Credits:

Thomas Stronen

Description:

Norway-based composer/drummer Tomas Streenen's acoustic group Time Is A Blind Guide releases its debut album on ECM. The band's name "Time Is A Blind Guide" is taken from the first line of the 1996 novel "Fugitive Pieces" by Canadian poet/author Anne Michaels. This concert series is part of Oslo's Victoria Nasjonal Jazzscene, curated by Fiona Talkington, a Broadcaster and early supporter of 'Food', another unit with a British saxophonist, The band was invited to Conexions and asked to compose a piece to be performed by a combination of Norwegian and British musicians. According to Strenen, "We had mentioned different musicians, but Fiona recommended the pianist Kit Downes, who was a very good recommendation. I called a few people and wrote a song for the ensemble, and the band was officially formed for the concert. Things went really well, and at this point I quickly realized that there was no stopping it. We needed to develop the music more deeply and play more together. But I never thought I would start a new band. I was playing in different groups at the time.But the musical potential was very high, and it was clear that this was something I needed to pursue. So I started to do less other activities and made this sound stronger and more solid with this band as the first priority." After more than two years of playing in concert, the album was recorded in July 2015 at Rainbow Studios in Oslo, co-produced by Streenen and Sun Chung. The leader's vision of more melodic and energetic music is supported by unorthodox beats and fluid rhythms. The melodies are accessible and easy to sing along to, but the hand clapping and foot rhythm is a bit challenging, which I like. It's melodic music with a twist." The band is composed of several sub-groups that overlap, "Almost every drummer and pianist likes to play in a piano trio, but at the heart of this band is a sort of enhanced piano trio, with a string group consisting of violin, cello, and bass. I have a string group that consists of a violin, cello, and bass. -I have written a lot of music for strings over the years. There is also a three-piece drum ensemble, including myself. The band can be big or small depending on the venue, but we always like to keep it completely acoustic, and no electro. But sometimes the percussionist acts as a sampler in Food, but I don't program them. But I don't program them.(laughs) But there are specific roles between songs, and they play a solid groove that I'm very free to strum on it or not so much."