FREDERIK VILLMOW TRIO - Motion
Losen: LOS 261-2
Frederik Villmow; drums; Vigleik Storaas: piano; Bjørn Marius Hegge: bass.
Recorded 19th December 2020 by Kyrre Laastad at Øre Studio, Trondheim, Norway.
The set opens and closes with ‘Open Landscape’, in which an 8-bar melody forms the basis for the trio to collectively improvise. Confusingly, the set opens with 'Open Landscape Two' and closes with 'Open Landscape One' – although this, perhaps, reflects the ways in which the pieces book-end the tunes (with the implication of an eternal return, cycling between these two poles). But, perhaps the opening of 'Open Landscape Two' is more tentative, drawing the listener into the tune, and opening up the improvisation process that the trio builds. In the liner notes, Villmow describes this approach as crossing ‘the line between melody and improvisation, between soloist and accompanists. To follow intuition to see where we would end up.’ Within the set, the trio work with three Standards (Oscar Levant’s ‘Blame in on my youth’, track 4; Jimmy van Heusen’s ‘Like someone in love’, track 5; and Jimmy McHugh’s ‘A lovely way to spend an evening’, track 6). Between these and the opening and closing tracks, are two pieces composed by Villmow (‘December Waltz’, track 2, and ‘Slow Motion’, track 3). While Villmow’s compositions have a richly melodic heart, it is often Hegge’s bass which takes on the lyrical role, with piano providing counter texture and harmonies. Ingeniously, the swapping of roles from piano to bass occurs almost imperceptibly, so that soon the piano picks up the baton and builds swirling patterns around the melody and the bass produces its own commentary. The change-over simply happens and, before you know it, the ‘solo’ instrument is no longer the one that you were following but the other. This is always, for me, the sign of piano trio which are playing as a "trio" (rather than simply a piano with rhythm section), and this is definitely a trio which offers a beautiful example of closely reading and following each other’s musical twists and turns. That the session was recorded on a single day not only speaks to the familiarity of the players with each other but also the joy they had in the spontaneity of their creation.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
Losen: LOS 261-2
Frederik Villmow; drums; Vigleik Storaas: piano; Bjørn Marius Hegge: bass.
Recorded 19th December 2020 by Kyrre Laastad at Øre Studio, Trondheim, Norway.
The set opens and closes with ‘Open Landscape’, in which an 8-bar melody forms the basis for the trio to collectively improvise. Confusingly, the set opens with 'Open Landscape Two' and closes with 'Open Landscape One' – although this, perhaps, reflects the ways in which the pieces book-end the tunes (with the implication of an eternal return, cycling between these two poles). But, perhaps the opening of 'Open Landscape Two' is more tentative, drawing the listener into the tune, and opening up the improvisation process that the trio builds. In the liner notes, Villmow describes this approach as crossing ‘the line between melody and improvisation, between soloist and accompanists. To follow intuition to see where we would end up.’ Within the set, the trio work with three Standards (Oscar Levant’s ‘Blame in on my youth’, track 4; Jimmy van Heusen’s ‘Like someone in love’, track 5; and Jimmy McHugh’s ‘A lovely way to spend an evening’, track 6). Between these and the opening and closing tracks, are two pieces composed by Villmow (‘December Waltz’, track 2, and ‘Slow Motion’, track 3). While Villmow’s compositions have a richly melodic heart, it is often Hegge’s bass which takes on the lyrical role, with piano providing counter texture and harmonies. Ingeniously, the swapping of roles from piano to bass occurs almost imperceptibly, so that soon the piano picks up the baton and builds swirling patterns around the melody and the bass produces its own commentary. The change-over simply happens and, before you know it, the ‘solo’ instrument is no longer the one that you were following but the other. This is always, for me, the sign of piano trio which are playing as a "trio" (rather than simply a piano with rhythm section), and this is definitely a trio which offers a beautiful example of closely reading and following each other’s musical twists and turns. That the session was recorded on a single day not only speaks to the familiarity of the players with each other but also the joy they had in the spontaneity of their creation.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
