I suspect that, like me, many readers will not know Plecity or his music, so here’s a little background… Plecity is a guitarist and composer born in Düsseldorf in 1995. He started on piano, taking lessons from the age of six, switching to guitar at the age of 14. He has recorded previously on albums by others, but this is the first album to be released under his own name.
Here is a quintet with tenor saxophone, piano, bass and drums supporting the guitarist and, like Plecity, all of his band-mates are little known on the wider jazz scene. The quintet has been performing together since 2017. The eight compositions making up the album are all written and arranged by the leader. They are all carefully crafted with much care and attention to detail. Each piece allows ample space for self-expression from the band members. The music can sometimes be intense and at other times fragile and delicate. I’m reminded of the best of the music produced by the ECM label and of the best of the Scandinavian groups that seem to be all-pervasive currently. The recorded sound is exemplary.
The album opens with ‘The end of a Voyage’ and begins in a contemplative form with the tenor saxophone centre stage before the guitarist enters. Thereafter a gentle insistent beat ushers in the complex theme statement with tenor and guitar in unison before a commanding bass feature, followed by fine piano as the temperature slowly rises. Delicately nimble saxophone figures take over gradually increasing in complexity and intensity.
‘Waves of Light’ is a similarly complex theme, at once delicate and yet joyful and the quintet acquit themselves well throughout the ebb and flow of the music.
‘Inner Riot’ introduces electronic keyboard and another of the leader’s collection of guitars. Here he sounds at times like a combination of a more powerful Pat Metheny combined with early John Abercrombie with a little Bill Frisell thrown in for good measure and the intensity in his playing is palpable. There is a fine keyboard solo and the drummer has a chance to show his abilities.
‘Halcyon Bird’ exhibits a kind of relaxed intensity and commences with some wonderfully ruminative piano. The guitarist here reminding me of Pat Martino in his approach to the instrument.
Unusually, ‘Otherworld’ is ushered in by the drummer before first tenor and then guitar take up the lovely introspective melody. The feel changes to a more aggressive intensity during the saxophonist’s solo before returning to the beguiling melody.
‘Ondine’ is introduced by the bassist before the piano builds musical wisps of smoke in the air and then the theme is sketched out by the guitarist, at times hinting at a hitherto unnoticed blues element in his playing.
‘Fear of Rejection’ is altogether more impassioned with the guitarist taking on the persona of guitar maestro Terje Rypdal in rock mode at the outset, but this soon gives way to more melodic gracefulness from the pianist before high-intensity guitar returns.
The set concludes with ‘Dawn’ where again saxophone and guitar (this time acoustic) take on the beautiful tune. This, for me, is the outstanding piece on the album. It threatens to break into a Jobim- style bossa-nova from time to time and the thoughtful keyboard solo is exquisite.
This is an album full of variety which will hold the listener’s attention throughout. The musicianship is of the highest order as is the recording quality and although you may not know Plecity just yet, make a note of the name because he is likely to soon be joining the ranks of the best of the current crop of jazz guitarists.