Chantal Acda (vocals, acoustic guitar), Bill Frisell (electric guitar), Thomas Morgan (bass), Eric Thielemans (drums), Colin Stetson (saxophone), Shahzad Ismaily (acoustic guitar, percussion, piano, Moog synthesizer), Kurt Van Herck (saxophone), Joachim Badenhorst (clarinet), Niels Van Heertum (euphonium), Jozef Dumoulin (piano)
She is a singer-songwriter born in the Netherlands and currently residing in Belgium. This album features a lineup that includes not only Belgian musicians she regularly plays with but also musicians from the United States. Perhaps for that reason, the official credit for the album is “Chantal Acda & The Atlantic Drifters,” signifying a connection spanning the Atlantic Ocean.
That said, many of the tracks have a reflective and quiet atmosphere. It feels like a calm, intellectual, and mature mood. Perhaps the group name was chosen with a touch of irony.
Bill Frisell’s sparse and exploratory sound certainly matches her compositions. The performances by the other musicians also undoubtedly provide solid support for her vocals and deliver excellent performances.
(Written by Takafumi Sakurai)
