Marius Neset - Circle of Chimes album review: cycles, patterns, rhythms - and stellar playing

Marius Neset, Circle of Chimes, ****, ACT

Circle of Chimes
    
Artist: Marius Neset
Genre: Jazz
Label: ACT

Rather than displaying his extraordinary technical ability at every opportunity, young Norwegian saxophonist Marius Neset has shown admirable restraint, releasing a series of recordings on the ACT label that emphasise composition and the virtues of ensemble playing.

Circle of Chimes is another sidestep, a meditation on music as a series of interlocking cycles, patterns and rhythms that diverge and converge. To realise his vision, the Copenhagen-based saxophonist puts together a small orchestra that includes Beninese guitarist Lionel Loueke and Phronesis pianist Ivo Neame.

But don't worry, when the solos start, Neset steps up with the fluency of a saxophonist who has absorbed the lessons of Michael Brecker and Chris Potter and is planting his own, distinctive flag on the European musical landscape. mariusneset.info