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Tord Gustavsen Trio: Opening
ByTord Gustavsen
pianob.1970

Sigurd Hole
bass, acousticb.1981

Steinar Raknes
bass
Jarle Vespestad
drumsOpening?begins even less conspicuously than its frequently hushed predecessor. "The Circle" unravels almost like a shadow image of "The Tunnel," the opening track of The Other Side, its melodies and chord changes lightly echoing that song's ecclesial reverberation. Like many of the tunes here, it somehow feels familiar and new at the same time, a reminder of Gustavsen's?unwavering?creative vision.?"Findings / Visa fran Rattvik" and "Opening" are sultry and dark as indigo ink, hovering around smoldering drones from synthesizer or bowed, gently distorted bass. Though these textures are perhaps the most palpable they have ever been in Gustavsen's?music, their role continues to be to provide a subtle coloration and melancholy complexity.?
Gustavsen's approach to sound has always been deployed with such poise that the introduction of a new timbre is immediately captivating. On "Ritual," "Helensburgh Tango," and "Re-Opening" one sees the trio working with novel sounds, as Raknes' double bass and electronics bring to mind the neon guitar streaks of

Terje Rypdal
guitarb.1947

Dan Berglund
bassb.1963
The album closes with an interpretation of "V?r sterk, min sjel" from the Norwegian hymnal; a final, unresolved chord hangs in the sacral air and is answered only by the whisper of a pedal movement. With?Opening,?Gustavsen continues to perfect the qualities that have always set his music apart, letting his phrases emerge like faintly luminous shapes in the darkness and coaxing listeners to chart their own paths between them.? ">
Track Listing
The Circle; Findings/Visa Fran Rattvik; Opening; The Longing; Shepherd Song; Helensburgh Tango; Re-Opening; Findings II; Stream; Ritual; Floytelat/The Flute; Vaer sterk, min sjel.
Personnel
Album information
Title: Opening | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: ECM Records
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