Record Reviews

HELGE LIEN TRIO ~ REVISITED OZELLA 101 (Barcode: 4038952001017) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2022 This is the debut album by the new trio led by Norwegian pianist / composer Helge LienFind albums by this artist, with bassist Johannes EickFind albums by this artist and drummer Knut AalefjaerFind albums by this artist. The nine tracks, all original compositions by Lien, were recorded in the Toyen Church in Oslo (four tracks) and live at a festival (five tracks), and as the album’s title suggests, they are new renditions of compositions previously recorded and released on various albums between 2001 and 2020. The compositions appear here in chronological order, by year of original recording. It makes perfect sense for an artist with such substantial legacy as Lien, to revisit his compositions, especially so following the formation of the new trio, which obviously will perform these pieces as part of their regular repertoire in the future. It is also a great opportunity for the listeners to re-listen to these compositions, comparing them to the initial versions as well as observe the development of Lien as a composer and performer in the span of two decades. Lien is a proud representative of the Norwegian Jazz scene, which over the years achieved a remarkable success on the worldwide scene, impersonating the Nordic elegance and restraint and mixing it with passion for music, especially so on the last decades, following the breakthrough paved by the Norwegian Jazz pioneers. The entire Norwegian Jazz scene is busting with new talent and earned over time a leading role in European Jazz, now even serving as a model to be followed by other young European Jazz musicians. Combining a rare talent for weaving beautiful melodic themes and improvising with finesse and great aesthetic approach, Lien is certainly one of top European pianists today and his trios have always been top notch examples of the Jazz piano trio idiom, as this album evidently demonstrates. Overall, this album is a superb opportunity to get acquainted with Lien’s music through a retrospective glance, as well as to appreciate his new exquisite trio. As usual, both for Lien in particular and Norwegian Jazz in general, the music is heavenly recorded, which only emphasizes the beauty of it. Absolutely not to be missed!

Updated: 18/01/2022Posted: 18/01/2022

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