HEDVIG MOLLESTAD - Tempest Revisited

And here's yet another record, which arrived just a little too late for my albums of the year list. In Hedvig Mollestad's case I don't feel too bad though, just because "Ding Dong. You're Dead", the recent release of her Trio, is featured there with an honourable mention.

So at least I'm not being completely unjust to this stellar Norwegian modern jazz fusion guitarist and composer. I guess. Well. Admittedly I still feel a little bit bad about it. But what's done is done.

HEDVIG MOLLESTAD - Tempest Revisited (LP) (2021)

Originally the commissioned work for the anniversary of a cultural institution in Ålesund in 2018, the recording of "Tempest Revisited" took place back to back with the sessions for her masterpiece "Ekhidna" in early 2020, so the recording team was the same and thus also the production is of quite similar quality. The line-up of Hedvig's band however is completely different, except for herself on guitar (plus some piano and vocals) and keyboardist Marte Eberson.

The rest includes bass, drums and one, two, three saxophone players, so yes, this record is really big on the woodwinds.

But then this is big on everything. A spark of funk here, a fat Motorpsycho groove there, bust mostly "Tempest Revisited" just delivers fat maximalist virtuosic jazz rock fusion with stellar guitar work, all kinds of saxophone goodness and congenial backing which never has to hide from it.

Or in other words: Hedvig Mollestad nailed it again. And she makes it sound incredibly effortless. This is as playful, profound, explorative, entertaining, just fucking good as it gets.