Danish pianist Niels Lan Doky emerged in the 1980s and is long since a global jazz star even if there has not been an album out in a while. The invaluable discography site Discogs lists the last record out under his own name as 2011's Human Behaviour.
Comprised completely of his own originals, the River of Time tunes are excellent, and initial impressions suggest massive sophistication in an Ahmad Jamal lineage, covering terrain that Jacky Terrasson also often navigates at least when Terrasson turns more classic.
Positive, expansive, the sort of piano trio you'd go a long way to hear if it were not for the fact that you are perhaps holed up at home climbing the walls or chewing the carpet.
However if you are decidedly the non-romantic type you might not be so keen or feel that what is on offer here is too complacently modern-mainstream/straightahead. If fixated on the latter you are barking up the wrong tree because the style River of Time happens to fall into does not neuter the quality of the musicianship and certainly there is a lot of spirit in Doky's exuberance. Yet even for romantic types it is worth pointing out that some of the voicings are a bit soppy. Sounds like a date night kind of record. The trio has a robustness to it, Doky is with bassist Tobias Dall and drummer Niclas Bardelebe and conjures a motion that purrs along elegantly at all times. SG
Out now streaming via the Inner Adventures label. The physical release is in late-May. Niels Lan Doky photo, top: Andreas Houmann.
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