Trio Unity
Feat. Kevin Hays (piano) and Scott Colley (bass)
October 1st and 2nd 2012 the trio went into Acoustic Recording in Brooklyn, New York, and recorded new original material from Karsten Bagge . The music is played in a spirit of openness and conceived with a focus on enticing melodic and harmonic structures amidst intriguing rhythmic layers.
A fresh blend of two branches of a modern jazz tradition, made unique by the individual voices of the contributing musicians
About the choice of Scott Colley and Kevin Hays for this recording, Karsten says:
“Kevin Hays is giant of the modern jazz piano, an absolute favourite of mine and has been for years. His spacious, sensitive comping and his spirited, melodic soloing is incredibly inspiring.”
Kevin has worked with among others Chris Potter, Brad Mehldau/Kevin Hays Duo, Kevin Hays Trio.
“Scott too, is one I have always wanted to play with. His wonderful tone and seemingly effortless rock solid time paired with an unending creativity is a joy to experience first hand.”
Scott’s impressive list of people he’s worked with contains Herbie Hancock, Jim Hall, Wayne Shorter, John Scofield and Scott Colley Group.
“What really struck me about the recording – and Scott also brought this up during a conversation we had – was how we managed to click right away, both musically and on a personal level”.
Reviews:
Jazznyt.com 24.01.2014. By Niels Overgård
Bagge's compositions are driven by a dynamic flow. The musical texture is carried by the rhythmic images Bagge conjures. This is complemented and extended by Hays and Colley who add their own to it.
There is melody, brilliance and a plentitude of unconstrained ability. It's one of those albums that I will certainly recommend to other grown up jazz listeners with an exquisite taste.
JazzMozaiek April 2014. By Marc Van de Walle
The collaboration with two American greats in this trio shows his true potential. The nine tracks are all written by Bagge - and on top of that, he proves to be a very harmoniously thinking drummer.
Melody, rhythm, interplay and tension from the first to the last song are of the highest order. Subtlety and power are always present.
Bagge’s drumming has a strong personal touch and flows seamlessly with the beautifully constructed improvisations by Hays and Colley. A very nice CD
JazzSpecial #138, April 2014. By Boris Rabinowitsch
Kevin Hays, Scott Colley and Karsten Bagge provide interaction at a level comparable to what we know from the Keith Jarrett trio.
Bagge can take it as a compliment that his two teammates feel so strongly encouraged by his material and put an enthusiasm for the day, which makes the music sparkle profoundly.