I’ve been following the progress of the build to the new album of this trio’s for a while. The latest track is called ‘Past’ and has just been released. It’s track of the week on marlbank this week. If anything ‘Past’ – which is not at all obtusely recherché by the way, refreshing in itself – is even better – dreamy and passionate but hinting rather than stating. Maybe the flute lines from Ketija Ringa are a diversion. Doesn’t matter they are pleasant enough and enhance the core effect. Below are some thoughts written last month about earlier material:
You might be going oh, that’s just what the world needs now, another Nordic piano trio.
Of course it does. On the Internet there are some clues if you can manage to curb your cynicism and venture further. The video above is a good enough place to begin.
Granted, most of the first few pages of Google are full of promo sites that use the same sort of marketing copy the various promoters putting on the band have been fed. The whole impetus behind the band seems to have followed on from being named Young Jazz Musicians of the Year in Norway last year in Molde. In Norway the music authorities and interested corporate backers get behind young jazz acts far more. Never mind Milton’s notion of “eloquence the soul, song charm the senses” in Britain that charm often falls on deaf ears metastasised instead for new acts into brutally Darwinian neglect.
There really isn’t that much to go on beyond listening. (Sotto voce – never mind, victims of typewriters, the marketing balderdash – listening is all we ever need to do, not read endless verbiage banging on about so and so’s intrepid “journey” and their love of “storytelling.”)
What piqued my curiosity initially was listening to the blindingly obvious quality of ‘McQueen’s Disco,’ a track streaming on the Norwegian Jazzland Bandcamp site which apparently is from the trio’s debut album.
There are more clues there. Summarising these: this piano trio – two guys, the pianist at one stage had his name attached to the band name although that seems to have been shortened to just Lightning Trio, and a gal – is from Norway and Estonia and were formed three years ago in Trondheim. Members are pianist Sondre Moshagen, double bassist Kertu Aer and drummer Steinar Heide Bø.
English pianist Kit Downes produced the track it seems. But his surname is rendered ‘Downs’ tsssk in the credits. Downes’ involvement is another badge of quality given most things the Norwich native touches resonates in terms of the state of jazz now. Shaping a new act as dazzling as Lightning Trio is one further step beyond.
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