New album from Eric Dahlman is mind-expanding free jazz
The transcendent free jazz of Eric Dahlman defies easy categorization. On his latest album Glacier, Dahlman swings open the curtains that reveal another state of mind, where music is liberated from any stylistic and melodic shackles. The creativity on vivid display here are not compromised by any commercial considerations; this is songcraft as poetry, blooming with interesting colors and mind-expanding atmospherics.
Dahlman utilizes the trumpet in a unique, cerebral fashion, as a melodic undertow to layers of sonic experimentation. The icy heights of “Plastic” are exhilarating and spellbinding. Kelly Spyglass’ disembodied, ethereal vocals give the track a ghostly allure as the ambient sounds around her add tension and feeling. Overall, it’s as if Dead Can Dance jammed with Radiohead and Miles Davis. Its otherworldly weirdness is a trip on headphones. More extraterrestrial magic can be found on “Accordia,” reeling in some world music influence in its treatment of avant-garde jazz. Shaw Pong Liu’s fiery violin delivers the sizzle.
Among the most striking cuts on Glacier is “Esopus Creek.” Dahlman reflective trumpet and Steve Ellison’s meditative guitar conjure images of Mother Nature eroded by global warming as the Earth’s tears are captured by running water. Whether or not that is Dahlman’s intention remains the subject of interpretation, but for a record to produce such deep thoughts already make it an incredible experience.
Website:
https://ericdahlman1.bandcamp.com