Ways + Simon Toldam - Fortunes [Lorna Records 012]

Put on the circuit via Canadian-imprint Lorna Records on May 8th, 2k20 is "Fortunes", the latest collaborational album outing brought to life by Toronto-based duo Ways in conjunction with Danish piano player Simon Toldam. Combining the duos distinct and stripped down musical style based on alto sax and drums with Toldam's approach towards his instrument the triumvirate creates a half-improvised, somewhat meandering and defo loop x repetetion-based hybrid roughly relating to genres like experimental, explorative PostRock and Post Jazz from the first notes of the albums opener "Fame" onwards, keeps close to this angle in the way deeper, dreamstate-like and slighty fever'ish subsequent follow-up "Love" which, in a way, also touches bases with DarkJazz minimalism whilst the subdued, intricate and corresponding Minimal Jazz tones of "Luck" provide a playful, yearning and most of all intimate variation for all Jazz lovers hit by an inevitable late night big city blues. Furthermore "Money II" is buzzing, whizzing and whirling like a tornado of a gazillion spooked little critters, "Passion" sets out for a deep exploration of monochromatic Jazz Noir / Future Jazz realms and the final, 13+ minutes spanning "Health" wanders through a complex, sparkling and well deep sonic biome built from both extremely shy and tender sections which, over the course of the cuts entire playtime, make way to a most lively and playful sonic fauna for a closing just to pick a few cuts from the album for a rough descriptive layout. A most intimate piece, this.

Album artwork on Instagram!