Whether by intent or coincidence - unlikely! - ECM Records has carved out a special niche for the
jazz piano trio. With almost no exceptions, the label's trio records sound at once quiet and
restless, introspective and searching. Leading the pack is American pianist Keith Jarrett's
Standards Trio, with 14 records since 1983. Jarrett's insistent fixation on melody, especially in the
context of the jazz canon, has become monolithic. Other pianists who have made significant
contributions to the label's characteristically spare, crisp trio sound include John Taylor, Bobo
Stenson, and Marilyn Crispell.
And so Changing Places, pianist Tord Gustavsen's debut, augurs both expectation and
preconception. To be honest, both standards are met: the disc is uniformly persuasive and
eloquent, yet emphatically softspoken and delicate. There are no big picture surprises here. (And
for that, these three Norwegians should be proud.)
Of course, being a member of a pack like this does not imply any lack of personality. Gustavsen
has a rootsy sound which relies more on implication than direct articulation, which means that
relatively simple melodies carry more weight than their spareness might suggest. He tends to
emphasize folk traditions, drawing from sources as disparate as gospel and Nordic music. A
recurrent tango theme pops up on "Graceful Touch" and
"Where Breathing Starts," for example,
lending these two soft pieces a degree of accessible drama.
That's not to imply that the pianist lacks literacy in the more sophisticated aspects of the jazz
tradition. He employs the tools of modern jazz, but without self-consciously drawing attention. Most
evident is the
degree of interaction among these three players. (Another time-honored ECM tradition, but most
unusual in this era of flash and bang.) Harald Johnsen's first appearance on record foretells a fertile
future for the bassist. Johnsen has a rare kind of intuition that no amount of education or training
can produce--on most of these pieces, he assumes an interactive role where the bottom end can
just as well become melody and harmony. That of course liberates the pianist to pursue his muse
without any fixed responsibilities.
Drummer Jarle Vespestad, best known as one quarter of the open-ended electro-jazz group Supersilent, has a light but crisp touch. While he's constantly
acting, reacting, and interacting with the other members of the trio, he seems least interested in
stretching the roles of his instrument. Perhaps that serves his function as a sort of ground for the
group.
Does the world need another articulate, soft-spoken, free-spirited piano trio? That seems like a
silly question. Listeners who have amassed the entire ECM piano trio catalog may not find
Changing Places a landmark, but then again there are hundreds of jazz players who would give
their left leg to create music with this degree of sophistication.
Visit ECM Records and
Tord Gustavsen on the web.
~ Nils Jacobson
