Emil Strandberg - More Music For Trumpet, Guitar And Bass (Bandcamp, 2014) ****

By Stef

A trio with trumpet, guitar and bass is a rare thing, strangely enough, and only the following albums come to mind : the Ruby Braff trio with "Me, Myself & I" (Concord, 1989), or Chet Baker with Philip Catherine and Jean-Louis Rassinfosse on "Crystal Bells" (LDH, 1983), and - of a totally different nature - the A Trio's "Live In Nickelsdorf".

Braff and Baker set a typical cool atmosphere, creating a nice chamber feel without the drums, intimate, playful and technically superb music, entertaining and inventive at the same time.

It is almost in that tradition that you can listen to this wonderful album with Emil Strandberg on trumpet, David Stackenäs on guitar, and Pär-Ola Landin on bass. With a tune by Paul Desmond and one by Monk, tradition is also served, but their own compositions and improvisations beautifully merge with tradition without actually copying it. They keep the atmosphere but give it a very refreshing open approach, full of joy and incredible accuracy, not only technically but especially improvisationally.

Why is it called "More Music For Trumpet, Guitar and Bass"? Well, because the other album "Works", released in 2013, has the same line-up and overall feel.

And if you're still not convinced that it's good, please read Eyal Haruveni's review for Allaboutjazz.

Listen and download from Bandcamp.


PS: Suggestions for other trumpet, guitar and bass trios are welcome! Please add them in the "comments" section below.

Read More

'A' Trio - Live In Nickelsdorf (Roaratorio, 2013) ****

By Stef

The "A" Trio are Mazen Kerbaj on trumpet, Sharif Sehnaoui on acoustic guitar, and Raed Yassin on doublebass, three musicians well known from the Lebanese Al Maslakh label, now featuring on this limited edition LP from Roaratorio. What the trio does is amazing. They create a sonic universe well beyond the known possibilities of their instruments, and nobody (nobody!) could guess which instruments are being played if I had not already disclosed it. It is noise, it is minimal yet dense at the same time, played with a sense of urgency that is familiar to rock music, but then without the bluntness and the fixed rhythm. It sounds like sirens urging you on, to move to act to do something while at the same time stopping you in your tracks because the music (?) is spell-binding and paralysing too, taking the power out of your muscles, weakening your legs.

It is fearful. Listen to the howls of the trumpet after thirteen minutes, or to the uncanny layers of screeching sounds that end the ominous first side. The second track, on side two, start with a strange rhythmic pattern of circling bowed bass and repetitive trumpet phrases that sound like a sax, deepening the intensity of the music, moving the sounds forward in an almost unavoidable way, beyond choice. It is terrifying with intensity, raw, direct and compelling, and the finale is absolutely hypnotic in its relentless violent drive.

This is an excellent album with music that is not easy, but listeners with open ears and strong hearts will appreciate its musical quality and emotional power.


Available from Instantjazz.

Read More