Landaeus/De Heney/Osgood: Dissolving Patterns (digital outlets)

Perhaps because we've had a long affection for ECM albums dating from the early Seventies – and more recently because we've got family in that part of the world – we sometimes gravitate towards Scandinavian jazz.

Here pianist Mathias Landaeus, bassist Nina De Henry and drummer Kresten Osgood – all seasoned artists who first worked together in 2013 – take the contract of free improvisation seriously for 10 pieces recorded live in Gothenburg's Studio Epidemin on one day in 2023.

Like some sparking conversation which has the participants bouncing off each others ideas, or simply going off on a personal tangent of interest, there is a joyfully unpredictable quality to these pieces.

Some – like the 10 minute, abruptly changing but melodic Blues Excavation – offer the players the idea of a subject to discuss, others just work their way the surface, like Body Rejoice which starts with Osgood tickling some off-kilter rhythms and patterns into life.

As we often do with albums like this, we offer the caveat: this won't be for everybody.

But, as music uncoupled from charts or agreed upon compositional elements, this isn't quite as challenging as you might expect and pieces like Asteroid Heroes are quite engrossing.

Care to rise to the challenge?

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You can buy this album at bandcamp here.