At Sea - Ingrid Jensen

It is no mystery to anyone who visits my site regularly that I am a big fan of Ingrid Jensen. Her ability on the horn and her music are a big reason for this but she is also a fantastic person. I've had the pleasure of meeting her a few times and I found her to be nice and very genuine.  I hope to get another trumpet lesson from her next time she is in the area - I really learned a lot the last time we met and I left feeling encouraged.

In jazz, one of the ultimate goals for any musician is to be able to find their own voice.  Preferably that voice would contain echoes of the legendary players who have come before but that voice would still speak with individuality. To my ears - Ingrid has managed to do this in her ideas, phrasing and her sound (both on trumpet and flugelhorn). Every note that spills from her bell seems to have a purpose and emotion behind it. Nothing sounds planned or contrived. It truly is a joy to hear.  What she plays seems to come from within and as a response to what she hears around her.   

What she hears and responds to on At Sea is generated by a very talented group of musicians: Geoffrey Keezer, Jon Wikan, Matt Clohesy, Lage Lund and Hugo Alcazar. There is a great sense of unity with this group and obviously a heavy dose of listening to one another. On different songs there are shifts in tempo and even style - everyone handles it without hesitation. "Swotterings" is an excellent example of this (it's a really fun song).  On the title track "At Sea" I can close my eyes and actually imagine the ocean, its movement and life within it stirring about in response.  As I write this the melody of "As Love Does" is running through my head - all of the music is quite memorable.

Ingrid Jensen is a musician who is on top of her game and sure of her direction in music. We should feel fortunate that she is sharing her journey with us.  I can't recommend this CD enough.

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