snobb
Good news for everyone with a strong nostalgia for the melodic/melancholic side of EST's music - the fourth Tingvall Trio release is just honey for your soul! Recorded at the same studio in my beloved Italian Udine as their previous album (in 2009), this release is based on the same concept.
Nordic nu jazz roots (read - cool melancholic tunes with simplistic rhythms) are successfully melted with a warm Italian polished sound standard. As a result you have a strong collection of very accessible, even catchy in moments (but not memorable at all) compositions. You don't need to be a jazz fan to like this music (possibly it sounds a bit sarcastic, but it's even better - if you're not).
This current release is in fact nothing else but a repeat of the quite successful formula presented on this trio's previous album. No one expects experimentation or drastic direction changes from contemporary jazz artists, but on this release the musicians moved in an overly safe way. These are well composed songs that are pleasant and almost free of improvisation for the higher listener's comfort. the few post-bop inclusions sound more like useless attributes than natural components of sound.
Good jazz-related soundtrack for Nature's World series documentary, fits well for late summer evening dinner on the terrace.Even their previous album sounds really inventive and fresh comparing to this one. Hope trio's next work will contain more life and spices on it.