What we have here is the second album by guitarist and band leader PJ Rasmussen, but if I hadn’t told you which instrument he played, then one might imagine that he is actually a brass musician as it is often the horns that stand out on this album. While it is pretty much a given on a jazz album that everyone can play, I mean really play, some bands let themselves down by poor arrangements or letting everyone hog the limelight, but that is definitely not the case here. There are times when there is a need for a certain instrument to shine, and others where it is better if it is absent and PJ certainly understand this. I mean, this is his album, yet on “Love Birds” he stays quiet for the first four minutes!
In many ways this is a look back in time, as he has obviously been greatly influenced by Blue Note, and he has taken that as a starting point and has created an instrumental album that is incredibly well scored, with everyone having their place and no room for egos. This is all about ensemble jazz where each musician knows their job, and what their performance brings to the overall sound. There is no point where the listener becomes aware that the person behind this incredible album is only 23 years old, as he leads his band through classic jazz that is passionate and polished, well crafted and scripted but somehow not constrained. It is really hard to pick out a highlight as the whole album is just so good, and I know that this is going to be a persistent visitor to my player. It is full of texture, vibrancy and bounce, and each time I play it I find something new to enjoy and find that I am listening with a smile on my face as this is sheer controlled joy. Jazz rarely gets much better than this, and if he is doing this when he is so young just what the future hold for him? For more details visit his website at www.pjrasmussen.com
