Various - Space Lab & Strings [CD]

Pianist/composer Nikolaj Hess has found much to say utilising the piano trio and the string quartet over his career. Recently, it was his idea to interweave a string quartet together with a piano trio to create a septet, thus multiplying the colours and dynamism of sound that can be produced. Hess's gorgeous recording, 'Spacelab & Strings', brings two ensembles from two musical fields together to amplify his artistic vision in a unique, sweeping way. <p>Hess grew up in the musically rich environment of the Jutland peninsula of Denmark. Hess developed long standing musical relationships with bassist Anders Christensen and drummer Mikkel Hess (who is also Hess's brother). The regular partnership led to a trio that switched leadership depending on projects but has ultimately come to be known as Spacelab. The ensemble's time-honed rapport makes it an ideal amplifier of Hess's folk-inspired, Scandinavian-tempered music. <p>Butch Lacy and Horace Parlan were among Hess's teachers at the Copenhagen Conservatory and the first to introduce Hess to arranging and transcribing his musical thoughts from the piano to strings. Hess continued to study the art of string writing, studying the works of greats like Beethoven and Ravel. Opportunities to write for strings sprang up in commissions and films over the years, which include Lars Von Trier's Melancholia. <p>Over the years, Hess collaborated regularly with violinist Cæcilie Balling, the leader of Strings, the quartet featured on this recording, and co-producer of this recording. The other members of the quartet, violinist Christian Ellegård, violist Jakup Lützen, and cellist Josefine Opsahl, are engaged in a wide variety of musical endeavors, from classical fare to improvised music, making the flexible quartet a perfect partner with Spacelab.