Jazz

For enthusiasts of European jazz, these three musicians are far from unknown. Their classical training is palpable, as is their vocation to be resolutely contemporary. Here, the question arises: is form more important than substance? I would simply say that their aesthetic form constitutes a language of its own, one that lays out the terms of their narrative. This kind of music demands a deeply rooted cultural foundation, for nothing here is designed to facilitate an effortless listening experience. One enters as one would a museum—not in search of immediate gratification, but with the desire to be surprised. If you are capable of such surrender, you will discover a world among the most captivating.

Reflecting on her experience within the trio, Nina de Heney confides: “I often walk in the forest, favoring the narrow paths where my thoughts meander, carried by the sounds of nature. Playing with Mathias and Kresten gives me the same feeling of freedom, peace, and joy—as if, with each encounter, we were venturing down new winding trails in a magnificent woodland, filled with magical fruits that always taste like the first time.”

For me, these works, written by six hands, evoke—strangely yet unmistakably—Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Listening to this album, I am struck by that same sensation, the one that compels the soul and heart to open, transforming mere listening into a contemplative experience in which emotions give birth to thought. For years, Landæus had dreamt of capturing the singular identity that emerges each time the trio comes together. “I am fascinated by the trio’s distinctive sound,” he admits. “I’ve long wanted to record us, and this session finally made it possible.”

This album is the culmination of years of dedication, for such mastery is not achieved by chance but through time, through listening, research, exchange, and reflection. Nothing here is fortuitous—only the fruit of profound experience. The piano serves both as a vessel for melody and as the binding element, weaving together the myriad sounds that dissipate into the air.

For Osgood, improvisation reigns supreme over composition in the trio’s creative process. “One of the ideas closest to my heart is that improvisation holds the potential to be the place where the most compelling music is born. It far surpasses composition—or at least, it has the potential to,” he explains.

With this album, the trio invites the listener into its ever-evolving world of improvisation—an expanse where boldness and imagination reign, where each moment is charged with infinite possibilities. The result is a timeless recording, seamlessly blending the raw spontaneity of live performance with the intimacy and precision of the studio.

I could speak of this album for hours, yet it would serve no purpose. The only meaning that truly matters is the one that preserves the desire for discovery. For some, this will be an adventure; for others, a profound revelation. Some will undoubtedly dismiss it. But that is the essence of art: when it cannot leave one indifferent, when it provokes, when it incites reflection—only then does it become indispensable.

Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News

PARIS-MOVE, February 19th 2025

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