Suzan Veneman
Cloud Song
ZenneZ Records
JAZZ
CD/Digital
The trio Undercurrent, consisting of tenor saxophonist/clarinetist Iman Spaargaren, Argentinian guitarist Guillermo Celano and his compatriot, drummer Marcos Baggiani, needs little introduction. In recent years, they have conquered the (inter)national stages with their lyrical, absurd and frivolous compositions. Imaginative songs with like-wise names, performed by a solid choir of distinct voices. On 'Cloud Song' the trio has invited a fourth kindred spirit. Suzan Veneman, a pleasantly idiosyncratic trumpeter with a beautiful sound. From the dramatic and restrained beginning to the unhinged ending, Spaargaren and Veneman blow their way through the raw material of 'Wat Nu Weer'. A composition that most likely looks different on paper than it sounded in the Hilversum studio in October 2022. And as the title suggests, the wind instruments in 'Voors en Tegens' alternately cloud and clear the autumn air. With his bass clarinet, Spaargaren takes the listener along in a convincing, touching story. He is then assisted by Veneman, who eventually takes over the storyline until the story is concluded in harmony. With songs such as 'Lonesome Gaucho' and 'Couleur Locale', the four musicians know how to strike a beautiful, if necessary correct, chord. The story is central and it is nice that Veneman is allowed to participate, because her poetic voice leads to strong emotions in time. The album ends with the appropriate encore, so called 'Kattenbel'. Here maestro Spaargaren sounds great and in his wake a spicy solo from the phlegmatic Celano concludes the album (Robin Arends, Jazzism).
