Clazz Ensemble & Frank Carlberg

The Netherlands' reputation for supporting a flourishing and venturesome jazz scene is supported by the bracing new album by Amsterdam's Clazz Ensemble of music by Finnish-American pianist-composer Frank Carlberg. Structured improvisation occurs as solos weave intricate, often ensemble-based patterns around the boldly stated melodies and themes. It's a quiet, controlled wail wedded to the familiar rhythms of the circus and American musical theater. Some of the structures will remind careful listeners of Philip Glass and other late 20^th century postmodernists.