Tord Gustavsen Trio - The Other Side (ECM RECORDS 2018)

“This is the chill-out as a state of grace, and it can go as deep as you like. Sublime,” wrote the Independent on Sunday of the Gustavsen’s trio’s Being There, released in 2007. Over the last decade Tord has explored other ensemble forms and formats, but on The Other Side - recorded at Oslo’s Rainbow Studio in January 2018 – he opens a new chapter in his piano trio story, with faithful drummer Jarle Vespestad, and excellent new bassist Sigurd Hole. Hole’s approach to his instrument, drawing on folk influences as well as modern jazz, is ideally suited to Gustavsen’s slowly-developing, deeply melodic pieces. The album, produced by Manfred Eicher, is issued on the eve of a major tour.

Tord Gustavsen, Piano

Sigurd Hole, Double Bass

Jarle Vespestad, Drums

1 THE TUNNEL (Tord Gustavsen) 06:02

Play 2 KIRKEN, DEN ER ET GAMMELT HUS (Ludvig Mathias Lindeman) 05:13

3 RE-MELT (Tord Gustavsen) 05:15

4 DUALITY (Tord Gustavsen) 04:35

5 INGEN VINNER FREM TIL DEN EVIGE RO (Tord Gustavsen) 03:50

6 TASTE AND SEE (Tord Gustavsen) 03:13

7 SCHLAFES BRUDER (J. S. Bach) 04:51

8 JESU MEINE FREUDE / JESUS, DET ENESTE (J. S. Bach) 04:27

9 THE OTHER SIDE (Tord Gustavsen) 03:23

10 O TRAURIGKEIT (J. S. Bach) 03:31

11 LEFT OVER LULLABY NO.4 (Tord Gustavsen) 02:26

12 CURVES (Tord Gustavsen) 06:19

Tord Gustavsen - What Was Said (2016)

ECM

What was said brings new colours to Tord Gustavsen’s musical palette. His latest trio project builds upon the subtle understanding of his long musical association with drummer Jarle Vespestad, introduces German-Afghan vocalist Simin Tander, and explores the tradition of Norwegian church music in untraditional ways: “For the repertoire of the new project, Simin and I have been working with Afghan poet B. Hamsaaya, translating and shaping a selection of hymns that I grew up with in Norway into Pashto,” Gustavsen explains. 

“This process has been challenging and really fruitful. We have gone quite far in interpreting the lyrics in a more ‘integral’ manner, reaching into a space where I feel that Sufism and Christianity actually meet.” Simin Tander also sings, in English, verse of Persian mystic Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207-73) and US proto-Beat poet Kenneth Rexroth (1905-82). As a pure play of sounds, too, the combination of Tander’s voice and Gustavsen’s piano and discreet electronics has an emotional persuasiveness of its own, outside the limits of language. The trio takes its programme of “hymns and visions” to the concert halls and clubs of Europe in the first months of 2016.

What was said was recorded at Oslo’s Rainbow Studio in April 2015 and produced by Manfred Eicher.

Tord Gustavsen: piano, electronics

Simin Tander: voice

Jarle Vespestad: drums

01. Your Grief (02:45)

02. I See You (05:09)

03. Imagine the Fog Disappearing (06:23)

04. A Castle In Heaven (04:46)

05. Journey of Life (07:26)

06. I Refuse (05:42)

07. What Was Said To the Rose / O Sacred Head (05:35)

08. The Way You Play My Heart (03:03)

09. Rull (03:08)

10. The Source of Now (04:25)

11. Sweet Melting (03:23)

12. Longing To Praise Thee (04:26)

13. Afterglow / Sweet Melting (03:39) 

BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

JAVI