Thomas Strønen & Time Is A Blind Guide - Lucus (2018) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

Norwegian drummer/composer Thomas Strønen presents a revised edition of his acoustic collective Time Is A Blind Guide, now trimmed to quintet size, and with a new pianist in Wakayama-born Ayumi Tanaka.

Tanaka has spoken of seeking associative connections between Japan and Norway in her improvising, a tendency Strønen seems to be encouraging with his space-conscious writing for the ensemble, letting in more light.

As on the group’s eponymously-titled and critically-lauded debut album there are excellent contributions from the string players – the quintet effectively contains both a string trio and a piano trio – and Manfred Eicher’s production brings out all the fine detail in the grain of the collective sound and the halo of its overtones, captured in the famously-responsive acoustic of Lugano’s Auditorio Stelio Molo in March 2017.

Tracklist:
1. La Bella (04:24)
2. Friday (04:05)
3. Release (05:46)
4. Lucus (03:47)
5. Fugitive Places (07:14)
6. Baka (02:07)
7. Wednesday (05:09)
8. Tension (06:30)
9. Truth Grows Gradually (04:28)
10. Islay (04:01)
11. Weekend (04:47)

Personnel:
Thomas Strønen, drums
Ayumi Tanaka, piano
Håkon Aase, violin
Lucy Railton, violoncello
Ole Morten Vågan, double bass