A duo of a low-pitched stringed instrument and a brass instrument is not exactly the standard instrumentation of music ensembles, not even of the more resourceful jazz. In the case of Summerwind, a double bass or cello has teamed up with a trumpet or a flugelhorn. The result is sound wise a little bit strange and needs getting used to. Once you have accustomed yourself what will easily be the case after the almost four minutes of "Autumn Leaves", the opening title casted with stuffed trumpet and plucked double bass, comprising variations of the original theme, and promising an album for the quiet after work hours, one is curious what the initially considered strange instrument combination still has to offer.

It follows "Saluto Dardamente", a title (most of the titles playing for around four minutes) going back to the trumpet player, which continues to vary the after-work mood with elegant, delicate trumpet playing sans damper insert and rhythmically pointed double bass accompaniment. À la Miles Davis, "Le Matin" proceeds even more relaxed. "Stilla Storm" was written by the cello / bass player. Here, the flugelhorn carries the melody with relatively long tones into the zenith, to vary it afterwards briefly and succinctly in reminiscent of baroque compositions. To second shortest track of the album follows "Jag lyfter ögat mot himmelen" ("I lift my eye towards the sky"), which gives the deep string instrument room for a pronounced solo with trumpet calls coming in from the off and which does credit to the title by proceeding in the style of a hymn. In "Un vestido y un amor", the stuffed trumpet first calls from the off into the action of the plucked bass, before it steps up to the ramp, where it is received by the bass now played emphatically and animating the trumpet to sing a little love song.

To the entertaining "Drexciya" running shorter than two minutes and played on a par melodiously by both instruments follows with "Dardusó" a partially sonically alienated piece improvised live in the studio with concise bass solo. "Stanna Tid" ("Stop Time") shines accompanied by considerable bass rumbling, through total flugelhorn commitment both front of the ramp as well as far back in the off. The whole thing finally ends in unison far far away, seemingly near eternity. "Sleep Safe And Warm" transmits Bach's "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme " into the relaxed world of this trumpet cello duo. And lo and behold, not much improvisation is needed to transfer the old master into the world of jazz. Beautifully played. At the latest with "April in Dardegna" you are in the wake of this contemplative ever further and further flowing music, so that after the last title "De La Solitude Mesurée" you invariably will activate Repeat. Attention: this album carries addictiveness.

Those who deem too much relaxation is going on should ask themselves, if they have not already completely forfeited our world’s hectic. Those would do well with a longer cure based on Summerwind. Oh yes, the Lords of Summerwind are Lars Danielsson, trumpet and flugelhorn and Paolo Fresu, cello and contrabass, one of Norway, the other an Italian and both seasoned jazz musicians not needing to report nearer about their merits. Everyone knows them, and those who do not know them will easily learn from listening to Summerwind that they are facing here highly talented sound and mood wizards.

Lars Danielsson, bass, cello
Paolo Fresu, trumpet, flugelhorn