The Brightest Sun is the second album of Italian, Stockholm-based bassist and composer Ilaria Capalbo as bandleader, following Karthago (Bluenord, 2022), and it is her most personal work to date, inspired by the deeply transformative experience of motherhood. Capalbo is accompanied by alto sax player and bass clarinetist Thomas Backman, tenor sax player Fredrik Nordström, (Swedish-Greek) guitarist Andreas Hourdakis, who have all played on Karthago, and drummer Henrik Jäderberg. The album was recorded at Ingrid Studios in Stockholm in November 2024.
Capalbo says that she wanted the music to feel immediate, with a sense of urgency about itself, as it reflects «the radical shifts in identity and perspective that came when bringing new life into the world». The music was written during the pregnancy and a short while after giving birth, and it faithfully captures the vulnerability of a delicate and suspended time, a time that has moments of chaotic energy alongside profound stillness. She adds that the new music attempts to «get close to the source of primal things, in many cases as a way of grappling with events that I could barely encompass with rational thinking: love, motherhood, desire, belonging».
The new music relies on Capalbo’s band’s strong synergy and rich sonic palette, allowing more degrees of freedom for Capalbo’s band and encouraging free improvisations on her themes. Guitarist Hourdakis counterpoints Capalbo’s commanding double and electric bass playing, adding an intense, raw rock and indie-tinged edge to her thoughtful music. The open, exploratory approach of The Brightest Sun mirrors the process of creating new life, with all its contrasting, exciting, and uplifting feelings, coming to life through Capalbo’s evocative themes. It ends with a most touching melody, the title piece, that marks the end of one great journey and the beginning of another one.
Eyal Hareuveni
Ilaria Capalbo (double bass, electric bass, effects), Thomas Backman (alto saxophone, bass clarinet), Fredrik Nordström (tenor saxophone), Andreas Hourdakis (guitar), Henrik Jäderberg ( drums)
