In great contrast to Arve Henriksen’s last ECM album as a leader, the very maximalist (for him) “Cartography” from 2010, “Touch of Time”, a co-led duo with Dutch pianist Harmen Fraanje, is a series of beautiful miniatures.
Over ten delicate and meditative pieces that occupy a kind of happy middle ground between composition and improvisation, the duo – who first performed together in 2019 in Utrecht as part of ECM’s 50th anniversary celebrations – appear to complement each other perfectly. Henriksen’s shakuhachi-toned trumpet and ethereal electronic assists are grounded by Fraanje’s spare chording and querulous-sounding solo adventures in taking a line for a walk.
It’s all rather exquisitely indefinite, with little sense of solidity, but very effective for all that. The titles tell the story: Melancholia, The Beauty of Sundays, The Dark Light, Winter Haze, etc. if Fraanje seems content to let Henriksen take the lead, that’s perhaps only to be expected: Arve has been one of the most significant figures in European jazz for 25 years or more, while Fraanje, who has also appeared on two ECM albums led by Mats Eilertsen, is the equal but junior partner. The duo are due to tour later this year.
Touch of Time releases on 5 April
