Lage Lund, Will Vinson, Orlando le Fleming – OWL Trio – Losen Records

by | Aug 26, 2013 | Jazz CD Reviews

Lage Lund, Will Vinson, Orlando le Fleming – OWL Trio [TrackList follows] – Losen Records LOS123-2, 61:52 [6/25/13] (distribution13.com) *****:

This is a wonderful alternate from the same old piano trio albums that keep coming our way. The trio of Norwegian saxist Will Vinson and his two British compatriots on guitar and bass seems to have a new and refreshing take on the idea of lyricism and exploits it to the fullest in this piano-less and drum-less trio. They were recorded by noted jazz photographer Jimmy Katz in the same abandoned church used by Pat Metheny for his Orchestrion project, and the three were placed carefully and balanced perfectly using special condenser mics. The sonics are just about the best you can expect of the CD standard.

The trio’s tune choices are superb too: they include works of Ellington, Jim Hall, Paul Weston, John Coltrane, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter and Toninho Horta, as well as three strange and compelling originals. The original “Churchgoing” has the three repeating some of the tones of church bells on a Sunday morning. They really are listening to one another (they’ve played together for a decade) and their tracks, while often sounding almost smooth jazz on the surface, actually have great depth and substance, just like Bill Evans and a few other jazz greats. The alto sax sound of Vinson is the key to the whole trio for me, reminding me of Paul Desmond’s straight-forward and sexy sound.

This is my type of chamber jazz, and it’s difficult to believe it’s the trio’s first CD. It’s going to get a lot of playing in my car and home system.

TrackList:   Morning Glory, All across the City, I Should Care, Hallow, Dear Lord, Yesterdays, Churchgoing, Sweet and Lovely, From this Moment On, Blues for Jimmy, Moonstone

—John Henry

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