Marius Neset - Cabaret

Cabaret is Marius Neset doing what The Guardian once summed up as Michael Brecker's power meeting Jan Garbarek's sophistication, ten tracks recorded on a remote island with his most trusted collaborators.Neset grew up in Bergen on a mix of Grieg's classical tradition and progressive local rock bands like Royskopp, an unlikely combination that shows up constantly in how he writes, technically ferocious but never merely showy. Since his 2011 debut Golden Xplosion announced him as one of European jazz's most exciting new voices, he's built a reputation as arguably the most important Norwegian saxophonist since Garbarek himself, and this ACT release keeps the same core band that's defined his recent work, drummer Anton Eger's restless energy anchoring keyboardist Elliot Galvin, pianist Magnus Hjorth, and bassist Conor Chaplin.The title track opens the record with the kind of intricate, high-velocity composition Neset built his name on, ensemble playing tight enough to feel almost telepathic. Song for Maja carries genuine tenderness against the album's more technical stretches. Quantum Dance leans hardest into the group's rhythmic complexity, and Wedding in Geiranger closes things with real warmth, Norwegian landscape rendered directly into melody.A saxophonist whose virtuosity has never once come at the expense of actual feeling. Cabaret proves that balance again.Tracklist Cabaret Hyp3rsonic Cabar3t Song for Maja 4P11 Quantum Dance Ocean Forgotten Ballet Wedding in Geiranger