Label: ECM Records, 2026

Personnel - Marilyn Crispell: piano; Anders Jormin: acoustic bass.

American pianist Marilyn Crispell and Swedish bassist Anders Jormin join forces for the first time on the duet album Memento, a recording that favors introspection and serenity. The musicians’ distinctive language is present in both the improvised and written material, and the music unfolds naturally, organically, and with sensitivity.

The four opening pieces are improvised, beginning with the poignant “For the Children”, where touching melodies unfold without pretension, establishing the reflective tone of the entire work. Dedicated to the memory of innocents caught in the world’s ongoing wars, the piece includes plaintive, Eastern-tinged cries emerging from Jormin’s expressive arco playing over serene piano textures. “Dialogue” moves with breezy simplicity, grounded in warm, woody bass tones and shimmering overtones, with Crispell responding in the same wavelength, creating a self-contained musical exchange that becomes even sparser and more minimalistic on “Embracing the Otherness”. “Contemplation in D” proves a pure delight, guiding the listener into hypnotic territory through open chords that cast tonal beauty and modal ambiguity in a chiaroscuro landscape.

Jormin’s “Three Shades of a House”—originally featured on Bobo Stenson’s trio album Contra la Indecisión (ECM, 2018)—appears in two versions, Morning and Evening, whose contrasting luminosities are shaped by solo piano and solo bass, respectively. Crispell also performs unaccompanied on “Memento”, whose pastoral character hints at classical influence, and on “Dragonfly”, a dedication to bassist Gary Peacock that closes the album on an optimistic note. Like those pieces, “Beach at Newquay” is composed by Crispell and benefits from Jormin’s exemplary support. His arco range often resembles a weeping flute, while delicate piano drops fall gently in the background, forming a lyrical evocation of nature.

Memento unfolds with yearning atmospheres where spontaneity and artistic sensitivity open the door to broader emotional landscapes. Its purely intuitive interplay may not be an everyday listen, yet it occupies a meaningful place within contemporary jazz.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - For The Children ► 04 - Contemplation in D ► 09 - Beach at Newquay

Label: ECM Records, 2025

Personnel - Arve Henriksen: trumpet, electronics; Trygve Seim: soprano and tenor saxophone; Anders Jormin: double bass; Markku Ounaskari: drums, percussion.

The idea to form the notably talented Nordic quartet Arcanum emerged when saxophonist Trygve Seim, bassist Anders Jormin, and drummer Markku Ounaskari were working with Finnish vocalist and kantele player Sinikka Langeland. Seim then suggested that trumpeter Arve Henriksen join him in the frontline, an artist he knew well and had also worked with Langeland.

The music, often delicate and gentle, is strongly expressive, and Seim’s opening track “Nokitpyrt” is a testament to their fluidity and musical character. Reading backwards, the title means “Triptycon”, a clear reference to the iconic trio album by Jan Garbarek, Arild Andersen, and Edward Vesala, released in 1973. The well-delineated melody doesn’t hinder the musicians from diving further into free creation.

“Armon Lapset” is a Finnish traditional song where Jormin’s immersive sound absolutely stuns. His gorgeous melodic conduction invites the horn players into contemplation, in a cadenced folk-like mantra underpinned with abandon by Ousnakri, who knows exactly how and when to play with brittle restraint, and by Jormin himself. The experienced bassist—one of the pillars of pianist Bobo Stenson and saxophonist Charles Lloyd for several years—contributes two numbers: “Koto”, a tranquil piece showcasing his love for Japanese music, and “Elegy”, a cyclic, grief-stricken reflection written on the first day of the war in Ukraine. It features Seim and Henriksen delivering the melody side by side.

“Folkesong” hints at being a ‘song of the forest’, with Seim’s soprano sax cutting through every 12-beat cycle, moving in and out of scope with narrative purpose. Henriksen’s use of electronics is extremely tasteful and organic, enhancing the tunes. Just like the previously described track, “Lost in Van Lose” is a collective improvisation but incorporates a wee bit more of abstraction without losing any of its grace. Other improvised standouts are “Old Dreams”, where piercing trumpet wails cross the rhythmic mesh created by bass and drums, and “Fata Morgana”, whose dark undercurrent conveys more than just enigmatic quiescence.

Another Seim contribution, “Trofast”, is a 3/4 balm that transports us to heavenly prairies. Here, the saxophonist and the trumpeter take turns, guided by a suave harmonic progression, while the quartet’s rendition of Ornette Coleman’s “What Reason Could I Give” touches on balladic erudition.

As fresh and full of promise as a spring morning, Arcanum sweeps across the smoothly explorative spectrum in a reflective mood. Fertile imagination never needed pyrotechnics, and there’s way in for casual listeners.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Nokitpyrt ► 03 - Armon Lapset ► 04 - Folkesong ► 07 - Old Dreams