from Downbeat, August 2003
Eivind Opsvik
Overseas
Fresh Sound/New Talent 146
****
Overseas, the excellent debut recording by New York-based Norwegian
bassist/composer Eivind Opsvik, shows what happens when a musician puts the
whole range of his imagination into play. With an abundance of striking subplots—from
punchy heads to collective improvs—this is music that makes strict stylistic
barriers seem stodgy.
Overseas
is meticulously laid out, structured around Opsvik’s 12 songs and nine
musicians deployed in different configurations, from trio to septet. The pieces
rely on a traditional relationship between the bass and drums; from there they
stretch and bend. Many of the instrumental choices are inspired: two drummers
for instance, often appear at once, or two keyboards, where Craig Taborn’s
organ and Jacob Sacks’ piano are beautifully allied. And when these two
pairs appear together, craft trumps chaos every time. These subtly nuanced experiments
with color and drama are impressive; it’s clear that a controlled, collective
vision is what really counts.
This vision has its sources. ”Foxtrot,” a jaunty groove, suggests John Scofield. “Prelude,” a yearning tenor-piano quartet, sounds like 1970s Keith Jarrett. And two ballads, “Redford” and “Earthly,” show traces of Bjork and Madonna. Maybe that’s why Overseas is such a perfect generational document: Opsvik has assimilated all of this and more without getting hung up on labels.
Greg Buium