Lean Left - Medemer (2020)

Lean Left is a four-piece band of Paal Nilssen-Love (drums), Ken Vandermark (reeds), Terrie Ex and Andy Moor (guitars). Andy and Terrie have been playing together in legendary Dutch group The Ex since 1990, a band that came out of the punk scene in the late 70s, but who were determined to explore much larger fields of expression, and is why they are one of the few rock-based bands that feel relevant after 40 years. Following similar paths, but with a slightly different starting point, Ken and Paal both came out of jazz and improvised music, and began playing together in 2000. The four came together in February 2007 on a split bill in Amsterdam with the two duos. Through a myriad of different projects, bands, guest features, one-offs and the like, the quartet line-up of Lean Left soon became the utility pole of their shared activities. In short: these are four musicians with a long history of playing together. Their new album “Medemer”, recorded on tour in 2018, clearly displays a musical camaraderie that can only be reached through playing together – a lot. But there’s also another factor: storytelling. While most live albums for good reason are edited to a digestible form, “Medemer” presents the entire 72-minute concert in full. Listening to the album it becomes clear why it is like this - conscious or not the four musicians of Lean Left are not just good at playing together, they know how to make the whole performance come together as a whole, without any compositions or preconceived movements every section is followed by something that takes the music in a new direction. Like a well made film noir you know what kind of trip you’re in for, but you’ll be surprised where it takes you.