Customer Reviews

The Ground

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not a huge fan of this kind of nouvelle-cuisine ECM piano trio music but it's hard to deny that this is an excellent example of the genre. The tempos and dynamics never get much more pulse-quickening than a slow simmer but they always have a pulse--there's plenty of space & pauses for reflection but this never turns into tempoless navel-gazing. The stylistic reference-points--jazz, gospel, Satie, pop, bossa, tango, the odd Spanish tinge, &c--are so abstracted & quietened down that they blur imperceptibly into each other. The tunes more or less run together too, ranging from melancholic languor to, er, languorous melancholy. This is mood music--but it's _good_ mood music.

This CD has been blowing my mind for about two weeks now. I'm a big fan of ECM, I think they've been putting some really interesting jazz out there for awhile (Joe Maneri, Jan Garbarek, Charles Lloyd,Keith Jarrett, Dave Holland, etc.), and this is no exception. From the subtly glowing, out of focus album art, to the heart rending beauty of songs like 'Being There', and, 'Kneeling Down', through the slow drag of the intro to 'Curtains Aside', up to the brilliantly upbeat outro to 'The Edges of Happiness', this CD is amazing. It's solid all the way through, a perfect soundtrack for all kinds of activities, something to just sit down and let float through your mind too. Tord Gustavsen on Piano, Harald Johnsen on double bass, and Jarle Vespestad on drums. I am bowled over by this fantastic outing.
Just thought I'd share. I always like to spread the good jazz around.

I hardly have to mention (even though I will) that jazz is a beautiful art. It is a music that, when done right, "speaks to the gut" in ways that not many other musics can. Yet, much like trends in classical music, so much of the current jazz output is designed to appeal almost exclusively to the intellectual side of the coin; interesting progressions and chord scales, but not much else.

This is why I like the Tord Gustavsen Trio, and this CD, so much. Here, Gustavsen and company have really created music that goes straight for the gut. The music is beautifully understated; space between notes becomes as important as notes themselves. Tempos are slow and steady, but never quite languishing. And the compositions manage to combine the feel of romantic-era composers of Eastern Europe (Smetana, Dvorak) with a laid-back jazz sensibility.

The only complaint I have about the disc is that the barrage of slow, minor key tunes - no matter how beautiful each one is - could really have benefitted from some variation. It took me a few good listens to the CD before really getting used to it, and even then, I still tend not to listen to the whole disc in one sitting (preferring a few songs at a time).

Other than that, Gustavsen and company have produced a wonderful disc here. They are examples of taste - from the very unforgettable melodies they create to the melodicism with which thes solos are handled, "The Ground" sparkles.

I read a review of this trio in the Guardian (uk newspaper), which was very positive. On the basis of that I bought tickets to see them play recently, as I always prefer to listen to bands live before buying their CDs. They were fantastic, so I ordered the CD immediately. Since then I've not listened to much else! This has been a good year for jazz, and I'd ilke to heartily recommend this CD. It often reminds me of Bill Evans, so you can perhaps now understand the quality of this music. It is really very special.

99% of music is one or two good cuts with a lot of filler. Which I guess is understandable; it's hard to write and perform good music. iPod (and Kazaa and so forth) let us just get our favorites. This CD is all good. The cuts range from very good to just great. You hear new things in every piece every time. He really is doing a lot - his quality is in his composition, his creativity, not in speed or power or flash. I really do feel kind of sad for the people, for whom this sounds like lounge.

Pianist Tord Gustavsen and his partners Harald Johnsen (bass) and Jarle Vespestad (drums) have staked out their own distinctive piece of ground in a land that straddles the borders between jazz, church music and conservatoire music. The Ground explores in more depth the territory that was first plotted out in the trio's first release, "Changing Places".

The Ground is a gorgeous set of pieces, some more churchy (The Ground), some more funky (Curtains Aside) and some more lyrical (Tears Transforming) but all played with warmth and faithful attention to the quality of touch as well as the quality of sound. And the loving attention the guys pay to what they're playing induces the same response in their audience. At a recent concert, I have never felt an audience pay such rapt attention. As my piano teacher (a performing harpsichordist) remarked, it's music that really draws you in.

All of the pieces have a clear melody, theme or riff that you can hum after a couple of listens. All are reflective, none is busy or challenging in a "pushing the boundaries" kind of way. A casual listener might even praise (or condemn) the whole thing as "easy listening", because it's certainly not hard. Yet it all challenges the listener to forget labels, comparisons and other mental fidgets, and to just open up and listen to the sounds unfold. There's a depth of beauty in here that I've found in few other places.

An easy comparison would be Keith Jarrett - easy but misleading. Tord Gustavsen is much closer in spirit to the majestic Abdullah Ibrahim.

I don't remember how I stumbled upon him. Maybe it was because he was playing at the SF Jazz festival and I wanted to hear what he sounded like. I bought this cd and have been listening to it over and over. I saw the trio live yesterday and they are amazing. The sound is delicate and intricate and moving all at the same time. Music can take you places and bring out emotions like nothing else in life. If you want that in your music this cd will capture that for you. I am a big fan of Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett. Although I'm not ready to say he's at that level I recommend you see this Trio before they become famous and play in big halls. Chamber Jazz at this level is a rare thing today. The first cut is so sweet it can make you cry. Enjoy - You will not regret buying this cd.

I adore this record and just cannot agree with the other reviewer. The music is generally slow in tempo, and the playing understated, but this does not make it boring.

It is decidedly european in feel and generally uses wide harmonic intervals, which focuses the listener on timbre, and on the interplay between the musicians (all marvellous in my opinion).

I accept that tastes differ, but to accuse ECM of recording them because they are photogenic is ludicrous: I mean, Eberhard Weber? Keith Jarrett? George Clooney's doppelgangers? I think not!

This is a lovely recording. Tord Gustavsen (piano) and his bandmates Harald Johnsen (bass) and Jarle Vespestad (drums) have a way of casting dreamy spells with their instruments and interaction. Some critics have bemoaned their style, but such criticism to me seems simply to miss the point--these guys are very good at what they do, so it would be one thing to say they do not do it well, but to complain that you don't like this kind of music is beside the point. (That is one reason I rarely review rock recordings-- most of it I just don't like any more, but to moan about that in the context of picking on some particular recording would not be of much use to anyone.)

Yes, the tempi are slow, the melodies are languid, and things do get a bit, uh, precious at times. Still, there is great beauty here, and real skill. If you want to get beat over the head by a piano trio, try the Bad Plus. If on the other hand you want gentle, but intensely romantic playing, i.e., "emotion reflected in tranquility," The Ground is pure paydirt. It is a lovely, lovely recording.

I first heard about this trio via the song "Being There", which was included in a sampler CD that came with a popular jazz magazine. I immediately knew I had to have the album the song came from.

As I expected, coming off the excellent ECM label, the album is brilliant. It's just my kind of thing, especially the piano playing - dreamy, spacey, uncluttered, beautiful. The 12 songs are all originals, written by Tord Gustavsen and that's something special in itself. I think the trio play very well together. I obviously knew nothing of their earlier work but I will be checking it out now. A great buy.