Customer Reviews

Hello Troll

5 star:		(3)
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Wonderful! My first time hearing this trio. Unusual names for some pieces, but fantastic music. Different time signatures and textures, masterful. Some very soothing pieces, some joyous. At times reminds me of Keith Jarrett. I'm thrilled with the CD.

It's nearly impossible to keep up with the Norwegian jazz scene. Considering the country's population is about one-quarter the size of New York City's Greater Metropolitan Area, the vibrancy, diversity and sheer amount of music coming out of this small country is astounding. Pianist Helge Lien and his trio may be unknown to most North Americans, but they've already got five albums to their name and have racked up achievements, including a 2002 Norwegian Grammy nomination. Hello Troll is Helge Lien Trio's sixth release, and a terrific introduction to its many strengths.

In fact, apart from the more ardent Norwegian watchers out there and a few Late Junction listeners you may not realise that pianist Helge Lien along with bass player Frode Berg and drummer Knut Aalefjær have been around for a fair while. Hello Troll is their sixth album in seven years and marks that crucial point where a band that know both their chops and each other finally ascend to a level of playing that on the surface looks easy and yet remains stunning.

Collective improvisation is a significant component; still, like its Swedish counterpart, the trio is predisposed to form, melody and groove. Hello Troll is an all-acoustic affair, recorded by legendary ECM engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug at the legendary Rainbow Studio in Oslo with his characteristic attention to detail, clarity and transparency.

The first couple of tracks do, in fact, put you in mind of the kind of fast-paced Jarrettisms that EST were so adept at, yet to call HLT derivative is a huge disservice. Lien's modal approach owes as much to the original source, Bill Evans, as it does any of his fellow near-countrymen. By track three (Radio) Berg's bowed bass propels this mysterious number into unknown territory. Like the cover image of a dark forest's interior, this is interior music made by men who, like most Norwegians, hold a deep respect for the pristine wilderness that surrounds them.

Shades of Dave Holland pervade the opening "Gamut Warning," where a potent bass vamp drives nearly five minutes of extended soloing by Lien, but a challenging 7-8-7-9 metric shift keeps everyone on their toes. Lien's slow-build, where space is a strong component in keeping the tension high even as the dynamics ebb and flow, is relentless despite its ultimate fade to black. "Axis of Free Will" possesses some of Brad Mehldau's cerebralism and oblique lyricism but, like that pianist's trio--especially since drummer Jeff Ballard came aboard--there's an unmistakable energy and visceral interaction between the three members that still makes it an exciting ride.

The dancier numbers here: Troozee, Diverted Dance or Snurt, contain enough catchy riffs to make them trusted friends upon repeated listens, while on Halla Troll Lien's use of dissonance is a fabulous counterpoint to the jagged time signature.

Swing may be one of the definers of the American tradition, but it's the rubato temporal elasticity of time, even as the music aims for a deeper melodism, that distances Lien's trio from any references to young American piano trios. The pensive "Radio" has form, with changes that run through its seven-minute exploration of democratic exploration, but time is fluid, with nary a pulse to be found. Berg's arco, during the tune's dark, classically informed melody, creates more texture than harmony, while Aaleflæt also plays colorist.

The Latin-informed "Troozee" works within more conventional form despite its odd meter. Time, changes and melody set up another lengthy solo from Lien, running the gamut from long, serpentine lines to repeat motifs which help build thematic tautness that ultimately demand release. The title track plays with an idiosyncratic cued intro, leading to a powerful, chord-driven groove that dissolves into total free play before gradually regaining form, another example of the trio's empathic improvisational acumen.

By the gorgeous closing In The Wind Somewhere you've forgotten that there ever was an Esbjorn, Brad Meldhau, Tord Gustavsen or whoever. This is a world perfectly created by Lien and his pals. Get over it and just enjoy...

In a manner that doesn't create a muss or a fuss, Helge Lien Trio delivers an impressive set while avoiding any signs of self-indulgence or unnecessary demonstration. Well worth watching, the 2008 Kongsberg Jazz Festival got it right when they awarded the trio the celebrated DnBNor Musicians Award.

4.5 stars. Piano/bass/drums. Classic jazz trio formula. This music keeps your interest (in other words, it is not "smooth jazz" drivel).
ECM type sound. This has a softer sound than E.S.T., but you will probably recognize some form of kinship. "Halla Troll" has some swing and forcefulness. Highly recommended, for my musical taste.