Liv Andrea Hauge Trio is a young band from Norway; Ville Blomster (wild flowers) is their second album, but their first recorded in a studio, its predecessor having been recorded in pianist Liv Andrea Hauge‘s living room. Ville Blomster belies the band’s youth: it is full of thoughtful melodies, interesting improvisations and the kind of interaction more often associated with long established piano trios.
Hauge names Keith Jarrett and Brad Mehldau amongst her influences, and their impact is clearly present, as is a hint of Esbjorn Svensson. With her colleagues Georgia Wartel Collins on bass and August Glännestrand on drums, though, the trio make the music very much their own.
Although only one track, Du og jeg, Baby, was created through improvisation in the studio, there are elements of free improvisation throughout. Both Vår and Fri Flyt have sections of quite abstract music embedded within more usual structures.
Hauge’s music leaves a lot of space: the band are content with a sense of openness. This might reflect the composer’s attention to the natural world – it can’t be by chance that Ødemarka (“wasteland”) is perhaps the most uncluttered of all, a simple, somewhat sad piano figure accompanied by a rather beautiful, abstract bass solo.
Whilst Hauge wrote all the pieces (aside from the improvised Du og jeg, Baby), the contributions by her bandmates are central to the record. All three play with a sensitivity and maturity that combine to make Ville Blomster a record that produces an emotional response – one I can see myself returning to often.
Patrick Hadfield lives in Edinburgh, occasionally takes photographs, and sometimes blogs at On the Beat. He is @patrickhadfield@mastodon.scot on Mastodon.
