Sondre Moshagen Lightning Trio

“Lightning”

(Jazzland Recordings Cat. No 3779753)

Sondre Moshagen – piano, synthesiser, Kertu Aer – double bass, Steinar Heide Bø – drums

with; Ketija Ringa Karahona – flute, Kit Downes – Rhodes

“Lightning” is the debut album from this young Norwegian / Estonian trio led by pianist and composer Sondre Moshagen.

It’s recording that will have a particular interest for UK jazz listeners as it is produced by the British pianist, organist and composer Kit Downes, who also makes an appearance on one of the tracks. In recent years Downes has become something of a mentor for emerging jazz musicians and in 2023 produced “Anyone’s Quiet: Let it Rain to You”, the debut album by British pianist and composer Noah Stoneman and his trio.

Moshagen, bassist Kertu Aer and drummer Steinar Heide Bø met on the jazz programme at Trondheim Conservatoire in the autumn of 2022. They subsequently participated on the 2024 Jazzintro launch programme and the trio were also collectively named as “Young Musicians of the Year” at the 2024 edition of the prestigious Molde Jazz Festival.

Lightning Trio describe their music as “drawing  inspiration from classical impressionism, pop, and expressive jazz, shifting between minimalist collective passages that highlight texture and timbre, and explosive solo sections” and although their debut is fairly brief in terms of duration it embraces plenty of variety in terms of styles and dynamics over the course of its nine tracks.

Album opener “Flotsam”, at just fifty two seconds in length,  is a vignette featuring solo piano, plus a smattering of electronically enhanced flute.

It acts as curtain raiser or overture for the following “McQueen’s Disco”, which is where the trio really begin to hit their stride. It’s an exuberant piece, strong in terms of melody and rhythm, that variously draws on jazz, minimalism, rock and folk music with the core piano trio sound augmented by a soupçon of electronica. As the piece gathers momentum Moshagen’s torrential piano soloing is augmented by a volcanic drum feature from Bø. It’s a piece that must surely be an audience favourite at the trio’s live performances and which was understandably released as the trio’s first single.

The second single, “Past”, follows. Although less frenetic it’s no less compelling and features a beguiling ¾ groove and contrapuntal harmonies inspired by J.S. Bach. The core trio sound is augmented by Karahona’s flute plus the judicious use of electronics. Moshagen’s piano solo is both lyrical and expansive and the piece ends quietly with just the sound of sparse solo piano.

The episodic “Wandering Towards The Light”, the lengthiest track on the album,  initially continues the lyrical with mood with Moshagen picking up where he left off with an introductory passage of mellifluous unaccompanied piano. There’s a dramatic change of pace as Aer’s muscular double bass and Bø’’s busy drums kick in to fuel a typically inventive piano solo from the leader. Despite their youth the Lightning Trio are masters of dynamics and a carefully managed transition sees the piece mutating once more with Moshagen left alone alone at the piano to deliver another beautifully lyrical solo passage. The next section sees the return of the rhythm section with Aer producing a delightfully melodic double bass solo before eventually handing over to Moshagen, whose flowingly lyrical piano solo subtly steers the piece towards its twinkling conclusion.

A companion piece to “Flotsam”,  the album opener,  “Jetsam” is another vignette lasting just under a minute. This time Moshagen’s gently rippling piano arpeggios are joined by skittering drums, double bass and a soupçon of electronica on a piece actually composed by producer Kit Downes.

“Pärnu” is another piece to feature Aer’s bass prominently in the arrangement. It’s a gentle but subtly exploratory ballad that is also notable for Bø ‘s deft and delicate brush work, and of course the leader’s lush piano lyricism. Estonian born Aer, a bandleader in her own right, delivers another melodic bass solo, this followed by Moshagen’s lyrical but subtly probing piano solo.

It’s Aer’s bass that introduces “Guidings”, her playing becoming the fulcrum around which the piece evolves as Moshagen stretches out expansively, exploring in unhurried fashion, his relaxed pianism an effective contrast to the highly detailed bustle of Bø’s drums.

At over seven minutes in length “Astraphobia” is one of the album’s most substantial tracks. It begins in spacey and atmospheric fashion with the sounds of bowed bass, mallet rumbles and subsequently the leader’s sparse piano chording. Aer’s arco playing is particularly distinctive and is a notable feature as the piece begins to evolve slowly and organically. She eventually puts down the bow as drummer Bø picks up the brushes. A gently melodic pizzicato bass solo follows, underscored by spacious piano chording and delicately brushed drums. The melodic lead is subsequently taken over by the piano but quickly handed over to the Latvian born Karahona on flute, who makes her most distinctive and substantial contribution with an expansive and atmospheric solo. It’s arguably the most distinctive track on the album, which is kind of ironic considering that Moshagen takes something of a back seat, content to play a supporting role on this richly atmospheric and highly evocative opus.

The album concludes with another comparative vignette. “Lagan”, which lasts a little over a minute and a half, was written by Kit Downes and includes a cameo appearance from the producer on Rhodes, alongside the core trio plus Karahona on flute.

“Lightning” represents a highly promising debut from the trio of the same name. At a little under forty minutes in length and with three of the tracks essentially vignettes it’s a bit light in terms of playing time but the six full length compositions from leader Moshagen exhibit and impressive maturity and intelligence and explore a wide range of moods, styles and dynamics. These pieces are enough to earn the album a four star rating and a recommendation.

This is a trio that has established an excellent rapport during its three years of playing together and collectively they exhibit huge potential. The standard of the playing, both individually and collectively, is uniformly high throughout.  Downes and Karahona both make telling contributions, but ultimately it’s all about the core trio. This is a unit that has the potential to develop into one of Europe’s leading piano trios.

 

 

 

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