Jasper Høiby – 3 Elements – Like Water

Jasper Høiby, a Danish bassist who has been based in London for over twenty years, has accustomed us – in addition to his numerous collaborations with British saxophonist Mark Lockheart or Norwegian saxophonist Marius Neset, among others – to hearing him in his trio Phronesis, which he founded in 2005 and with which he has recorded eight CDs up to 2018.

He is now embarking on a new adventure, still in trio, with young musicians under the name 3 Elements. I don’t yet know South Korean pianist Chaerin Im or Dutch drummer Jamie Peet very well, but Høiby‘s choice of them is a wise one, as they fit in perfectly with their leader’s universe.

While the double bass is always at the forefront, with a masterly solo piece in the middle of the album, Høiby gives his partners plenty of room to express themselves, and they contribute amply to the band’s sound on the bassist’s themes.

These are sometimes very short and highly melodic. At other times, they showcase the virtuosity of the three instrumentalists, between whom we sense a rich interplay that makes this opus a great success in a fairly crowded piano/bass/drums trio niche.

The compositions are vibrant, fleshy, sometimes festive, but never arid or devoid of a charm that stems from the fact that the three musicians have put their technical skills at the service of the music without ever seeking demonstrative performance. Jasper Høiby has succeeded in renewing himself after his long Phronesis period, and we hope that 3 Elements will offer us other equally enthusiastic productions, and why not a live recording? In the meantime, we hope to see and hear them soon on French stages, where these musicians are scandalously rare.