Svale
As well as being a solo artist, a member of A Tonic For The Troops and theTrondheim Jazz Orchestra, roving pianist Espen Berg has been running his trio for the past ten or so years. Their latest release, Entropies, appears some four years after 2022’s Fjære and finds Berg plus bassist Bárður Reinert Poulsen and drummer Simon Albertsen sketching more post-jazz backdrops for Espen’s vivid collection of new songs.
His piano playing has a freewheeling flavour, the opening “Equilibrium Suite” starting out with a summery trickle. It is lazy and shadowy, as if captured in the shade beside a river while the rhythm section lends a supple swing. The momentum ebbs and flows, and the right and left hand conjure up diverse patterns that are aided by the pastoral flutter of
Joakim Munkner‘s cello. The desire to revisit
favoured motifs leads in to the more playful second section and there is an element of abstraction as it leaps and bounds. As an opener, it shows a lot of what the trio enjoys with its
joie de vivre almost palpable.
“Rue Saint-Michel”, on the other hand, is more poignant, helped by more space for the cello. The change of mood feels effortless and the interplay between the players is impressive. Plucked bass and hushed percussion continue this air of solitude, with the measured and calming piano turning all
wistful and romantic as it runs dizzying rings. There is something wryly hopeful in the tone, but the moods are apt to change all throughout the album.
“The Parade” sounds as though it should have been played on harpsichord and be accompanying bewigged courtesans in an eighteenth-century ballroom, but also contains some prog-rock flourishes that make for a fascinating combination. Handclaps add to the percussive momentum of the more minimalist “Nap Of The Earth”, which also contains wordless vocals and supple guitar from Nils Olav Johansen. It seems the trio format allows for a more diverse sound and the decade of playing together allows them to second guess what the song needs intuitively.
At some points, they like to worry at a simple motif, trying different combinations; but then once the way forward is found, the rhythm section adds to the agreed sense of flow as the piece gambols along. In other pieces there is a slow romantic melancholy with hints of the classic sounds of the ’60s, but run through Espen’s
eclectic filter, allowing modern influences to take them on a wayward journey.
It took a few listens before I recognised the tune of
Sting‘s “Russians”, the penultimate track, and they take great liberties with it, adding architectural flourishes that turn it into a plaintive delight. The album ends with “Transients”, possibly the most modern-sounding piece here; a
thrilling jigsaw of abbreviated elements that interconnect in ever-evolving ways. It is an exciting but short example of a whole other possible direction; but perhaps that is the beauty of this album, with the trio showing all it is capable of and leaving the listener eager for more.
-Mr Olivetti-
As well as being a solo artist, a member of A Tonic For The Troops and theTrondheim Jazz Orchestra, roving pianist Espen Berg has been running his trio for the past ten or so years. Their latest release, Entropies, appears some four years after 2022’s Fjære and finds Berg plus bassist Bárður Reinert Poulsen and drummer Simon Albertsen sketching more post-jazz backdrops for Espen’s vivid collection of new songs.
