Label: Odin Records, 2022
Personnel - Espen Berg: piano; Bárður Reinert Poulsen: bass; Simon Albertsen: drums. Guest appearances: Mathias Eick: trumpet; Hanna Paulsberg: tenor saxophone; Silje Nergaard: vocals.
On Fjære, his fourth recording for the Odin label, Norwegian pianist and composer Espen Berg leads his tight trio with a consistent force, whether by playing abstractly or following composed material. He teams up with two partners deeply associated with his musical personality, the bassist Bárður Reinert Poulsen and the drummer Simon Albertsen. This trio of storytellers welcomes three persuasive guests to play in a selection of cuts.
Featuring trumpeter and ECM artist Mathias Eick, “Vintermørke” is well-proportioned and neatly put, conveying a Nordic jazz atmosphere that feels repose, organic and airy. The piece expands horizontally in a sweet tranquility that is also embraced by the bass and trumpet solos. The bandleader closes out the improvisation time after the theme is reestablished. Another bearer of sensitive delicacy is “Nikolai”, a piece launched by hand drumming and touched by flashes of folk, classical, and some Latin charm in the step. During his outstanding statement, Berg takes an adventurous course, creating enlightenment and connection, and transcending boundaries and conventions. It’s perhaps his best solo on this recording, in a very personal piece written for his 6-year-old son.
“Akervise” incorporates the saxophonist Hanna Paulsberg, featuring Albertsen's infusions of a moderately accelerated rhythm for superb contrast. “XVII” is introduced by sparse piano chords outlined with clever chromaticism and hand clapping before a majestic groove comes into play, negotiating a defying time signature. The uptempo “The Fourth Awakens” is marked by shapeshifting and rhythmic complexity, showing a lavishness that recalls Tigran Hamasyan without being hyperbolic in the chops.
Whereas the asymmetric “Magnetic” features Eick in another loosen up context that often releases poignancy and controlled tension, “I’d Do it For Your Love”, the sole non-original of the album, lays the lovely voice of Silje Nergaard on top of a lushly reharmonization of Paul Simon’s popular song. And then, there’s a couple of quiet pieces - “The Vertical Movements of Eötvös” and “Svalbard” - that feels soft to the point of breaking. I urge you to unlock the secrets of Berg’s inspired set of tunes.
Favorite Tracks:
03 - XVII ► 06 - Nikolai ► 07 - The Fourth Awakens