Jasper Somsen, Enrico Pieranunzi, Gabriele Mirabassi, Traveller's Ways, Challenge ***1/2

A clarinet, double bass, piano trio isn't something that you come across that often. But it's not that bassist Jasper Somsen and the master pianist Enrico Pieranunzi are strangers to one another - they joined Jorge Rossy on the wonderful Common View for instance released back in 2020. Mostly Somsen's own tunes you could listen to Traveller's Ways as chamber music happily enough with Giovanni Mirabassi's beautifully plaintive lead on a track like 'Leap of Faith' something that would fit on a classical playlist easily enough but there is more of a jazz feel on the flowing 'Free Spirit'. To be frank I miss the presence of a drummer. But 'Twin Flames' with the sort of precision playing you come to expect with Pieranunzi and a warm, melodic breeze of a direction, is one of the standout tracks on what is caveats aside an album full of masterly command and filled with a certain gracefulness. SG

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lah

Gentle and ruminative what's here from the Liv Andrea Hauge Trio has lots of appeal - Hauge (b.1995) is Oslo-based, originally from Nordland, and is with bassist Georgia Wartel Collins and drummer August Glännestrand. Tracks have Norwegian titles, their English equivalents mean things like 'Spring' ('Vår' ) and certainly while there is a sense of renewal at times the bittersweet longing in the melodies is the one thing all the tracks have in common to a degree. It's quite a narrow focus, most of the tunes land in the same sort of terrain - a little 1970s Keith Jarrett-like certainly and a charming highly melodic sound that is definitely worth your time. 'Gullregn' is in the pick, a track that we have added to our current top tunes Spotify playlist which you can access here.

l-r in the photo: Georgia Wartel Collins, August Glännestrand, Liv Andrea Hauge

Jasper Somsen, Enrico Pieranunzi, Gabriele Mirabassi, Traveller's Ways, Challenge ***1/2

Liv Andrea Hauge Trio, Ville Blomster, Hubro ***