Daily jazz blog, Marlbank

Fergus McCreadie, Forest Floor, Edition ****

A similar record to Cairn the release that really made the jazz world sit up and take note of the McCreadie trio. And once again the result has that bustle and tumult, touches of Scottish folk, and a certain poeticism that made that record work so …

Published: 10 Apr 2022. Updated: 2 years.

A similar record to Cairn the release that really made the jazz world sit up and take note of the McCreadie trio. And once again the result has that bustle and tumult, touches of Scottish folk, and a certain poeticism that made that record work so well and make this trio one of the UK's most notable in many years. The trio wrap themselves snugly round the fertile piano lines and you get an undeniable sense of optimism in some of the record's best moments. Drummer Stephen Henderson comes into his own on 'Landslide' and here you get a sense of the power that is always possible when the trio break free while bassist David Bowden's solo on 'White Water' pushes and probes as an insistent foil to an always effervescent McCreadie.

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Tord Gustavsen trio, Opening, ECM ***

A long way from swinging a standard or dipping into the pages of the Great American Songbook, Norwegian pianist Tord Gustavsen has always delivered a sound apart. It's quiet, hushed, hugely tasteful with something of the discipline of a classical …

Published: 9 Apr 2022. Updated: 2 years.

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A long way from swinging a standard or dipping into the pages of the Great American Songbook, Norwegian pianist Tord Gustavsen has always delivered a sound apart. It's quiet, hushed, hugely tasteful with something of the discipline of a classical atmosphere and a careful logical ramping up of emotion and an inner contemplative sense. Opening isn't very different from earlier works by Gustavsen. He dips into his own sound with ''new'' bassist Steinar Raknes and the trio's longstanding drummer Jarle Vespestad whose role really is to accompany decorously and best on brushes. Raknes breaks free sometimes to deliver some interesting solos say on 'Stream' and seems to suit the sound very well. An album that will delight Gustavsen's many fans because he continues to give us what we want: an oasis of a sound that is as much mindfulness as anything else. The Gustavsen trio are touring in the spring with a raft of UK and Ireland dates included on the itinerary. Dates are: 1 May – Bray Jazz Festival, Ireland; 17 May – Milton Keynes; 18 May – Turner Sims Southampton; 19 May – St George's, Bristol; 20 May – The Apex, Bury St. Edmunds; 21 May – Howard Assembly Room Leeds; 22 May – Triskel Arts Centre, Cork, Ireland.