Single of the Week: Phronesis – Stillness feat. Julian Argüelles, Frankfurt Radio Big Band

It’s an interesting time for jazz music. Throughout the UK, the US and beyond, it’s undergoing a resurgence, reaching new audiences and developing at a more rapid rate than it has in decades. On the British end of the spectrum, Julian Argüelles is steadily gaining ground. He’s been in the game for years, but recent collaborative efforts with South African musicians and his 2015 album Tetra have helped him reach a far wider audience.

Phronesis, meanwhile, are one of the most promising jazz acts currently operating out of Scandinavia. Their 2016 album, Parallax, made our list of best albums of the year, and at the end of this month they have new one coming. The Behemoth heavily features Argüelles, as well as the Frankfurt Radio Big Band. A few tracks have already been released but at the tail end of last week the third and arguably most impressive arrived – ‘Stillness’.

It is, frankly, bonkers, blending big band instrumentation with the pared down style of the original version of the tune, which first appeared on Parallax. Argüelles oversaw the rearrangement himself and the way his stylings combine with what’s already been laid down is striking, to say the least. The presence of the Frankfurt Radio Big Band only serves to intensify the sound even further.

 

The Behemoth drops on March 30th, pre-order it here.

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