Liv Andrea Hauge Trio – Ville Blomster

Here’s an album of invigorating freshness from a young Norwegian trio whose pianist and composer draws abundant inspiration from nature (“Ville Blomster” means wild flowers), about which she says “Just as nature is a space of freedom for us, we want this album to be a sanctuary for those who listen to it“.

In a country with a magnificent and notoriously diverse natural landscape, where people regularly take refuge and recharge their batteries, summer and winter alike, it’s hardly surprising that Liv Andrea Hauge drew her inspiration from it. The result is a music that breathes invigorating air, leaves room for silence and where melody is omnipresent. Not that rhythmic and harmonic aspects are absent, but there is no preoccupation with sophistication, cerebration or demonstrative virtuosity.

Far from being ascetic, this music cultivates a form of simplicity, even naivety in places, emphasizing the beauty of the group sound and the interaction between the three partners. The compositions, sometime meditative, are crystal-clear and seductive, without ever seeking prettiness.

Besides, an entirely improvised theme gives an idea of another direction the trio could take, more abstract and percussive. It’s an aesthetic both thoughtful and heartfelt that characterizes this first studio opus by a trio who, without denying influences such as Keith Jarrett or Brad Melhdau, has succeeded in adopting a personal voice from which we can expect the best for the future.