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Skydive Trio: Sun Sparkle

By Karl Ackermann
September 10, 2018
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Norwegian guitarist

Thomas Dahl

guitar
b.1973

" data-original-title="" title="">Thomas Dahl's primary project is the Skydive Trio with bassist

Mats Eilertsen

bass
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Mats Eilertsen and drummer Olavi Louhivuouri. The trio is an off-shoot of a quintet of the same name that includes tenor saxophonist

" data-original-title="" title="">Tore Brunborg and pianist Alexi Tuomarila. Sun Sparkle is the second release from the smaller group whose sound, like the album title, reflects ideas from both familiar and eclectic musical worlds.

Dahl has collected a number of honors in his native land, including Norway's Spellemannprisen, (a version of the Grammy Award) for the album Low (BP, 1999) with one of his two additional jazz groups, KR?YT. The most recent of Eilertsen's four solo releases was his 2016 Rubicon on the ECM label where he has also worked with

Jacob Young

guitar
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Jacob Young and

Tord Gustavsen

piano
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Tord Gustavsen. Among others, the Norwegian multi-instrumentalist has recorded with

Nils Økland

violin

" data-original-title="" title="">Nils ?kland,

Food

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.1998

" data-original-title="" title="">Food, with

Iain Ballamy

saxophone, tenor
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Iain Ballamy, and

Yelena Eckemoff

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Yelena Eckemoff. Finland's Louhivuouri has released seven albums as a leader, four with his group Oddarrang and one with his namesake trio. He has also played with the

UMO Jazz Orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">UMO Jazz Orchestra,

Tomasz Sta��ko

trumpet
1942 - 2018

" data-original-title="" title="">Tomasz Sta��ko,

Anthony Braxton

woodwinds
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Anthony Braxton,

Jon Balke

piano
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Jon Balke,

Marilyn Crispell

piano
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Marilyn Crispell, among others.

At the heart of Skydive Trio is Dahl's exceptional and wide-ranging guitar playing, often bringing

Bill Frisell

guitar, electric
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Frisell to mind, but varying as much as the music itself. There is the idyllic beauty of "Convoy," "Spruce" and the title track, the former drawing logical comparisons to early

Pat Metheny

guitar
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Pat Metheny. While the opening "Launch" is a jazz-rock hybrid, the slow-building "Descending" and "Ascending" are more overtly driving rock pieces. Harder to categorize are "Apollo," "Surface Stride" and "Engine Rest," the latter two heavy with spacey atmosphere.

There is nothing ground-breaking on Sun Sparkle but there needn't be given the exceptionally high quality of the musicianship and the diverse selection of original music. The Skydive Trio is a solid group, capable of generating hard-charging drive and airy harmonies in equal parts. Louhivuori is the conduit in keeping the overall program cohesive and Eilertsen proves to be as fluid a player as Dahl as he moves seamlessly between the bowed, plucked and electric basses. Sun Sparkle, like the preceding Sun Moee (Hubro, 2015), is good listening from beginning to end.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Launch; Convoy; Apollo; Engine Rest; Descending; Surface Stride; Spruce; Ascending; Sun Sparkle; Wish I Was Who? (Camera Off).

Personnel

Mats Eilertsen

bass

Thomas T Dahl: guitar; Mats Eilertsen: upright and electric bass; Olavi Louhivuouri: drums.

Album information

Title: Sun Sparkle | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Hubro Music

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��ѧݧ� "��ݧԧѧ�ڧ�" / Bulgaria Hall
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