The Jazz Chamber Trio

1. Preludio y Merengue

2. Difficult

3. Recorda a Papá

4. Night in Tunisia

5. Alfonsina y el Mar

6. Kalimba

7. Five After

8. Cristal

9. Improvisation [Saxophone Solo]

10. Fuego Lento

11. Carinhoso

12. Niebla y Cemento

The Jazz Chamber Trio,Paquito D'Rivera,Chesky Records,Afro-Cuban Jazz,Bop,Cuba,Cuban Jazz,Jazz,Latin Jazz,Pop,Post-Bop

Average customer rating: takes more than a listen to......... Dreamlike Adagio

Being There Tord Gustavsen Trio Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Third Quartet Time and Time Again A Long Story Pilgrimage Metheny Mehldau Quartet ASIN: B000NVL4EM Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

1. At Home
2. Vicar Street
3. Draw Near
4. Blessed Feet
5. Sani
6. Interlude
7. Karmosin
8. Still There
9. Where We Want
10. Cocoon
11. Around You
12. Vesper
13. Wide Open

Amazon.com

Such is the arresting beauty of Tord Gustavsen's sound, it's no surprise that his albums have captured a significant following, surpassing even those of other rarified artists on the ECM label. But the Norwegian pianist doesn't live on beauty alone. His sculpted playing, which draws strongly on his church background with its tidy gospel voicings while also incorporating Spanish and South African accents, has a kind of liquid weight that brings to mind Ethan Iverson of the icon-bashing Bad Plus, as markedly different as they are stylistically. Beyond that, it's the remarkable shift-shaping qualities of Gustavsen's trio that make Being There so compelling. Gustavsen has talked about being influenced artistically by "the psychology of relationships." The psychology of the relationship among him, bassist Harald Johnsen, and drummer Jarle Vespestad is made compelling not only by standard interactive effects, but also by the unique shape-shifting that occurs through continual shifts in how much voice each player has in relation to the others, how much lightness or darkness, how much intensity. A notable advance over the trio's first two albums, on which being deliberate sometimes translated into dull, Being There rarely loses its grip. There are stories being told here, with endings that change with each spin. --Lloyd Sachs

Album Description

One of the great success stories of jazz in the last five years, the Tord Gustavsen Trio follows up their first two hit albums with the eagerly-anticipated Being There. The new release finds the trio continually opening up the music in new and lyrical ways. Along with Gustavsen's infectious music (both ballads and up-tempo) drummer Jarle Vespestad and bassist Harald Johnsen make considerable contributions to the new album. Johnsen lends his compositional skills with the graceful tango "Karmosin," and Vespestad is often as much a front-line voice in the music as Gustavsen himself.

Proving that sensual, spiritual jazz can come from even icy Norway, the Tord Gustavsen Trio stormed onto the jazz scene in 2003 with their debut recording, Changing Places. 2005's The Ground took the band one step further and even topped the pop charts in Norway, an unprecedented achievement. The restraint of Gustavsen's approach and the allure of his simply drawn melodies has spoken to an audience that does not normally concern itself with improvisation.

Customer Reviews:

takes more than a listen to................2007-06-29

I loved Tord first cd . This mix of orientalisim , romantisim , the slow tempo .....everything worked . On this 3rd cd , it took me awhile to get to the music . I first found it much to slow , some of the best tracks are actually hidden in the end of the cd , the last 4 or 5 tracks , couple in the beginning , and then a long and empty passage in between . Tord is a wonderfull artist , with a great sense of drama , but I think he falls a little short on his 3rd cd .

Dreamlike Adagio.......2007-06-12

The one thing Tord Gustavsen's jazz trio has in common with novelist Haruki Murakami is their ability to create dreamlike landscape through their own creativity media. The difference, though, is that in the process of the creation, Murakami will use as many as possible details to blend reality and dreamscape; whereas in the case of Tord Gustavsen Trio, we are only provided with the basic framework for slow and very often restrained melodies, in which nothing is developed into complexity rather than merely the feeling per se.

Nonetheless, this is not to say that their music is lackluster. The trio displayed in their previous albums Changing Places and the Ground, their abilities to compose such beautiful yet not abstract jazz in a discipline which Gustavsen puts, "inspired by a love of spaces". In jazz, sometimes playing a riff in between notes might be easy, but leaving it blank takes up imagination. Tord Gustavsen Trio definitely has this imagination.

Releasing their third album in five years, Being There, as part of a trilogy, the trio has taken their restraint way of utterance to a new territory. When you start listening to the album, the sense of déjà vu will dominate you even if you have never heard of their previous albums. Yet as the music goes on, it will be clear to even long-time listeners that you are not in a familiar place at all. Tunes like Blessed Feet (a Jarrett-like funky tune) and Where We Went (an up-tempo Spanish dance) sing a more assertive but not aggressive kind of lyrics, while the music is still kept as simple and uncanny as it possibly can. The way trio instruments are approached, especially by drummer Jarle Vespestrad, whose plays are being felt rather than heard for most of the time, meshes delicate whispers altogether in modest tempi and continuous rubato. This un-trio-like instrumental integration makes the music feel like dream flows in a constantly changing vista, which finally resolves back to the same place where it started when the album ends with the peaceful tune Wide Open.

All About Jazz reviewer John Kelman put the trio's distinctive character beautifully: "As silence can sometimes speak as loudly as thunder, and insofar as careful elaboration of melody can be just as compelling as more vivid expansion, Gustavsen's trio makes a clear case for the elusive power of restraint." Gustavsen phrases it romantically, that his music is "about loving every note". It is this very tendency of playing what you like, rather than what you ought to play between passages, together with the elaborated yet elegant lyrics of the tunes, that creates this unique aesthetic and the kind of feeling you will not have very often in reality, but in dreams.

Average customer rating: pure genius Another great Yo-Yo Disc first disc great- second a flop Encore The Versatile Yo-Yo Ma

The Essential Yo-Yo Ma Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Kreisler | Kreisler, Fritz | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Piazzolla, Astor | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Porter | Porter, Cole | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Shostakovich | Shostakovich, Dmitri | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Villa-Lobos, Heitor | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Vivaldi | Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by O'Connor | O'Connor, Mark | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rachmaninov | Rachmaninov, Sergei | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Villa-Lobos, Heitor | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Ma, Yo-Yo | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music New York Philharmonic Orchestra | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Appassionato Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone Vivaldi's Cello Classic Yo-Yo Silk Road Journeys: Beyond the Horizon ASIN: B000A7Q29G Release Date: 2005-08-16

Tracks:

1. Prde from Suite No. 1 in G Major for Cello, BWV 1007
2. II. Largo from "Winter", Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297 from the Four Seasons
3. Jesus, bleibet meine Freude (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring), BWV 147
4. Schafe kn sicher weiden (Sheep May Safely Graze), BWV 208
5. Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Sleepers Awake), BWV 645
6. The Swan from Carnival of the Animals (Chamber Version)
7. Havanaise, Op. 83
8. Mtation from Tha
9. Liebesfreud Instrumental
10. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso from Three Preludes
11. Vocalise Vocal
12. IV. Allegro from Sonata in D minor for Cello and Piano, Op. 40
13. Andante Cantabile for Cello Solo and String Orchestra, Op. posth.
14. IV. Rondo alla Zingarese. Presto from Quartet No. 1 in G minor for Piano and Strings, Op. 25
15. III. Finale. Allegro moderato from Concerto in B minor for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 104

Tracks:

1. Cristal
2. A lenda do caboclo
3. Chega de Saudade Live
4. Wapango Live
5. Libertango
6. Appalachia Waltz Solo Cello Version
7. Butterfly's Day Out
8. 1B
9. Pickin' from Three Pieces for Solo Cello
10. Simple Gifts
11. The Mission
12. Gabriel's Oboe
13. The Falls Album Version
14. The Eternal Vow from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
15. The Cellist of Sarajevo - A Lament in Rondo Form for Solo 'Cello, Op. 12
16. Chi passa per'sta strada
17. Mido Mountain (Chinese Traditional)
18. Mohini (Enchantment)
19. Baroque in Rhythm from Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio
20. Anything Goes Instrumental
21. I Could Have Danced All Night Extended version

Amazon.com

Here are three dozen pieces of music, all played by Yo-Yo Ma, culled from his extensive discography. Aside from the technical mastery and beautiful tone that are absolutes in all of his playing, one is dazzled by his curiosity and ability to adapt to so many forms and types of music. His Bach and Vivaldi are pellucid and played with non-sentimental crispness, his tango music gritty and rhythmically pungent, his jazz seemingly spontaneous, the "Meditation" from Thais simply ravishing, "Anything Goes" a romp, and the Appalachian music performed with both respect and a great twang, while the traditional Chinese music is fascinating. It's really a matter of how much Ma loves whatever he plays here, how entirely he becomes involved in it, and what a fine partner he invariably is to other musicians. This collection is a doozy--it is truly "essential." --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

pure genius.......2007-05-21

No instrument asks more from the soul of an artist as the cello does.
Yo Yo Ma shows to be master of the instrument and his interpretations en technique are pure genius. Everyone should have this album in his (or hers of course) basic classical collection

Another great Yo-Yo Disc.......2007-05-15

The set-up with the classical pieces on the first disc and the other on the second is excellent.

first disc great- second a flop.......2007-04-12

the first disc is awesome. the second disc is weird and boring.

Encore.......2007-03-31

Incredible. My young cellist (son) loves it. Beautiful music. The album is well organized and each song transitions nicely.

The Versatile Yo-Yo Ma.......2007-03-29

I've found this collection to be extremely delightful! It gives you a sense of the versatility of Yo-Yo Ma like no other, with one disc being dedicated more to his classical side, while the other explores jazz and world music venues. Not your typical "greatest hits" collection.

Average customer rating: A Masterful Mixed-Genre Marriage Classic Must Have Jazz Life Saver There's nothing in the world quite like it! My favorite recording

Bolling: Suite for Flute & Jazz Piano Trio Manufacturer: Fremeaux & Assoc. Fr ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Rampal, Jean-Pierre | ( R ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio, Vol. 2 Claude Bolling: Suite for Cello & Jazz Piano Trio Bolling: Picnic Suite Bolling: Concerto for Guitar & Jazz Piano Trio Toot Suite ASIN: B00006329Y Release Date: 2003-06-10

Tracks:

1. Baroque And Blue
2. Sentimentale
3. Javanaise
4. Fugace
5. Irlandaise
6. Versatile (With Bass Flute)
7. Veloce

Customer Reviews:

A Masterful Mixed-Genre Marriage .......2007-07-06

While digging through some of my old cassettes today for something I hadn't heard in a while, I uncovered Bolling: Suite For Flute and Jazz Piano Trio. I bought it on a whim back when it was first released and I vaguely remembered liking it, so I thought why not play this? Well, after listening I was very sorry that I had forgotten how good it is!
Though the album is far too short, jazz pianist Claude Bolling and flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal make this suite a sweet one indeed. Though I have my favorites, there is not a single cut that is not worth hearing over and over. You might say that Bolling and Rampal have entered a masterful mixed-genre marriage. My favorite cuts are Sentimentale, Javanaise, Versatile, and Veloce.
As another reviewer said, this recording is the perfect one to pop in on any day you need your spirits lifted. Even if you are already in a great mood, hearing this will prolong it for you. Now that I've become reacquainted with this Suite and see that it is now remastered and available on CD, I will order it in that format. And you can be sure I won't forget it again.

Classic Must Have Jazz.......2006-11-10

I first bought this 25 years ago and have never grown tired of it.

Life Saver.......2005-12-25

Normally reviews try to tell you about the music. In this one I will only tell you what the music did for me. When I was 14, I was in the hospital for two months for a corrective surgical process on my leg. While I was in, I became very depressed, had trouble eating, and lost a lot of weight off a frame that was not exactly hefty to start with. This album (and a version of Handel's Water Music which I'm trying to find) I listened to every day, again and again. It kept me from becoming utterly despondent. I have heard no other music as serenely cheerful and bouyant.

There's nothing in the world quite like it!.......2005-04-12

I'm a fan of all sorts of music, from film music to pop/rock, folk, some country, vocal, opera, classical, and even some heavy metal. I don't have ANY music like this other than some of the other Bolling suites. This and "Suite No. 2" for Flute and Jazz Piano are ESSENTIAL. They never get old, and are like old friends every time you hear them, as they never fail to deliver. Whatever type of music you like or don't like, if you try this disc out and don't find yourself feeling happier than you were before you put it on, there's something wrong with you. One of those rare discs (like the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds") that should be in every person's music library, to pop on from time-to-time as they go through life. I'm sure I will be listening to this and other Bolling jazz suites for decades and decades to come. He is the master of this art form as far as I'm concerned.

My favorite recording.......2005-03-16

I bought this on cassette over 20 years ago, and it continues to be #1 in my top ten list of favorite recordings. It is a perfect blend of baroque and jazz. I remember playing this in my car and my passenger was amazed at the structure of the music, particularly transitions within the pieces. I like all of Bollings series of "_____ and jazz piano" but this is the best of all. It remains fresh & creative. How could anyone not find this music compelling?

Average customer rating: The Ground Musical Dreamscape Distilled Essence... Notes between the space Lives up to all expectations

The Ground Tord Gustavsen Trio Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music ECM Classical | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ECM Jazz & World | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Changing Places The Triangle Suspended Night Being There Trio ASIN: B00065VPTO Release Date: 2005-04-05

Tracks:

1. Tears Transforming
2. Being There
3. Twins
4. Curtains Aside
5. Colours of Mercy
6. Sentiment
7. Kneeling Down
8. Reach Out and Touch It
9. Edges of Happiness
10. Interlude
11. Token of Tango
12. The Ground

Amazon.com

The second album by Norwegian pianist and composer Tord Gustavsen is another set of crystalline beauty. Lyrical in both his writing and playing, the music is informed by his Scandinavian homeland's austere landscapes, as well as a wide swath of jazz traditions and gospel influences from his youth (as a teenager Gustavsen was a church organist). The trio's interplay is supple and subtle to the point of the rhythm section sounding like they're actually a part of the piano. The music's gentle propulsion seems to be carried forward equally by all three players. Emotionally resonant, the warmth and clarity of ECM's high production standards captures every nuance -- even lightly struck cymbals resonate with incredible presence. --David Greenberger

Customer Reviews:

The Ground.......2007-05-13

Tord Gustavsen is world class, listen to this new maestro as his piano sings.

Musical Dreamscape.......2007-03-09

Several years ago I bought this CD on the strength of a strong recommendation in one of the music magazines I read. My initial reaction on the first couple of times through it on my office stereo was that it was OK, but maybe a little too mellow for frequent consumption. So I put it on the shelf and quite forgot about it until the other night when I wanted to hear some mellow jazz as I worked at home. So I dug this out along with a few other "forgotten" jazz CDs and let it spin. Well, what a transformation!
Maybe it is the much better quality of my home stereo or maybe I'd been distracted when I first listened at the office, but this time around The Ground struck me quite differently. Tord Gustavsen and his trio painted such a vivid musical dreamscape that I put my work aside and lay on the couch to listen more intently.
I agree with the reviewer from Canada who hears all kinds of stylistic reference points in this CD, particularly the odd Spanish tinge. I feel a Spanish classical touch more than a few times. Not only that, there were many instances where the music harked back to the heyday of the old CTI jazz label of 35-40 years ago.
If asked to name a favorite cut, I would be at a loss to choose. I like the whole CD from start to finish so ordering the trio's other CD has become imperative. The Ground is recommended to anyone who enjoys piano and the feeling of stress just being washed away in gentle yet transformative cascades of sound. Give it an hour of undivided attention and you'll hear what I mean.

Distilled Essence..........2007-01-18

Briefly, I would by way of analogy suggest that the Tord Gustavsen Trio's first album "Changing Places" is much like a fine wine -- balanced, complex, and with nice depth. In their lastest endeavor I would say that "The Ground" is more like a fine cognac - refined down to its essence, with a crystalline clarity of purpose.

I would compare Mr. Gustavsen's music to that of a haiku master or a calligrapher capable of capturing a tableau in a few brushstrokes. In some ways it reminds me of the music of Gurdjieff/ deHartman in its ability to express so much through so little.

Notes between the space.......2006-11-03

This trio has a good thing going. They appeal those of us who need a respite from the frenzy and they deliver in spades.Bill Evans you have some contemporaries

Lives up to all expectations.......2006-09-27

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.

Average customer rating: Intriguing, yet lacking Placid and Ever So Smooth The best kind of candlelight jazz An absolute heartbreaker Piano trio beauty at an unexpected level

Changing Places Tord Gustavsen Trio Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music ECM Classical | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ECM Jazz & World | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Ground The Triangle Suspended Night Trio Being There ASIN: B00008G997 Release Date: 2003-04-08

Tracks:

1. Deep As Love
2. Graceful Touch
3. IGN
4. Melted Matter
5. At A Glance
6. Song Of Yearning
7. Turning Point
8. Interlude
9. Where Breathing Starts
10. Going Places
11. Your Eyes
12. Graceful Touch, Variation
13. Song Of Yearning (Solo)

Customer Reviews:

Intriguing, yet lacking.......2007-07-15

The reviewers who likened Gustavsen to Keith Jarret have it right, I think. Gustavsen copies a lot of Jarret's rhythmic and melodic motifs, although "melodic" is a bit of a stretch here as there are no real melodic themes that are developed through a piece. There's no dissonance, nothing too create even a tiny bit of tension that could be resolved to create something more than a meandering flow of pleasant sound.

Gustavsen here reminds me of some of Jarret's more unstructured (and, I hesitate to say, noodling) improvisations in his longer pieces, and as one reviewer notes, there's a little similarity to "My Song". As for the Bill Evans comparison- not even close. Evans could take a well-known melody and develop it into something exquisite yet still recognizable. His own compositions were infinitely more sophisticated harmonically and melodically than what we hear from Gustavsen.

Where the Evans comparison is apt, I think, is in the classical roots that permeate both musicians' work. Evans was strongly influenced both melodically and harmonically by Chopin, and Gustavsen seems to find more of his inspiration in the tone poems of a Grieg or perhaps Sibelius, though not to the extent that Evans incorporated Chopin in his harmonic conception. In short, this is an intriguing piece of background or easy listening music, but I'm not hearing the kind of complexity or sustained development that draws the listener in and involves him or her with the music.

Placid and Ever So Smooth.......2007-04-08

My introduction to Tord Gustavsen came via The Ground which was highly recommended in a respected national magazine known for its elevated tone and sophisticated taste. I liked that CD well enough, but I like Changing Places even more. It is indeed mellow, placid, and ever so smooth and it may even be sleep-inducing as one reviewer suggested, but it is pure bliss from the first note to the last.
What makes Changing Places so good is not just the relaxing vibe, but the way it flows so evenly, each tune blending seamlessly into the one that follows. I have no favorites here, I like the whole CD. Its just the perfect background music for relaxing on your porch with a favorite beverage or for calming your nerves while doing paperwork at the office.
Changing Places has me eagerly looking forward to the next Tord Gustavsen Trio CD. If you like laid-back pianocentric jazz, then you should enjoy this as well.

The best kind of candlelight jazz.......2006-11-09

Changing Places reminds me more than anything of an ice sculpture: it's a thing of crystalline beauty, light and delicate, almost ephemeral. But there's a gorgeous range of colors, and it always seems to be shifting and changing with the light.

This is piano-trio jazz made for snowy/rainy days, quiet moments and the small hours of the night. Even "IGN" with its up-tempo bluesy feeling doesn't break the fragile beauty of the overall mood. Gustavsen has an exquisite touch on the keys, but more importantly, his musical sensibility covers not just jazz but folk, blues, Latin rhythms and whatever else he comes across. It's all blended into something contemplative and reflective. The notes fall as gently as snowflakes. Rarely does such instrumental sophistication come across as so smooth & easy to listen to. Just as importantly, TG's trio are telepathically attuned to each other. They work together, they interact and respond to each other with an effortless grace, and they recognize the value of silence just as much as the value of the notes.

It seems impossible that any label can keep making so many albums (let alone so many with this same instrumentation) and keep making so many more beautiful than the last. But somehow ECM still does it. This is no exception. Best enjoyed by candlelight, although any quiet time will do well.

An absolute heartbreaker.......2006-03-31

This album is an absolute musthave.. even if you never listen to jazz music, this album is so strong you'll like it anyway. It really takes you away, tord's way of playing sounds smooth and honoust. Tord Gustavson absolutely comes in the top 3 modern 'white' pianists, with Brad Mehldau and Joey Calderazzo.

Piano trio beauty at an unexpected level.......2006-01-14

"Changing Places" is a piano trio beauty and already my favorite late-night jazz recording. In depth mutual understanding of the art of the modern lyrical piano trio, makes this recording a must to have for everyone who loves the melody. My first encounter with this great trio was with the excellent Norwegian vocalist Silje Neergaard (3 excellent cd's on the Universal label). Having been to multiple Tord Gustavsen Trio concerts in Norway, drummer Jarle Vespestad shows a seldom growing quality as a drummer with outstanding brushwork and syncopated "loose" drumming. Gustavsen has becoming a somewhat piano superstar in the international jazz community and even frequent on pop charts, and his to ECM CD's tells you why. Third CD named "Live At The Village Vanguard"??

Average customer rating: Never fails to entertain... Claude Bolling Jazz CDs Great music, but ... Ma continues to Expand his Repertoire Bolling and Ma--a combination made in heaven!

Claude Bolling: Suite for Cello & Jazz Piano Trio Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Bolling: Suite for Flute & Jazz Piano Trio Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio, Vol. 2 Suite for Chamber Orch and Jazz Piano Trio Bolling: Picnic Suite Bolling: Concerto for Guitar & Jazz Piano Trio ASIN: B0000025XO Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Suite For Cello & Jazz Piano Trio: Baroque In Rhythm
2. Suite For Cello & Jazz Piano Trio: Concertante
3. Suite For Cello & Jazz Piano Trio: Galop
4. Suite For Cello & Jazz Piano Trio: Ballade
5. Suite For Cello & Jazz Piano Trio: Romantique
6. Suite For Cello & Jazz Piano Trio: Cello Fan

Customer Reviews:

Never fails to entertain..........2007-07-04

My fourth album from Bolling, and I'm still constantly entertained and mesmerized by the music. Bolling's specialty lies in his ability to fuse "mainstream" (arguably so) melodies with little surprises here and there which never fails to please and entertain. I also highly recommend the Violin and Piano album, and the flute and piano albums.

Claude Bolling Jazz CDs.......2006-11-10

I was delighted to discover the Claude Bolling collection available on Amazon. I used to play the flute suite but didn't know he had written for other instruments. I purchased this CD for a cellist grandson.

Great music, but ..........2006-09-20

I echo the comments of other reviewers in praising the music. It's very creative, very interesting, and the combination of instruments gives it a depth that it might not otherwise have. However, I found the quality of the recording to be poor. I admit I have a cheap audio system, but other recordings with similar instruments sound much better. Hence 4 stars instead of 5.

Ma continues to Expand his Repertoire.......2003-10-17

Bolling has left the rather confined world of the Jazz trio (piano, flute, bass + percussion - that's a quartet isn't it?) and expanded into other areas. The cello seems an odd choice for a jazz adventure but somehow it seems absolutely correct in these circumstances.

Ma has traveled from the beautiful solitude of the solo Bach Sonatas to the ravishing sensuousness of the Tango to "modern" chamber music and now to sophisticated jazz settings. Each of these pieces seems written with him in mind (and maybe that was the case) and if not, it is as near a perfect fit as one can imagine. The yearning of the cello combines with the other instruments to produce some of the most beautiful sounds around. This is a winner.

Bolling and Ma--a combination made in heaven!.......2002-10-07

Claude Bolling and Yo-Yo Ma are a combination made in heaven on Bolling's "Suite for Cello & Jazz Piano Trio." Once again marvelously mixing together many of the basic ingredients of classical and jazz, Bolling serves up a deliciously rich stew of musical influences that manages always to sound fresh, never derivative.

"Baroque in Rhythm" opens the album with a, well, baroque sound. Ma serenely carries the first few minutes of the song himself, when Bolling and his bassist and drummer come in for back-up. The result is pure, propulsive magic. "Galop" has the feel of a musical dressage session, with Ma's cello richly filling the role of spirited horse, and Bolling's piano providing a prancing, mincing sound to back up the illusion. "Romantique" starts off sounding as though it's actually going to be a cheesy lounge ballad, but it soon turns mystical and minor and rich. Bolling can pack regret and memory and smoky sadness into piano-playing like practically no one else I know. "Romantique" is truly a magically evocative composition. On the song "Cello Fan," Bolling's piano and Ma's cello playfully sound as though they're racing each other, or else talking to each other at very high speed, each rushing to outdo the other. It's great breathless fun, and the whole album is a treasure.

Average customer rating: THAT was a Brandenburg? Lossy Compression

Bach: The Brandenburgs Jacques Loussier Trio Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music $9.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Jazz | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music International | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $9.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Solo Piano: Impressions on Chopin's Nocturnes Jacques Loussier Trio: Mozart Piano Concertos 20/23 Jacques Loussier Trio: Bach's Goldberg Variations Plays Debussy Baroque Favorites ASIN: B000IFQLSC Release Date: 2006-10-24

Tracks:

1. I. (Allegro)
2. II. Adagio
3. III. Allegro
4. I. (Allegro)
5. II. Andante
6. III. Allegro Assasi
7. I. (Allegro)
8. II. Adagio
9. III. Allegro
10. I. Allegro
11. II. Andante
12. III. Presto
13. I. Allegro
14. II. Affettuoso
15. III. Allegro
16. I. (Allegro)
17. II. Allegro
18. III. Adagio Ma Non Troppo

Amazon.com

In bringing a sprightly jazz-trio sound to classical works, most notably by J.S. Bach, pianist Jacques Loussier has been dismissed as a lightweight popularizer by both hardcore jazz fans and serious classical enthusiasts. Yet he must be doing something right to be at it more than 45 years after founding his Play Bach Trio. Loussier's strategy in tackling all six of Bach's beloved Brandenburg Concertos, he said, involved "reducing his music to its essence" rather than elaborating on the musical texts as he once did. As ever, the notes are exceptionally clean and the rhythms neat, though bassist Benoit Dunoyer de Segonzac and drummer Andre Aprino give them a bit more oomph. Lo these decades after crossover ventures such as Dave Brubeck's "Blue Rondo a la Turk," and the Modern Jazz Quartet's superior Bachian delights, the jazz-meets-classical concept can be a bit dated. But Loussier's commitment to it can't be denied.   --Lloyd Sachs 

Customer Reviews:

THAT was a Brandenburg?.......2007-01-11

I have always loved the Brandenburgs, but this treatment is excellent. I first heard this in the car, and called to get the performer and CD ID. Listening where I could really pay attention was more rewarding. Lousssier has adapted Bach with flair, and made it new again. Bravo.

Lossy Compression.......2006-12-24

Loussier and his trio have produced recordings of Bach that are absolutely mandatory. He has a gift for producing something between free improvisation and the original work that must be experienced. Yet in this recording his gift for going right to the heart and theme of the music takes away much of the power of the original Brandenburg concertos. He makes excellent music but the six hands of his trio are incapable of reproducing the staggering complexity of the Brandenburgs. These concertos are quite unlike Bach's concertos for solo instruments or even concertos for multiple keyboards--the Brandenburgs weave multiple themes each from a unique grouping of instruments. Of necessity, Loussier's trio homogenizes the work--complexity is the soul of Bach and in an interpretation that must, of necessity, compromise thematic elements, the soul of the concertos is lost.

Loussier's interpretations excel when he adds to the work being interpreted rather than simplifying the work as in this interpretation. When he takes a concerto for a solo instrument and adds the bass and drums the richness of Bach's original is preserved and highlighted in a new and intriguing way.

Still, even Loussier's less-successful work is head and shoulders above 99% of the feeble reinterpretations of the great master. Loussier understands Bach, loves Bach and provides an angle on Bach's music that should be part of any library; however, don't start with this one.

Average customer rating: If you like jazz, you'll love Bolling! Superbly inventive, beautifully recorded Top 10 Favorite bolling - a genius composer !

Bolling: Picnic Suite Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Bolling: Suite for Flute & Jazz Piano Trio Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio, Vol. 2 Toot Suite Claude Bolling: Suite for Cello & Jazz Piano Trio Suite for Chamber Orch and Jazz Piano Trio ASIN: B0000025FX Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Picnic Suite: Rococo
2. Picnic Suite: Madrigal
3. Picnic Suite: Gaylancholic
4. Picnic Suite: Fantasque
5. Picnic Suite: Canon
6. Picnic Suite: Tendre
7. Picnic Suite: Badine

Customer Reviews:

If you like jazz, you'll love Bolling!.......2005-07-05

If you've never heard Claude Bolling before, you've really missed out. This suite of his is as wonderful as all the others. However, if you are not familiar with Bolling, listen to the available clips before purchasing, as even though I think he's great, his music is not for everyone.

Superbly inventive, beautifully recorded.......2002-10-04

Claude Bolling's astonishing "Picnic Suite" is a superbly inventive, beautifully recorded album of music that's somewhere in between jazz and classical. It's hard to describe, but it's absolutely addictive.

The opening song, "Rococo," starts out with a prim, rather strict classical structure, then slouches easily into a warmer, more jazz-tinged mood. Jean-Pierre Rampal's flute playing flits like a butterfly above the clipped piano (played by Bolling) and the mellow guitar playing (by Alexandre Lagoya). "Madrigal" has a Spanish feel to it--mournful, quiet, in a minor key. It's lush and lovely. "Gaylancholic" has the feeling of a fugue without actually being one, the guitar and flute chasing each other down all sorts of musical blind alleys. "Canon" is bright and cheerful, Rampal's flute soaring and singing into a gorgeous blue sky of a piece. This is sumptuous music that rewards the many listens you'll doubtless give it.

Top 10.......2002-04-02

If I were to own only 10 music albums...Picnic Suite would definitely be one of them. Bolling's music is full of fun and vitality. He is today's Vivaldi.

Favorite.......2001-06-30

This is my favorite Bolling release. I have heard all the other ones (being a college radio station DJ gave a lot of access). This one is just my blend. Some slow, emotionally moving pieces (ala Barber's "Adagio for Strings") and some faster, but never extraordinarily fast.

Decent recording, but not great. ....

bolling - a genius composer !.......2000-06-21

bolling is one of my favorite composers of this soft and easy to listen to combination of classical music and jazz. usually a preformer in a trio (- bass , drums and bolling on the piano) bolling composed a few albums with additional instuments -each album a different guest.the most famous is "suite for flute & jazz piano" - joined by rampal on flute. another is "suite for classic guitar & jazz piano" - this time joined by alexander lagoya - a great classical guitarist. after succeeding with both albums , bolling decided to compose an album with both lagoya & rampal as guests, the result (which was great) is called "picnic suite". it's a great combination ! mostly recommended !

Average customer rating: An Unusual Creation Oh yea... A wonderful romp! The Most Beautiful of the Claude Bolling Suites

Suite for Chamber Orch and Jazz Piano Trio Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Claude Bolling: Suite for Cello & Jazz Piano Trio Bolling: Picnic Suite Toot Suite Bolling: Concerto for Guitar & Jazz Piano Trio Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio, Vol. 2 ASIN: B0000025PY Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Suite For Chamber Orchestra And Jazz Piano Trio: Gracieuse
2. Suite For Chamber Orchestra And Jazz Piano Trio: Sereine
3. Suite For Chamber Orchestra And Jazz Piano Trio: Enjouee
4. Suite For Chamber Orchestra And Jazz Piano Trio: Aria; Animee
5. Suite For Chamber Orchestra And Jazz Piano Trio: Brillante

Customer Reviews:

An Unusual Creation.......2007-01-19

A classically trained jazz musician creates a very interesting chamber music recording. Perfect for a person like myself that is starting to love classical after many years of enjoying the creativity of jazz. Mr Bill

Oh yea... .......2006-05-07

If you have any liking at all for Jazz and/or Classical, or even if you simply love music in general, then this release will leave you wanting for more. I mean, WOW! What a fantastic blend! I could gush on and on, but the bottom line is that this is a great recording of some great music and it will almost certainly make you smile.

A wonderful romp!.......2001-04-23

I'm a pianist who will be performing this wonderful piece in a couple of weeks (5/5/01). The more I work on it the more I like it. Against a baroque background, Bolling has ingeniously and unapologetically superimposed every kind of jazz you can think of -- blues, ragtime, Latin, stomp, waltz, modern, and on and on. I know of no other composer who could have put together such a tour de force. This piece deserves a much wider hearing. Buy it!

The Most Beautiful of the Claude Bolling Suites.......2000-07-03

I have most of Claude Bolling's Suites. This one to date is my favorite. The pieces on this CD contain many enjoyable melodies. I think this CD merges the classic and jazz sound the best. The transition between the piano and orchestra are very smooth. It is perhaps a little more classical sounding then the others I have. Bolling seems to develop his theme a little bit more then the other suites.

1: Gracieuse (7:15) about 4 minutes into the piano takes the lead, but the orchestra is in a dialogue.

2: Sereine (7:55) My favorite on the album. It starts off with a very mellow classical piano. Oboes start to play the lead. The Chamber orchestra and piano then take up a dialogue; Most of the different instruments are featured somewhere in the piece.

3: EnJouee (6:48) The music starts off with a melody that I enjoy a lot.

4: Aria, Animee: (15:18) Starts off very soft and quite. Then about 8 minutes into the tract there is a Jazz piano solo- ad lib. That serves as the transition. Animee picks up the speed a little. Overall a very mellow piece.

5: Brillante (10:40) Starts off with a light classic violin sound. Then the orchestra builds with French horns. The jazz piano kicks in but blends nicely with the classical sound. People who might like this CD

1. People who like the other Bolling Jazz Suites

2. People whom like classical chamber orchestra music.

3. Those who enjoy long extended pieces.

People who might not care for this CD

1. Classical or Jazz purest.

2. Those who don't like any music over 4 minutes long

3. People who limit themselves only to the most POPular music styles

Average customer rating: Be transported Satie with a Twist! A Win --- on many counts Dumbing down Satie Loussier takes on Satie

Satie: Gymnopedies Gnossiennes / Jacques Loussier Trio Benoit Dunoyer De Segonzac , Andre Arpino , Jacques Loussier , Jacques Loussier Trio , and Erik Satie Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Variations | Variations | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Plays Debussy Solo Piano: Impressions on Chopin's Nocturnes Baroque Favorites Jacques Loussier Trio: Bach's Goldberg Variations Jacques Loussier Plays Bach ASIN: B000007NGR Release Date: 1998-05-26

Tracks:

1. Gymnopedie No.1 / Var. 1
2. Gymnopedie No. 1 / Var. 2
3. Gnossienne No. 3
4. Gnossienne No. 6
5. Gnossienne No. 2
6. Gnossienne No. 1 / Var. 3
7. Gnossienne No. 4
8. Gnossienne No. 5
9. Gymnopedie No. 1 / Var. 4
10. Gnossienne No. 1
11. Pas A Pas

Customer Reviews:

Be transported.......2006-12-25

In my opinion, the Jacques Loussier Trio is best at interpreting classic Impressionist masterworks.
"Satie: Gymnopedies/Gnossiennes" is haunting and atmospheric musical poetry and, I think, superior to their other attempts at integrating classical and jazz into one musical statement. The entire CD reminds me of the musical equivalent of J.M.W. Turner's Venetian watercolours. Stunning! Also, check out "JLT Plays Debussy".

Jacques Loussier Trio's "Satie" takes the listener on a trip. Gnossienne No. 4 is especially effective in transporting the listener to a quiet "cinema noir" oasis full of intrigue. This jazz trio's technique lends itself much better to interpretations of delicate impressionist masterworks rather than to classic baroque. This is NOT smooth jazz but each piece is "fluid" or "atmospheric", just as Satie would have wanted it! The haunting sound is perfect- translucent as any mountain lake. In my opinion, this is Loussier's best disc and rates as one of the top discs in the classical-jazz hybrid genre, "Third Stream".

Satie with a Twist!.......2006-01-11

I have long considered Satie's Gnossienne to be some of the most emotionally touching and versatile pieces in music. So to pass a lazy afternoon, I went searching for as many versions of them as possible. I found everything from guitar to harp to dancefloor remixes. But there was one interpretation that stood out from all of them: the Jacques Loussier Trio interpretations.

First, I disagree vehemently with what one can only describe as the dense and snobbish two star review below. Satie's music is not degraded here; it is simply reinterpreted into a new genre. But my ears (nor those of any other reviewer, it seems) detect any degredation or "dumbing down" of Satie. Rather, the Loussier Trio handle Satie's delicate pieces with all the care they deserve. They do well at playing minimalistically, using no more notes than are necessary. I can't help but think that this is the way Satie would have wanted it, as his compositions cry out for exactly that style.

While there are a few question marks on the CD (for instance, trying to fit a 3/4 Gymnopedie into 4/4)even the weaker tracks (relatively speaking) are worth a good listen. The Gnossienne (particularly the first four) take the cake, though!

A brief descriptive note before I leave you to buy the CD. Any lover of the "new" European (particularly Nordic) jazz, such as the Esbjorn Svensson trio, or the Tord Gustavsen trio, will UNQUESTIONABLY love the Jacques Loussier trio. Loussier has mastered the type of sparse and dark sound achieved by the said trios.

You are in for a treat, indeed!

A Win --- on many counts.......2004-04-03

My introduction to the Gymnopedies was hearing Blood Sweat and Tears rendition on their 2nd album. I've been entranced by them ever since. I've collected the purist renditions of the work, and then I heard the lead track of this CD on our local Jazz/NPR station, KPLU.

I was immediately obsessed with finding out who/what/where.

I did, and I purchased this disc and several others. I was not disappointed. Other writers here are far more eloquent than I about the musical content; suffice it to say that Loussier remains true to the mood and emotion of the original, and his improvizations on those themes brings a new and fresh point of view to these already beautiful works.

Last, I'll comment on a technical point. These recordings are stunning. Totally natural sounds, and a stunning mix. Everything is in its place, you hear everything. The SACD version is even better. The older recordings (like the original Bach) are not at all dated in their sound.

I applaud this artist, this work, and this recording. Few of my recent CD purchases have been this satisfying.

Dumbing down Satie.......2004-01-12

Satie's Gymnopedies are beautiful and expressive works -- that have a distinctive sound. This interpretation dilutes Satie with "soft jazz" that is oh-so-familiar -- and not very interesting.

Loussier takes on Satie.......2000-09-12

It was this recording of Loussier playing the works of Satie that got me interested in this musician. Loussier's style lends itself well to Satie (perhaps even more so than Bach), and the music is very nice as a soft jazz CD.

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