Reviews RCD2233
It´s not often Aristotle gets a walk-on part in these pages. but this album is a classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Sheppard has previously guested with Eriksen's trio on 2018's Perfectly Unhappy and 2022's In the Mountains, and these albums, together with live performances put up on YouTube, were so well received that Sheppard now gets to share the billing on this CD. This seems appropriate, as saxophone and trio neatly dovetail together in a way that very few - just two or three saxophone and piano trio ensembles - in contemporary jazz today have succeeded in doing (an elite group that would include Charles Lloyd and Gerald Clayton plus bass and drums, and Joe Lovano and Marilyn Crispell plus bass and drums). Playing a set of seven Eriksen originals, Eriksen's song writing ability often gets overlooked, but his compositions draw the listener into his music, his melodies finely tuned to stimulate those areas of the brain implicated in reward and emotion. Your pleasure senses are aroused and you come back again and again wanting more, all the while getting deeper into the music that is free from the superficial gloss of virtuosity without meaning, but replete with the subtlety and grace that aspires to something more profound. Sheppard, ever the careful listener, understands this music, his trajectory in perfect alignment with a trio that speaks with one voice. 4/5.
Jazzwise (UK)
Scandinavian jazz artists often tend toward the moody and introspective, their palettes perhaps influenced by wintry climes and diminished hours of sunlight. However, when the Espen Eriksen Trio teamed up with the British saxophonist Andy Sheppard, the group’s sound seemed to brighten, as evidenced by their 2018 recording Perfectly Unhappy. Their follow-up, the optimistically titled As Good As It Gets (Rune Grammofon), builds on that partnership, with Sheppard’s lilting tenor and soprano saxes wending through Eriksen’s richly melodic compositions. Sure, there’s still plenty of self-reflection going on here, and Sheppard’s warm and thoughtful sound hardly negates that inward gaze, but he does add an open-armed approach that embraces the listener. Bassist Lars Tormod Jenset and drummer Andreas Bye add plenty of interest on the bottom end, at once sensitive and propulsive, and their strong relationship with Eriksen is evident throughout. For his part, the pianist is at his silvery best, his sustained notes hanging in the air like ice crystals. Eriken’s communicative abilities — with his seasoned rhythm section and with Sheppard — are on full display from the opening "The Other Side of Melancholy," a perfect opening statement for an album that is certainly not burdened by Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Jazziz (US)
Norway's ESPEN ERIKSEN TRIO, augmented by noted British saxophonist ANDY SHEPPARD on new record As Good As It Gets, also offer a quintessential example of contemporary European jazz. Eriksen's recordings are noteworthy for their pristine Scandi elegance although the presence of Sheppard adds a soulful warmth that thaws out some of the trio's cool, piano-led soundscapes. 4/5.
Record Collector (UK)
I det langvarige samarbeidet med norske Espen Eriksen Trio, som de siste årene har opparbeidet seg et stort publikum i England, er det nettopp melodiositeten som står i fokus. Pianist Eriksens popjazz-aktige kompisjoner og lettbente pianospill er et passende fundament for Sheppards tiltalende, men ikke banale linjer. Åpningssporet "The Other Side of Melancholy" er passende titulert - her handler det om opptempo gladtristhet. Bassist Lars Tormod ]enset og trommis Andreas Bye legger et sprettent fundament for Eriksens renskårne progresjoner, mens Sheppard aldri beveger seg for langt unna den melodiske essensen i låta. "Sticks and Stones" har lekker tromming og det er en dåm av Garbarek i Sheppards artikuleringer. Ekstra norsk blir det i avslutningssporet "Drifting Clouds", som siterer fritt etter Grieg, og er som hentet ut fra en imaginær ECM-skive fra 1989. Det er mye velspilt og vellydende musikk på As Good As It Gets. Materialet ligger lett i øret, og bandet spiller med diskré eleganse.
Jazznytt (NO)
"As Good As lt Gets" ist seit 2010 das sechste Album des Pianisten Espen Eriksen mit seinem Trio und nun bereits das dritte, an dem Saxophonist Andy Sheppard als Vierter im Bunde beteiligt ist. In der Tat ergänzt sich das Spiel von Sheppard mit der Vision Eriksens, anhand folkloristischer Weisen und einfachster Melodien auf Schönheit reduzierte, karge Landschaften zu skizzieren, die neben der Ästhetik auch von der für Skandinavien typischen Melancholie überzogen sind. Das ist nichts für Jazzfans, die an musikalischen Abenteuern interessiert sind, den-noch: Die hier vorgetragene Verdichtung von Schönheit muss man in dieser hohen Präzision erst einmal umsetzen können. Und darin ist Espen Eriksen ein Meister. 4/5.
Jazz'n'More (DE)
Die intensive Connection zwischen der norwegischen und der britischen Jazz-Szene hat sich längst herumgesprochen. Die Liaison des norwegischen Espen Eriksen Trios mit der britischen Saxofon-Legende Andy Sheppard ist nur eines von vielen Beispielen dafür. Auf „As Good As lt Gets" geht das Quartett bereits in die zweite Runde. Die drei jungen Norweger profitieren dabei von der Routine des Briten, der einst mit Carla Bley, Gil Evans und Keith Tippett gespielt hat. Allerdings ist der Titel des Albums auch ein wenig symptomatisch für die gesamte Session. Alles ist sehr schön, kultiviert und hört sich gut weg, doch reich an Höhepunkten ist die Session nicht gerade. Vieles wirkt ein wenig so dahin gespielt. Man verlässt sich auf den wahrlich exzellenten Bandsound, wobei besonders Eriksens Klavier heraussticht, dessen Hall der Musik einen leicht ätherischen Klang verleiht. An die emotionale Dringlichkeit der ersten gemeinsamen Arbeit „Perfectly Unhappy" von 2018 kann die neue Platte aber nicht heranreichen. An einem Rotwein-Abend mit dieser Platte würde immer der Rotwein den Sieg davontragen. 7/10.
Eclipsed (DE)
NORDISK JAZZ HAR ett grundmurat internationellt rykte av att vara speciell med vissa gemensamma karaktärsdrag, som att vara melodisk, vemodig och minimalistisk och ofta i fusion med klassisk nordisk musik eller folkmusik. Verkligheten må vara mera mångfasetterad än så, men den ryktbara stereotypen har skapat begrepp som Nordic jazz, Fjordjazz eller Fäbodjazz. På vår sida av Kölen hördes musik av detta slag redan på 50-talet med pianister som Bengt Hallberg och Jan Johansson, Espen Eriksen är ett nutida norskt exempel, som mest skriver sina egna kompositioner. Detta är hans sjunde album i ordningen, fr.o.m. år 2007 alltid med just denna samspelta pianotrio. Som många andra i genren har han till trion knutit en fjärde gästmusiker, som här britten Andy Sheppard på saxofon. Stan Getz var på 50-talet i liknande sits tillsammans med både Bengt Hallberg och Jan Johansson, men det musikaliska steget in i dessa möten var inte stort för en pionjär för dåtidens melodiska och mollstämda cooljazz. Sheppard smälter också väl in med denna finstämda trio, trots annorlunda bakgrund ledda av profilerna George Russell, Gil Evans och Carla Bley. The Other Side Of Meiancholy inleder med en för denna kontext överraskande komplex melodi med ett mera expressivt arbetande norskt komp. Ordningen med stilla och eftersinnande spel är därefter återställd, förutom att The American svänger riktigt duktigt. Skivan är ett exempel också på Eriksens begåvning som mångsidig kompositör.
Jazz (SE)
A cinque anni di distanza, Espen Eriksen ha unito per la seconda volta il suo trio di lungo corso (Lars Tormod Jenset, contrabbasso, e Andreas Bye, batteria) in matrimonio con il sassofonista Andy Sheppard. Anche se meno scandinavo nei toni rispetto al precedente, è un ritorno ancora all'insegna di sonorità melodiche avvolgenti, caratteristica che avvicina tutti i partecipanti. Ai brani manca spesso soltanto la parola, non la parte della "voce" guida, recitata con consumato mestiere dall'inglese ospite, il cui stile riconoscibile e penetrante sa come dare forma a solo sempre assai personali. Si possono avanzare dubbi sul genere, non sulla qualità della proposta.
Blow Up (IT)
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