Exploding Customer - Live at Glenn Miller Café

Jason Ferguson, Orlando Weekly Music

This Swedish quartet (led by saxophonist Martin Küchen, but featuring the soon-to-be-legendary AALY Trio drummer Kjell Nordeson) is a relatively new endeavor for the involved parties, and this excellent set was recorded in Stockholm less than seven months ago.

Though it's obvious they have yet to establish the kind of improvisational relationship that makes Nordeson's other group such a powerhouse, the friendly fire is nonetheless impressive. Obviously more inspired by late '60s "New Thing" jazz (that blistering blend of free improvisation and post-bop solidity) than the wild-ass anarchy of their European brethren, Exploding Customer relies on a rock-hard rhythm section to keep Küchen's squonks on terra firma.

Trumpet player Tomas Hallonsten doesn't get a whole lot of lead time, which is fine, considering that Küchen is obviously the mad genius here. Switching between alto, tenor and soprano (yikes!) saxophones, he keeps the proceedings lively and engaging and it will certainly be interesting to see where this group goes from here.