Label: Hobby Horse Records, 2025
Personnel - Carl Winther: piano; Richard Andersson: bass; Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts: drums.
Steep Steps marks the sophomore musical collaboration of highly articulate Danish pianist Carl Winther (he worked with Jerry Bergonzi, Tim Hagans, and Walt Weiskopf), sensitive Danish bassist Richard Andersson, and iconic American drummer Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts. Recorded in just one day, the album invites discovery through intensive exploration, with high-caliber jazz tradition as its primary inspiration. Over the course of five tracks—three original compositions by Winther and two jazz covers—the trio exudes infallible musical instinct, responding to one another with admirable tenacity and unfiltered spontaneity.
Winther’s “You Know” is pure post-bop brilliancy, its theme brimming with rhythmic intricacy and a smooth complexity that astonishes. Andersson delivers a refined bass solo over sparse drum patterns, while Winther asserts an extroverted musical personality, employing triplets to a powerful effect. The title track, “Steep Steps”, is a drum showcase at its edges, shifting from modal jazz to a swinging romp in its central section, where Andersson and Winther reveal musical languages full of spirit and color. The bassist is especially captivating with his improvisational choices and geometric motifs.
McCoy Tyner’s “Inner Glimpse” gleams with intensity and swings with abandon. Heralded by his vertiginous rhythmic drive, Watts—who collaborated with Tyner on Double Trios (1986) and Quartet (2007)—brings his exhilarating energy to the forefront. Following the explosive power of this tune is Tadd Dameron’s ballad “Soultrane”, a perfect platform for Andersson’s expressive melodicism and a continuous swirl of introspective emotion.
The album concludes with Winther’s evolving “Turning Chapter”, a time-shifting piece where piano and bass move in tandem, with breezier currents leaning into groove over swing.
This dynamic piano-bass-drums trio is deeply rooted in tradition, yet enriched by complex overtones and fascinating compositional detail. And they never stop encouraging exploration.
Favorite Tracks:
01 - You Know ► 02 - Inner Glimpse ► 04 - Steep Steps