Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Bendik Hofseth: Trunks

Bendik Hofseth: Trunks

By Friedrich Kunzmann
October 3, 2020
View read count

The first from a run of four albums, collectively titled Forest, Norwegian saxophonist

Bendik Hofseth

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Bendik Hofseth's Trunks sets a cozy tone which pairs minimal interplay with echoing acoustics in a modern mainstream jazz light. His sidemen all belong to the Norwegian jazz elite, most of whom have been recording together for years, prominently so for ECM. Hofseth partially dedicates the songs on the record to them. From subtle throw-back fusion to more contemplative aesthetics, the saxophonist's always through-designed compositions are given an honest and proficient treatment in the hands of intimate and dexterous musical partners and friends.

A contemplative notion lies in the melancholic harmonies found spread across the seven-tune set, often bound together and led forward by

Helge Iberg

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Helge Iberg on piano, as well as by the lyrical saxophone tone which dominates the majority of the record. "Norway Spruce (for Mats)" or "Sapwood (for Evalill)" are obvious examples of the contemplative aspect, and demonstrate how sparsely yet perceptively each musician adds to the respective conversation. The dynamic scope on opener "Maple (for Per Oddvar)" alone proves to have the same amount of acoustic sensitivity as any ECM recording, thereby further encouraging the nuanced exchanges between Hofseth and his band. In that context,

Eivind Aarset

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Eivind Aarset's scarcely audible yet atmospherically crucial electronic interjections on guitar operate like the subtle missing link between veteran guitarist

Terje Rypdal

guitar
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Terje Rypdal's metal-cold, distorted sound and Danish guitar impressionist

Jakob Bro

guitar
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Jakob Bro's understated language.

Exotic rhythmic percussion and compositional orbits around few-note ostinatos make up "Bamboo (for Christer)" and "Heartwood (for Michael)," resulting in a timeless fusion aesthetic, sonically adjacent to much of Weather Report's body of work. The latter tune sees

Mike Mainieri

vibraphone
b.1938

" data-original-title="" title="">Mike Mainieri join on marimba, adding the finishing Afro-touch to the polished production's fate of having something in common with Toto. With regard to the album unfolding like a steady and calm stream, the reference is not at all a bad thing.

Some might mistake the comforting sound of Trunks for a lazy one, or dismiss the unhurried and straightforward structures on the record as mainstream comfort food. But it would be wrong to equate a sense of ease with a lack of aspiration. The truth lies much closer, intertwined with the transparency and sonic details of the music and can furthermore be discovered within the band's seamless interplay. Making the complex relationship between improvisational nuance and straightforward through-composition sound so easy is what sets these musicians apart from most, and makes Trunks a complete success.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Maple (for Per Oddvar); Bamboo (for Christer); Cambium (for Helge); Norway Spruce (For Mats); Heartwood (for Michael); Sapwood (for Evalill); Bark (for Eivind).

Personnel

Bendik Hofseth

saxophone

Eivind Aarset

guitar

Mats Eilertsen

bass

Helge Iberg

piano

Per Oddvar Johansen

drums

Mike Mainieri

vibraphone

Album information

Title: Trunks | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: C+C Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Javon Jackson: Finding Uplift in the...
< Previous

Japanese Iconoclasts - Part 2
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.