single post
Christine & Ingrid Jensen with Ben Monder present Infinitude
Unleashing Freedom
For many Jazz lovers, sisters Christine and Ingrid Jensen represent the pinnacle of creativity and virtuosity in Jazz. Montreal based Christine is now a dual Juno Award winner for her lauded large ensemble work, and older sister Ingrid is renowned in the New York Jazz scene, filling key chairs in Grammy winning orchestras of Maria Schneider and Darcy James Argue.
This recording, entitled “Infinitude”, features former Schneider guitarist Ben Monder, widely considered to be about the heaviest Jazz guitarist working today, and the choice of David Bowie on the monumental Blackstar album.
The three powerhouses weave a mesmerizing, irreverent web of spontaneity and soul. There is no limit to the form and contour of these original pieces,and the responsive solos are at once completely novel, and somehow agelessly familiar.This is the true test of inventiveness, can something absolutely new sound familiar? The answer is yes. It is as if we have heard these pieces before, unusual cadences and turns sound completely right, jagged and bold lines are sound tender and well placed.
The three are joined by Montreal bassist Fraser Hollins, stalwart collaborator of Christine Jensen and her husband and fellow Juno winner Joel Miller. Drum chair is filled by Ingrid’s husband Jon Wikan, and the red carpet is laid.
Hats off to these artists, it is rare in today’s world that we encounter something so purely based on ideas of excellence, of truth. The work here is of this high order, eschewing all trappings of ego, tapping a deep well of energy reserved only for the forthright. Thank you to the artists for serving up such a genuine work, and for allowing me to film its creation.
Text and video by Randy Cole