Your Story (Bill Evans) piano solo [2:52]
Indikon (Stenson/Jormin/Fält) [6:03]
Indicum (Stenson/Jormin/Fält) [3:10]
Ermutigung (Wolf Biermann) [5:09]
Indigo (Stenson/Jormin/Fält) [4:20]
December (Anders Jormin) [4:55]
La Peregrinación (Ariel Ramirez) [8:26]
Event VI (George Russell from Living Time) [3:11]
Ave Maria (Norwegian traditional arr. Sinikka Langeland/Anders Jormin)
[7:48]
Tit er jeg glad (Carl Nielsen) [6:42]
Sol (Anders Jormin) [9:11]
Ubi Caritas (Ola Gjello) [6:41]
Bobo Stenson (piano), Anders Jormin (bass) and Jon Fält (drums)
rec. November and December 2011 at the Auditorio Radiotelevisione
Svizzera, Lugano, Switzerland. Engineer: Stefano Amerio
ECM 279 4575 [68:36]
Bob Stenson is one of the pillars of the European jazz scene and has
led his trio for 4 decades. This latest disc will explain why his
success is so well deserved to anyone who has not yet fallen under
his spell. With his long-time collaborators bassist Anders Jormin
and drummer Jon Fält he has produced yet another great jazz trio disc
with a good mix of originals and tunes written by others that are
not that well known, making it a voyage of discovery. Beginning with
his solo tribute to one of his heroes, Bill Evans, Bobo leads his
trio in some really attractive jazz that is melodic throughout. I
often found I didn’t want the tune to end which is always a good sign.
This was especially true in the second track Indikon which
has a gentle hypnotic beat I was not ready to let go of or should
that be that it wasn’t ready to let go of me! The album’s
title track Indicum (latin for Indian) creates an eerie atmosphere
during its all too short 3 minute length. Ermutigung (Encouragement)
was written by former East German dissident singer/songwriter Wolf
Biermann and is one of his most famous songs here receiving a beautiful
rendition with a gently lilting rhythm that carries the trio along.
Indigo is another great tune with a pulsating beat that shows
again how productive the trio can be when they compose together. December
written by bassist Anders Jormin is a lovely, gentle, dreamy tune
that has some great bowed bass towards its end while La Peregrinación,
written in 1964 by Argentinian composer Ariel Ramirez whose Missa
Criolla made him world famous, is a simply gorgeous and wistful
sounding waltz that I’m certain will become an earworm in my head
for some time. Event VI is a part of George Russell’s Living
Time written for The George Russell/Bill Evans Orchestra in 1972
and makes you eager to hear the whole piece. The Norwegian traditional
tune Ave Maria shows what a skilful arranger can do the result
of which is a fabulous rendition of this gentle, lilting tune. This
is followed by another clever and thoughtful arrangement of Danish
classical composer Carl Nielsen’s Tit er jeg glad (Oft I
am glad) which takes it far from its origins without losing sight
of its core. The last two numbers are equally fine, with Anders Jormin’s
Sol including some more atmospheric use of the bow which
is used too rarely in jazz I think. The last track is Norwegian pianist/composer
Ola Gjeilo’s Ubi Caritas, a wonderful song written for unaccompanied
choir which here is transformed into a brilliant jazz number while
remaining faithful to its source (I recommend hearing it in its original
form on YouTube). I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful disc and I know
it’s never going to be found far from my cd player.
Steve Arloff
CD Reviews
ECM 279 4575
