The Room Next Door

Having recently appeared on Mosambique's "Big City Moves", Lyder Øvreås Røed returns to Jazzland with his own project, a melodic foray into a different species of jazz. Filled with late night, dark side of the mood compositions, alongside hot urban swing and summer day brightness, performed with hair's-breadth-perfect interplay. Textures, vibes, atmospheres, drive and tempo shift throughout, but the album retains a perfect unity from one piece to the next.

These are fresh, lithe and lean studio performances of old favourites, given by a fine Dutch cellist with an alert conductor-less Bremen chamber orchestra. Most arresting is the Saint-Saëns, freed from the overblown dramatic intensity familiar from performances by some 'big' cello virtuosi. The outer movements, are separated by an archaic 'escaped minuet', to quote Wispelwey's intelligent notes; the finale is an expanded version of the first. Balance is good, the cello a little more forward than it would generally be in concert. Good impressions are maintained in all the other items, the rococo variations light as befits a tribute to Mozart, the Bruch melody soulful and involving.