PARKS/FONNESBÆK/BAGGE
In the summer of 2014 two outstanding Danish musicians, bassist Thomas Fonnesbæk and drummer Karsten Bagge, met with the American pianist Aaron Parks, who had spent a long visit in Denmark as “Artist In Residence”. A recording session was arranged, and tunes written especially with this release in mind, were combined with new interpretations and original arrangements of well-known compositions by a collection of very different composers: Carl Nielsen (Tit er jeg glad), Cedar Walton (Bolivia), Arthur Schwartz (You And The Night And The Music), and rock legend Bruce Springsteen (I’m On Fire).
The musical kinship is apparent. Three artists obviously tuned in to the same wavelength. The natural focus and intensity is there from the very first note. The Russian writer and philosopher Leo Tolstoy defined art as:
“… the ability to create fellowship between people, uniting them in a mutual experience of the emotions that are indispensable to life and progress, and contributing to the well-being of individuals and humanity”.
High ambitions indeed, but this was none the less the trio’s goal for their musical endeavors together.
This is a modern trio jazz recording with interaction driven by dynamic flow and a high level of creativity. The scope, the swing, the harmonic insight, the elegant plasticity of this trio, are boggling.
Reviews
Blogdechoc (France) 2016/04/25
This intelligent album is worth its weight in good music. Now it is yours to enjoy.
Politiken (Denmark) 2016/05/03. By Jakob Bækgaard
No matter if they are playing their own compositions or those of others, Parks, Fonnesbæk and Bagge suceed in finding the very core of the material and bring tales of music to light. It is timeless piano trio art of a kind, where you can not have too much.
Jazz Magazine (France) 2016/06 . By Philippe Vincent
”Groovements” (****) is co-signed by Thomas Fonnesbaek (b) and Karsten Bagge (dms), and fools us right from the first track into thinking that they played together for years because of its unity and its balance between the three musicians..
Jazzpodium (Germany) 2016/05. By Thorsten Hingst
A very successful debut of this transatlantic cooperation.
Jazzthing #114 2016/06. By hjs
The American-Danish mix works! There is no nordic boredom in this trio. Almost all the pieces have a fairly brisk pace. The rhythms are lively and to some extend modified towards a rock or pop feel. In this match between romance and fantasie tension is crackling.
Bird Is The Worm (US) 2016/04/09
Recommended
There’s a sense of grand unison on this session from bassist Thomas Fonnesbæk, pianist Aaron Parks and drummer Karsten Bagge. It’s not so much a conversation between each of the trio members as it is a high-speed game of Scrabble and each word they play
is part of the same, extended sentence. A very strong album from first note to last.
NYC Jazz Record (US) 2016/04/09. By Tyran Grillo
Despite being the first time this trio had recorded together - playing tunes written especially for this session, no less - these virtual strangers make for a cohesive mesh
Down Beat (US) 2016/09. By Izzy Yellen
Due to the quality of the musicianship, the album is cohesive, rolling pleasantly from one tune to the next. From the opening track “Winter”, the beautiful, distinct voices of each individual are instantly established.
Rarely can an album encompass such a diverse set of compositions - and match the tenderness of the originals - while also being extremely accesible.