Friday, 14 March 2014 20:13

RECORD REVIEW: Olof Løvmo Trio - Wood Songs.

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Olof Løvmo Trio has released the CD Wood Songs on KKV. I've listened to it.

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Olof Løvmo is a young musician from Kalmar, born in 1980, and is employed by Oskarshamns Folkhögskola. In addition to his work at the highschool, he is also a freelance musician and has most of its activity in Jazz. Olof Løvmo Trio was formed in 2011 and has toured in Sweden and Germany.

Olof Løvmo came to KKV in Norway because he had a desire to release a CD on this label, based on his knowledge through a wide range of KKV`s records. This is the first release for both the trio, and Olof Løvmo himself.

But it is far from the situation of the trio's two other members. If we start with the Italian-American drummer Andrea Marcelli, he has a number of records on his CV, both under his own name and with other musicians. One of the perhaps most interesting is "Beyond the Blue", where he plays with, among others Mike Stern on guitar - sideman to Miles Davis on several releases right after Miles woke up from the dead at the beginning of the 80s.

Also bassist Robin Draganic has several releases in his discography. He is Croatian / Canadian, and also has a solid history in Berlin.

The title Wood Songs are relatively revealing for the mood of this release. It's relatively low-key and accessible jazz, with strong lines to Swedish folk music. In addition it is quite easy to see traces of other Nordic jazz artists. I expect no Pullitzer prize for discovering the link back in time to Jan Johanson, and in particular to the release "Jazz på Svenska". But Norwegian Tord Gustavsen are frequent present in my thoughts during lisiteniga, especially the first few releases from his trio.

But there are also more links here - in the opening act REX we are presented to lyrical melody and harmony lines that give powerful associations with Ketil Bjørnstad`s musical reasoning. There are also a couple of tunes that have slightly latin inspired rhythmic elements. Here's the temptation to guess that Andrea Marcelli had a finger - or drumstick - into the game, not least because of the latter's earlier release Brazilian Colors.

However, although links to other artists is evident, it is not to deny that Olof Løvmo Trio has their own distinctive character in the release Wood Songs. It's a great span between the most folk-based pieces and parts where both the melodic and rhythmic receive a higher temperature. But all the time this is in the role of jazz that can be characterized as available. Yes, maybe even mainstream is the right word for this segment, after the Tord Gustavsen Trio set a sales record for jazz releases with their first releases. Will Wood Songs could achieve something similar?

The sound on Wood Songs is outstanding. It is the usual dynamic, and open the rendering we are used to from KKV, not to mention Rainbow Studio and Jan Erik Kongshaug.

 

Wood Songs of Olof Løvmo Trio is a welcome contribution to the world of friendly trio jazz, and can be recommended both to those who are well versed in jazz corridors, but also for those who just want to sample. This is a great opportunity to take the first steps into listening to the inscrutable venues of jazz.

 

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Karl Erik Sylthe

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