Label: ECM Records, 2024

Personnel - Trygve Seim: tenor and soprano saxophone; Frode Haltli: accordion.

Effortlessly navigating between folk-inspired melodies and open drift, the Norwegian duo of saxophonist Trygve Seim and accordionist Frode Haltli returns with Our Time, their second collaborative release following their 2008 debut Yeraz. The duo exhibits a sharp-eared empathy for diverse, world-inspired sounds, infusing each track with unique energy and churning detail, all while maintaining their characteristically lyrical approach.

This distinctive synergy is apparent from the outset. Haltli’s “Du, Mi Tid” plunges into a folk-ambient soundscape, exuding transcendent beauty. The delicate saxophone lines soar over shimmering layers of accordion, a design that continues on “Improvisation No. 1/Fanfare”, where the duo evokes distant worlds through a blend of cries and whispers. A buzzing, cyclical pattern leads to the pure melody of Seim’s “Fanfare”, a piece emotionally heightened by the musicians’ deeply felt intonation.

Seim’s “Arabian Tango” is delivered with fervent passion, while the traditional Ukrainian lullaby “Oy Khodyt Son, Kolo Vikon” serves as a soothing balm, flowing graciously as upper register soprano melodies spool out leisurely. The duo arranged this piece with the harpist Ruth Potter, a member of the Trondheim Symphonic Orchestra.

The album takes a detour into North Indian folk with “Improvisation No. 2/Shyama Sundara Madana Mohana”, yet it’s the brief, free take on Stravinsky’s “Le Cinq Doigts No. 5” that stands out. Here, modern classical elements are transformed into a philosophical dialogue, further intensified in “Improvisation No. 4”, where it grows dramatically interesting. Haltli’s rippling, enigmatic accompaniment in this piece has the power to transport listeners to another realm. The album closes with “Elegi”, a mournful chant delivered with deep-seated melancholy.

Having played together for nearly a quarter of a century, Seim and Haltli’s deep musical connection is evident in their well-versed exploration of texture and melody. Our Time is a work that may leave some purists of sound sighing with pleasure, a testament to the depth of their artistic expression.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Du, Mi Tid ► 02 - Improvisation No. 1 / Fanfare ► 07 - Improvisation No. 4 / Les Cinq Doigts No. 5

Label: ECM Records, 2018

Personnel - Trygve Seim: tenor and soprano saxophones; Kristjan Randalu: piano; Mats Eilertsen: double bass; Markku Ounaskari: drums.

Norwegian reed player Trygve Seim puts a new quartet together with Kristian Randalu on piano, Mats Eilertsen on bass, and Markku Ounaskari on drums. Most of the material on Helsinki Songs, his eighth album as a leader/co-leader for the ECM label, was written in the capital of Finland, conveying a lyrical sentiment that gravitates toward the contemplative. Throughout the 11 originals, autumnal and wintry tones are combined in gracious perfection.

The crystalline opener, “Sol’s Song”, emulates ravishing landscapes that take over our imagination thanks to the efficacious integration of relaxed melodies, simple pop-derived harmony, and a velvety rhythm, in a replication of Jan Garbarek’s space/time aesthetic.

Sweetly waltzing at its core, “Helsinki Song” is another idyllic trip to a forlorn, untouched piece of nature with no peaks nor valleys. Eilertsen never abandons completely the rhythmic figure of his bass ostinato, working together with the disciplined harmonic progressions of the piano to sustain the lethargic unison phrasing by Seim and Randalu. The Estonian pianist was emotionally catchy in his inventive improvisation.

Unfolding like Eastern laments, “New Beginning” and “Sorrow March” show deep spiritual intention. The former develops from a static course of action, created by low-toned pedal suspensions and effective mallet drumming technique, to an unclouded ballad; the latter, as the name suggests, is a melancholic meditation sparked off by Ounaskari’s amiable snare gnarls and cymbal colors. In turn, the pastoral reverie in “Katya’s Dream” took inspiration from Stravinsky.

You won’t find the quartet only creating feathery moments of pure reflection like on “Ciaconna Per Embrik” and “Birthday Song (For Mats Eilertsen)” - nostalgically penned for the bassist’s 40th anniversary, but also ensuring bolder adventures while stretching musical boundaries like on “Randalusian Folk Song”, a piece driven by beautiful drum attacks and depth of groove, and the surprising “Yes Please Both”, a short Ornette-inspired composition that boasts a malleable foundation through expressively plucked bass statements and responsive drumming. A glorious ascendant movement from Seim produces a great point of entrance while Randalu supplements through audacious swirls that burn with melodic engagement.

Stimulating in its quietness and hauntingly poignant in its textures, Helsinki Songs favors slow-drag tempos and embraces a memorably dusky lyricism, exposing an attractive anti-climax nature. It’s an endearing work by Trygve Seim, who definitely deserves wider attention.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - New Beginning ► 06 - Sorrow March ► 08 - Randalusian Folk Song