Jon Balke and Magnetic North Orchestra: Diverted travels
MIC's Listen to Norway series continues with Jon Balke and Magnetic North Orchestra's 'Diverted travels'
Jon Balke and Magnetic North Orchestra: Diverted travels‘Diverted Travels’ is the third album by the pan-Scandinavian Magnetic North Orchestra led by composer, arranger and pianist Jon Balke. The composer and the ensemble continue to balance the delicate equilibrium between composed and freely improvised sections. The tunes bring forth great textual differentiation and a rich harmonic variety that steers clear of any hint of glib crossover or shallow fusion. Balke’s forte is the implementation of small complex compositions and themes within the existing compositions that results in a multi-faceted structure that can be viewed from a multitude of angles, providing the listener with a long-lasting and rewarding outing. The line-up of musicians is impressive including among others trumpet icon Per Jørgensen violinist Bjarte Eike and percussionist Ingar Zach who share a close collective musical understanding of the ensemble’s rich qualities.
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