Mathias Højgaard Jensen: Is As Is

  On his first recording session, bassist and composer Mathias Højgaard Jensen sounds remarkably self-assured. For Is As Is, he has gathered a deeply compatible quartet with alto saxophonist David Mirarchi, pianist Jacob Sacks, and drummer Stephen Crammer. Sacks, the veteran of the band, has recorded with the likes of Eivind Opsvik (who mixed and mastered this CD), Jacob Garchik, David Binney, and Dan Weiss, among others, since he first appeared on record towards the end of the Nineties. He anchors the rhythm section with a brisk angularity and incisive harmonic choices. Saxophonist Mirarchi, making his own debut on record, has a sweet and unhurried sound, and happily seems more devoted to the realization of Jensen’s tricky compositions than to showing off what he can do on his horn. About those tunes: it’s hard to get a handle on the way Jensen writes his tunes because they continually move in unexpected directions. But the craftsmanship of the arrangements and playing, plus the undeniable flow of the music, make for an extremely attractive listening experience. Highlights include a long series of trades by Sacks and Mirarchi on Forbigået, with lively accompaniment by Jensen and Crammer, the gently rolling Is As Is featuring a prominent bass part and carefully modulated brush work by Crammer, Sacks’ robust piano solo on Hill, and Jensen’s delicate solo on Post August Blues. Vijay Iyer has written about what he calls the New Brooklyn Complexity, noting the “particular amalgamation of high-modernist compositional knowhow and cutting-edge improvisational expertise,” a description that seems eminently suited to Is As Is. Happily recommended. 

Fresh Sound New Talent FSNT 678; David Mirarchi (as) Jacob Sacks (p) Mathias Højgaard Jensen (b) Steven Crammer (d); Brooklyn, NY, September 29, 2022; Off-Set/ Sleeping Silver/ Hjemstavn:Hometown/ Afklaret/ Forbigået/ Kastle/ Is As Is/ Hill/ Post August Blues; 51:53. www.freshsoundrecords.com