Tord Gustavsen Trio: The Ground (2005)

Tord Gustavsen Trio: The Ground (2005)

Norwegian pianist Tord Gustavsen became something of a rock star in his own country after Changing Places (ECM, 2003) came out two years ago. The fact that a jazz record—particularly such a mellow, understated one—could rise above a mess of mass-market pop came as a surprise to just about everyone involved, but I guess it's a sign that the Norwegians have pretty good taste in music after all. The rest of the world caught on a little more slowly, but Gustavsen ended up doing quite well internationally with his debut, now well over the 60,000 mark.

Thus The Ground, his sophomore trio release, aroused some pretty high expectations (and rocketed to the top of the Norwegian charts in its second week). Fortunately, Gustavsen and his trio grew wiser and stronger in the two-year interval between these recordings, aided by quite a bit of touring along the way. The relaxed, confident playing on this record is evidence that Gustavsen is here to stay. The mellowness is back, and many listeners will relish the way themes unfold without calling much attention to themselves, but this is serious stuff that rewards careful attention and involvement.

What's most striking about the way Gustavsen plays is the liquid, flowing quality of his motion. The pianist places careful emphasis on timing and dynamics, which means you can often catch a ripple or a glint of sun along the way, but the melody is always moving forward. It's never in a hurry, never surging like surf over a waterfall, just flowing like a river—around curves, through passages narrow and wide. Together with regular bluesy colorations and gospelly phrasing, there's something spiritual about this collection of brief meditations. It's hard not to be swept away.

Bassist Harald Johnsen and drummer Jarle Vespestad are very much in tune with Gustavsen's vision, interacting in the moment to flesh out the greens and blues that color this recording. But the pianist is really the center of the action, and you'll find yourself anticipating his moves—often successfully, because the inner logic is quite intuitive, but never predictably so. That's the sort of clever balance Gustavsen crafts and it's what draws me most magnetically to his music. I suspect it will take many spins before this record ever grows tired.

Track Listing: Tears Transforming; Being There; Twins; Curtains Aside; Colours of Mercy; Sentiment; Kneeling Down; Reach Out and Touch It; Edges of Happiness; Interlude; Token of Tango; The Ground.

Personnel: Tord Gustavsen: piano; Harald Johnsen: bass; Jarle Vespestad: drums.

Tord Gustavsen Trio: Being There (2007)

Since its 2003 ECM debut Changing Places, pianist Tord Gustavsen's trio has gradually been working its way out of a core concept that initially mined a surprising and remarkable wealth of what, on first glance, appeared to be a limited scope of tempo and dynamic. Like an ever-expanding series of concentric circles, Gustavsen, bassist Harald Johnsen and drummer Jarle Vesperstad have evolved their approach, introducing greater breadth so subtly that, unless one listens to previous albums including The Ground (ECM, 2005), one might think that little has changed.

To say that Being There is the trio's most extroverted album yet, still needs to be contextualized within the framework that has defined the group since its inception. The opener, "At Home," possesses the same slow-tempo melancholy so prominent on Changing Places, with Vespestad continuing to approach his kit so gently that, rather than striking it, he almost seems to be breathing on it. But within the first thirty seconds of "Vicar Street" it's clear that the trio is entering new territory. More rhythmically insistent, and with an opening vamp occupying nearly half the tune before Gustavsen's ever-lyrical theme emerges, it's not exactly aggressive, but it's clearly a more assertive stance for this typically understated group.

That's not to suggest that the trio's attention to nuance has been abandoned. It is, in fact, their keen attention to space, dynamic and tempo (which for many would be nearly imperceptible shifts) that speaks so powerfully. Still, while Gustavsen has long been influenced by the sounds of gospel, blues and the music of New Orleans, he's not previously written a piece as plainly funky as "Blessed Feet," or as energized as the Spanish-tinged "Where We Went."

Being There is the first album to feature writing by someone other than Gustavsen, although it's clear that Johnsen, who contributes the bittersweet "Karmosin," is no less melodically-minded. There's a tempo to be found, but the trio approaches it so elastically and with such avoidance of the obvious, that it's barely felt.

A trio that so steadfastly avoids overt displays of virtuosity might challenge the more literal-minded to question its garnered acclaim. As silence can sometimes speak as loudly as thunder, and insofar as careful elaboration of melody can be just as compelling as more vivid expansion, Gustavsen's trio makes a clear case for the elusive power of restraint. Consistently beautiful while evocatively resonant on a larger scale, Being There finds the trio continuing to develop its distinctive aesthetic, where the spaces between the notes have equal value to the notes themselves. 

Track Listing: At Home; Vicar Street; Draw Near; Blessed Feet; Sani; Interlude; Karmosin; Still There; Where We Went; Cocoon; Around You; Vesper; Wide Open. 

Personnel: Tord Gustavsen: piano; Harald Johnsen: double-bass; Jarle Vespestad: drums.