Two Jazz Songs in the Wind
Recently, I've been drawn to the Esbjorn Svensson Trio's jazz 2003 jazz album Seven Days of Falling , thanks to a sample used by Kendrick Lamar in his song "How Much a Dollar Cost". I'd like to highlight two tracks from the album worth noting. First, the quiet, understated opener "Ballad for the Unborn" features a meandering piano that's headed somewhere, painting landscapes that are both musically interesting and emotionally evocative. I found myself wandering down a trail, fascinated by the paths that the piano took. Sometimes it retraced its steps. Sometimes it didn't. Barely noticeable cymbal flushes come through, as the song picks up a degree of crescendo toward's its conclusion. A fuzzy, big bass looms in the background, but the piano remains as the leader of the pack. "O.D.R.I.P", the albums conclusion, starts on a sharp note. The drums and bass make themselves immediately known, slanting sideways, only to have...