I went today to hear the Tord Gustavsen Trio at the San Francisco Jazz Festival. The trio recently released their third album (and best so far) called Being There, and I was turned on to it by my friend Scott Bullock. After a couple listens I immediately got their other two albums, The Ground and Changing Places. It’s been a long time since I was this excited about a jazz musician, and I cannot recommend Gustavsen highly enough. If you like the quiet, dark night-time jazz, like Miles Davis’ great old ballads or Keith Jarrett’s standards, then you will love Gustavsen’s music. As this reviewer puts it, Gustavsen “takes a melody and caresses it into life,” with a delicacy and tact that often make his music virtually hypnotic.
Some reviewers have compared Gustavsen with Jarrett, but I think this is really unfair: his music is markedly distinct from Jarrett’s, at least to my ear. They’re both great, but Gustavsen’s music has a suspenseful edge to it that you don’t find in Jarrett, and where Jarrett’s music is marked by precision, Gustavsen’s relies more on chord progressions and suggestion. Gustavsen’s music seems more minimalistic or impressionistic than Jarrett’s standards. That’s not to say he can’t swing. Check out “Blessed Feet” on Being There or “Curtains Aside” on The Ground; Gustavsen’s trio definitely has rhythm.
The trio had been stuck in Germany due to the weather, and the concert was delayed by an hour. The band members were noticeably tired, and as a result some of the numbers, including “Blessed Feet,” weren’t as good as they might have been. But others, particularly “Hobson’s Choice” and “The Ground,” were gorgeous, and had a powerful and moving effect on the audience.
This is the perfect music for quiet contemplative moments, for romantic dinners, or for a reminder of the beauty that still exists, though we so often overlook it.
Unfortunately, there are very few samples available on the net, but here is a video with some excerpts from some of his songs.
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