Record Reviews

DAG ARNESEN TRIO ~ ICE BREAKING LOSEN 296 (Barcode: 7090025832963) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is an album by Norwegian Jazz pianist / composer Dag ArnesenFind albums by this artist and his classic Jazz piano trio with bassist Magne ThormodsaeterFind albums by this artist and drummer Oyvind SkarboFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, all original compositions by the leader. The album offers superb sound and balance, in the best tradition of the Norwegian sound recording tradition. The music is seemingly a melodic mainstream Jazz, but offers unusual rhythmic setting and structural complexity, which requires attentive listening and offers a certain feeling of tension and unexpectedness, which brings the music above the predictable level of fluidity, making things much more interesting than what is expected from a typical entertaining Jazz piano trio album, many of which are flooding the record market. The level of performance is also excellent from start to finish, as expected from a veteran musician like Arnesen, and the rhythm section, which offers perfect support every step of the way. The trio maintains an excellent balance between the instruments and fluid dynamics, which make it sound completely synchronized and harmonized. Overall, this is a very interesting and quite unusual Jazz piano trio album, which is likeable from the very first touch on the keyboard, but requires active involvement from the listener to absorb the aesthetic intricacy of its contents. Wholeheartedly recommended to all acoustic Jazz piano trio lovers out there!

Updated: 10/09/2024Posted: 10/09/2024

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DAG ARNESEN TRIO ~ PENTAGON TAPES LOSEN 160 (Barcode: 7090025831607) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This album by veteran Norwegian pianist / composer Dag ArnesenFind albums by this artist and his classic piano trio with bassist Ole Marius SandbergFind albums by this artist and drummer Ivar ThormodsaeterFind albums by this artist marks a return to his Jazz roots, after a few years of exploring Norwegian Folk and folklore inspired Classical music. The trio presents eleven compositions, six of which are original compositions by Arnesen, three are standards, one is a traditional tune and one is by a fellow Norwegian composer Finn LudtFind albums by this artist. The music is very melodic and well within the mainstream Jazz idiom, but it incorporates many of the typical Nordic elements of melancholy and lyricism, which often characterize Norwegian Jazz. The original compositions by Arnesen carry over some of the qualities associated with the Norwegian Songs explorations, but their arrangements are more Jazzy. The trio performs the music with flair and elegance and a lot of solo space is given to the wonderful bass work by Sandberg and the drumming of Thormodsaeter, which is relatively rare in a trio setting, where the rhythm section is usually kept in the background. Arnesen improvises fluently and skillfully, which is of course expected, and his style is quite unique, playing many rapid progressions and arpeggios during the improvised parts. The trio produces a rather solid, strong sound, which keeps the listener at his toes at all times. Overall this is a very pleasant album, definitely quite different from the usual piano trio albums, due to the original material, the imaginative arrangements of the standards used and the unique performances by the trio. Piano trio fans and connoisseurs of mainstream European Jazz will definitely enjoy this music very much.

Updated: 10/09/2024Posted: 25/01/2017

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KNUT RIISNAES ~ 2ND THOUGHTS LOSEN 146 (Barcode: 7090025831461) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 - 2016 Released: 2016 This is an album by veteran Norwegian saxophonist Knut RiisnaesFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic quartet setting with pianist Anders AarumFind albums by this artist, bassist Jens FossumFind albums by this artist and drummer Tom OlstadFind albums by this artist. Together they perform eight compositions, three of which are originals by Aarum, one is an original by Riisnaes, one is a composition by the Norwegian pianist Dag ArnesenFind albums by this artist and three are standards. Six of the tracks are studio recordings and two are live recordings. The music is all well within the melodic mainstream Jazz idiom, but the original compositions are all first-rate and far from trivial, which results in the album being a wonderful piece of classic conventional Jazz, splendidly executed by the musicians involved. Riisnaes (born 1945), who has been present on the local scene since the 1960s and who participated in numerous recording sessions, released only very few albums as a leader and this album is an important addition to his recorded legacy. His central role as one of the Godfathers of Norwegian Jazz is of course duly noted and this album proves that he still hasn´t lost his chops and can swing and improvise very impressively, maintaining his lovely tone. The accompanying musicians are representatives of the younger Norwegian Jazz generations, all being well educated and skilled, like all the European Jazz musicians today. Aarum emerges not only as a very skillful pianist (he participated in countless recordings already) but also as a gifted composer, with his tunes being all as good as the well known standards. The rhythm section is also first rate and support s the leader and the pianist amicably and with obvious expertise. Although this album does not break any new ground, it proves that European Jazz musicians can perform Bebop oriented material at least as skillfully as the musicians across the pond, usually doing it much more elegantly and inventively. For connoisseurs of classic Jazz, who are not familiar with the Norwegian scene, this album is a beautiful introduction to what the Norwegians are capable of in that particular area. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 28/01/2017Posted: 28/01/2017

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