Instead
of fitting neatly into one musical genre, the David Harenstam
Band’s “What happened in Fremantle?” fits
into none… effective, mix of folk, jazz, classical and
other styles. Harenstam is a talented guitarist from Sweden
who performs regularly as a classical musician. He plays clean,
piercing notes on his acoustic guitar and easily moves from
style to style… it is the crisp sounds that he nutures
from the acoustic instrument. She (Moleta) has a low-key,
moody style. Her closest musical kin is perhaps Margo Timmins
of the Cowboy Junkies. Both have beautiful voices and slow,
haunting deliveries. “What happened in Fremantle?”
also includes several instrumental numbers, which have classical
and Latin influences. Each song features a different ensemble
of musicians. The song “Oblivion,” for example,
has guitar, violin and accordion. Other songs have saxophone
or drums. The disc officially closes with Harenstam and Moleta
performing Bob Dylan’s “Buckets of Rain.”
It’s a sparse, beautiful treatment. Moleta’s tender
vocals are a perfect fit for the bittersweet lyrics. Although
“Buckets of Rain” is the last song listed on the
CD, there is a surprise that follows. This is an album full
of surprises, mostly good ones.
Jazz
review
"Cheeky
mix of musical styles! Who cares about genres anymore? Not
the guitarist David Härenstam, who with youthful cheek
blends jazz, classical, folk, and world music. And gets it
to swing enormesly."
Stockholm
City
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