26 April 2008
Grupa Janke Randalu
Live
2008, Jazz 'n' Arts
Originally hailing from Eastern Europe, the dynamic pianist Kristjan Randalu and mercurial percussionist Bodek Janke are all but unknown to American jazz fans. But the pair belong among the top rank of modern jazz innovators, as evidenced by this thrilling live session recorded in Germany in May 2007. The visceral excitement and engrossing interplay captured on this disc almost defy description: each player sounds like an extension of the other, as Randalu’s outstanding rhythmic instincts mesh seamlessly with Janke’s constantly shifting blend of drums, mouth percussion and assorted sounds. The brilliant, acrobatic “Confidance” blasts off like a lost collaboration between Chick Corea and McCoy Tyner. Standards are playfully warped and refracted as if by funhouse mirrors, while “Hinken” and the traditional Estonian tune “Igaühel oma pill” are carried off to some unnameable, exotic land. In all, it’s a remarkable journey that calls for repeated listenings, and demands greater recognition for Janke and Randalu on these shores.
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