VINIL Ozella Helge Lien Trio: Hello Troll

2008

Helge Lien - pian
Frode Berg - bas
Knut Aalefjaer - tobe

Toate piesele sunt compuse de catre Helge Lien

Inregistrat intre 24 si 25 februarie 2008 la Rainbow Studio, Oslo, Norvegia
Inginer de sunet: Jan Erik Kongshaug

DMM Disc-Cutting: Hendrik Pauler, Pauler Acoustics, Germania

Coperta gatefold

John Kelman ( AllAboutJazz ) : "It's nearly impossible to keep up with the Norwegian jazz scene. Considering the country's population is about one-quarter the size of New York City's Greater Metropolitan Area, the vibrancy, diversity and sheer amount of music coming out of this small country is astounding. Pianist Helge Lien and his trio may be unknown to most North Americans, but they've already got five albums to their name and have racked up achievements, including a 2002 Norwegian Grammy nomination. Hello Troll is Helge Lien Trio's sixth release, and a terrific introduction to its many strengths.

Lien's trio, along with bassist Frode Berg and drummer Knut Aaleflæt, has been together long enough to possess the same kind of telepathy that's made e.s.t.'s final disc, Leucocyte (ACT, 2008) such a career-defining record. Collective improvisation is a significant component; still, like its Swedish counterpart, the trio is predisposed to form, melody and groove. Unlike e.s.t., however, Hello Troll is an all-acoustic affair, recorded by legendary ECM engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug at the legendary Rainbow Studio in Oslo with his characteristic attention to detail, clarity and transparency. [...]

Swing may be one of the definers of the American tradition, but it's the rubato temporal elasticity of time, even as the music aims for a deeper melodism, that distances Lien's trio from any references to young American piano trios. The pensive "Radio" has form, with changes that run through its seven-minute exploration of democratic exploration, but time is fluid, with nary a pulse to be found. Berg's arco, during the tune's dark, classically informed melody, creates more texture than harmony, while Aaleflæt also plays colorist. [...]

In a manner that doesn't create a muss or a fuss, Helge Lien Trio delivers an impressive set while avoiding any signs of self-indulgence or unnecessary demonstration. Well worth watching, the 2008 Kongsberg Jazz Festival got it right when they awarded the trio the celebrated DnBNor Musicians Award."