Søren   Bebe Trio

“Gratitude”

(From Out Here Music FOHMCD026)

Søren   Bebe – piano, Kasper Tagel – double bass, Knut Finsrud – drums

“Gratitude” is the ninth studio album from this long running trio led by the Danish pianist and composer Søren  Bebe. My thanks to Søren   for forwarding me a review copy of this recording, which was released on January 30th 2026.

I first discovered Bebe’s music in 2016 when he and his trio played a lunchtime show at the Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho as part of that year’s EFG London Jazz Festival. At that time the trio consisted of Bebe, Tagel and drummer  Anders Mogensen and the performance was largely comprised of Bebe’s original compositions, with Mogensen also writing one number. The outside material included the jazz standard “How About You” and a Keith Jarrett inspired version of the Nat Adderley composition “The Old Country”. This was a highly enjoyable performance for me and a hugely successful one for Bebe and the trio. It is reviewed as part of my Festival coverage here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/features/article/efg-london-jazz-festival-2016-day-five-tuesday-15th-november-2016

 At the time of the London show Bebe was kind enough to gift me copies of his albums “Home” (2016) and “Eva” (2013), the latter featuring a trio of Bebe, Mogensen and the great American bassist Marc Johnson. Both discs represent highly enjoyable and rewarding listening experiences.

In 2024 I reviewed the Bebe trio’s then current album “Here Now” commenting;
“a set of lyrical performances that place a strong emphasis on melody and beauty. The focus is very much on on mood, atmosphere and narrative rather than sheer virtuosity.” Full review here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/soren-bebe-trio-here-now

Bebe, born in 1975, hails from the Danish city of Odense and studied at  Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus  where his tutors included the Swedish pianist Lars Jansson, once of the Jan Garbarek group.

Bebe cites his main pianistic influences as including Oscar Peterson,  Keith Jarrett, Tord Gustavsen,  Esbjorn Svensson, Misha Alperin, Jan Johansson, Espen Eriksen and Aaron Parks, with commentators also suggesting Errol Garner and Bill Evans as other potential sources of inspiration. Bebe has also expressed his admiration for the work of the late trumpeter and composer Kenny Wheeler, particularly with regard to Wheeler’s writing. More recent sources of inspiration include the Norwegian musicians Mette Henriette (saxophone) and Mats Eilertsen (bass) plus the Dutch pianist Harmen Fraanje.

Bebe and his trio have built a large and dedicated following in Europe and the title of “Gratitude” represents an expression of appreciation from the group to its audience with Bebe stating;
“It’s an album for our fans. We’re grateful to have people who connect with our music, write to us and share how it’s touched their lives”.

“Gratitude” sees the trio continuing to hone the approach that distinguished “Here Now”. Once again the focus is on melody, atmosphere and lyricism and the music is unashamedly ‘Nordic’ in terms of both demeanour and execution.  The overall mood of the music is relaxed, contemplative and resolutely unhurried.  Again the most obvious comparison / reference point is with the music of the Norwegian ensemble the Tord Gustavsen Trio, a group that explores very similar themes and aesthetics.

“Here Now” placed the emphasis wholly on Bebe’s original writing but the trio have previously demonstrated that they are also skilled interpreters of the music of others. “Gratitude” features covers of material by Billy Joel and Abbey Lincoln in addition to seven original compositions by Bebe. Once again the album appears on the Danish label From Out Here Music.

Album opener “Frostblad” establishes the scene with with glacial shards of piano melody underscored by the almost subliminal drone of arco bass and the delicate rustle of percussion. It sounds as if Finsrud, the only Norwegian in an otherwise Danish group, might be playing with his bare hands. When Tagel subsequently switches to the pizzicato technique a more conventional jazz sound begins to emerge with the bassist taking the melodic lead and emerging as a featured soloist. The piece continues to develop slowly and unhurriedly as part of an organic process which sees the luminous sound of the leader’s piano gradually coming to the fore. Finsrud’s drums continue to provide subtle commentary and colouration rather than pulse or beat. It’s an evocative piece that conjures up images of a chilly Nordic landscape.

“Good Enough” explores broadly similar territory, again unfolding slowly and delicately, with the subtle and often downright beautiful dialogue between Bebe’s piano and Finsrud’s drums and percussion at its heart. Finsrud’s filigree cymbal work is quite exquisite and his deployment of the brushes is nuanced and sensitive. Bebe’s classical background fins expression via his lightness of touch and superior technique. It’s a piece that maintains the mood of fragile beauty established by the opener.

“Trystrup Sø”  is named after a lake near Bebe’s home in Sorø,  Denmark. A beautiful folk like melody quickly emerges, its very lyricism paying homage to the lake which forms its source of inspiration. Tagel’s double bass come to the fore with a beautifully melodic solo.

The trio get playful with “A Much Simpler Song”, a quirky tune that has been likened to an Eastern European folk dance or an Argentinian tango thanks to its shuffling odd meter grooves. Tagel again emerges as a soloist, this time deploying a bigger, meatier sound, plus an enviable dexterity. Bebe stretches out more expansively at the piano than previously while Finsrud conjures an impressively broad range of sounds from his kit and is also featured towards the close. This is the sound of the trio having fun and even the title is an in joke, another composition called “A Simple Song” first appeared on “Eva”, the album that Bebe recorded with Marc Johnson.

The first item of ‘outside’ material is the trio’s interpretation of the Billy Joel song “And So It Goes”. Introduced by a sparse but elegant passage of unaccompanied piano Bebe brings an even more hymnal feel to Joel’s already gospel tinged ballad and even without lyrics keeps the emotional core of the piece very much alive. Bebe’s introspective pianism receives suitably sympathetic support from Tagel and Finsrud.

Bebe’s own “Silent Listener” embraces a darker lyricism, commencing with the deep, eerie sounds of Tagel’s bowed bass and the gentle rustle of Finsrud’s percussion. Bebe emerges to sketch the beautiful but sombre theme as Tagel continues with the bow, his tone even deeper and grainier, as Finsrud’s brushes swish across the skins and chime the cymbals. There’s a mysterious beauty about this piece that have made it a favourite for some of those ‘silent listeners’.

The lightly dancing “Chico” brightens the mood while still staying true to the overall aesthetic of this largely introspective album. Bebe’s softly skipping piano melodies receive empathic support from Tagel’s anchoring bass and Finsrud’s deft brush work.

The trio’s soulful and purposeful instrumental interpretation of Abbey Lincoln’s song “Throw It Away” re-introduces the gospel leanings that informed the Billy Joel piece. But this wistful sounding adaptation is also very much in keeping with the trio’s understated house style and includes the melodic soloing of both double bass and piano in conjunction with Finsrud’s subtle and delicately nuanced drum commentary.

The title track, the trio’s ‘thank you’ to their audience is kept until last, and perhaps appropriately so. Ushered in by a passage of unaccompanied piano it’s a warm, highly melodic piece with a song like structure, a gentle anthem of the titular gratitude to the group’s listeners. In some respects it has the feel of a ‘musical goodbye’ about it but the Bebe Trio intend to be around for a while yet with a number of European tour dates scheduled in the coming months, including a show at the Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho, London.

“Gratitude” is perhaps the ultimate expression of the Bebe Trio’s sound. I wasn’t as conscious of the similarities between this group and the Tord Gustavsen Trio as I was when I covered “Here Now”.

Yes, “Gratitude” is very much part of the Nordic jazz tradition and also shares many of the aesthetics of the ECM record label but it’s an album that sounds even more distinctive and personal than its predecessors. Bebe and his colleagues have distilled the essence of their music and have ‘polished the diamond’ to sparkling perfection. The musicians have been helped enormously in their quest by the pristine recorded sound created by recording engineers August Wanngren and John Fomsgaard. Wanngren’s name may be familiar to British audiences through his work with the trio Phronesis, among others.

The Søren  Bebe Trio’s remaining tour dates are as follows;

Feb 24 MUSIKHUSET DEXTER – ODENSE C, DENMARK
Feb 25 SANKT PAULS CHURCH – AARHUS, DENMARK
Feb 27 KEDELHUSET – SILKEBORG, DENMARK
Feb 28 TERMANSENS – RIBE, DENMARK
May 29 SENDESAAL BREMEN – BREMEN, GERMANY
May 30 LANTARENVENSTER – ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
Aug 13 FLENSBURGER HOFKULTUR – FLENSBURG, GERMANY
Oct 3 PIZZA EXPRESS JAZZ CLUB SOHO – LONDON

Ticket links available via Bebe’s website here;
https://sorenbebe.com/

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