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
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