Aengus Hackett, Aengus Hackett Trio ***1/2

The work of an experienced, at times, experimental Irish jazz trio led by guitarist Aengus Hackett from Galway, the brain behind these instrumentals - joined by bassist Derek Whyte and by drummer Matthew Jacobson. A studio album recorded in County …

Published: 12 Mar 2024. Updated: 45 days.

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The work of an experienced, at times, experimental Irish jazz trio led by guitarist Aengus Hackett from Galway, the brain behind these instrumentals - joined by bassist Derek Whyte and by drummer Matthew Jacobson. A studio album recorded in County Wicklow, Hackett's sound makes us think of the style of long time doyen of the Sligo jazz scene Mike Nielsen who is certainly a kindred spirit and with whom Hackett has worked. Tunes make you stick around. Best track is the electronics shrouded 'Gerrymandering' that has firm bass developmental scene setting from Whyte reminiscent of the John Edwards manner in freeness situations and some detunery from Hackett that Mary Halvorson has done so much to bring the practice of which to the fore. Whyte's arco passages on 'The Ineffable' are also a firm favourite of ours. And 'Requiem for the Natural World' even sounds a little Nordic so much so that fans of Eivind Aarset might even be drawn to its brightening air.

Aengus Hackett, photo: press

Out on 24 April

Tags: reviews

Petter Bergander Trio, Watershed, Prophone ***1/2

A fairly easy listening and yet nutritious Scandi-led rippling Euro pianojazz trio here from pianist composer and Nils Landgren Funk Unit member Petter Bergander. The best known of the players to UK and Ireland listeners familiar with …

Published: 11 Mar 2024. Updated: 46 days.

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A fairly easy listening and yet nutritious Scandi-led rippling Euro pianojazz trio here from pianist composer and Nils Landgren Funk Unit member Petter Bergander. The best known of the players to UK and Ireland listeners familiar with early-Michael Wollny is brilliant German bassist Eva Kruse who used to be in German jazz piano superstar Wollny's [em]. Bergander hails from Flen in Sweden and has had a few trio albums out.

You can see all the band's names in ink on the Watershed album artwork as part of the graphic design, a novel touch - the last of these as in ''Ikiz'' a surname instead of a first name used is Istanbul born Robert Ikiz who is a further Nils Landgren connection on drums (and Kruse also sometimes plays with trombonist Landgren). Perfectly pleasant overall in its cascading modal impressionism - not as gritty as the characterful Daniel Karlsson proves on Sorry Boss but still eminently playable. The best tracks are found in the first half of the album, particularly the lilting 'Lilla blåvinge' shows the trio at their most individual and Bergander's writing at its most inspirational. l-r: Eva Kruse, Petter Bergander, Robert Ikiz, photo: press