Jesse van Ruller, Joris Roelofs, Clemens van der Feen - Chamber Tones (2010)

With astonishing technique, clear and warm tone, and fresh musical ideas, Jesse van Ruller of Netherlands is one of the most exciting jazz guitarists today. His work both as leader and as collaborators has been well documented and released on CD by Japanese label 55 Records. His adventurous spirit is reflected in the fact that every project has been different from the one before.
His latest release -- the first leader album since In Pursuit -- is an extraordinary guitar-clarinet-bass trio album. The partners-in-crime are young reedman Joris Roelofs, who also plays alto saxophone on a few tunes here, and formidable bassist Clemens van der Feen.
This group was formed organically and they simply liked the sound and music they could make with this unique instrumentation. They thought of the Jimmy Giuffre Trio with Jim Hall and certainly pay tribute to them in this CD, but the reference is indirect. As the title suggests, the aesthetic of chamber music dominates the album. The recording took place in a music hall and made without use of headphones or added reverve. The musicians really listened to each other and played "live."
That intimacy is reflected in the dynamics of this CD, ranging from extremely soft to moderately loud, and the very natural sound (it may sound a bit diffuse compared to most studio recordings but that is expected with this type of recording). Their music is lyrical, gentle and intimate. Recommended to fans of Jesse van Ruller!