ACT has been putting out many beautiful releases, and TRIO may be one of their best.
ACT
Lars Danielsson – Double Bass, Cello; Verneri Pohjola – Trumpet; John Parricelli – Guitar
TRIO is both a reunion and a fresh beginning. Swedish bassist Lars Danielsson and British guitarist John Parricelli have a long-standing musical partnership, with TRIO marking their fifth recording together for ACT Music. The new addition to the tandem is Finnish trumpeter Verneri Pohjola, who had only met John the day before the session, in the bar of a train bound for Bordeaux.
TRIO was recorded not in a typical studio but in the wood-paneled salon of Château Palmer, a wine estate in southwest France. All three musicians played together in the same room, a departure from the usual setup of separate studio booths and headphones. If they missed a note, they knew they could re-record it later. Recorded live, it’s more intense, they’re more focused, more involved. Most of the tracks were captured in one take.
In 2023, ACT Music and Château Palmer teamed up to bring Joachim Kühn and Michael Wollny together for an album. The duo talked about the art of improvisation as a “prepared conversation.” Pohjola’s response was, “Improvisation goes beyond conversation, it has to pass through your body, fly out of it. You have to avoid getting caught in your own head, otherwise the magic evaporates.”
TRIO features three covers, one composition each by Parricelli and Pohjola, with the remaining pieces written by Danielsson. Typically composing at the piano, Danielsson aimed here to open up space, achieving a more acoustic, pared-down feel. Danielsson wanted everyone to focus on the essence of the melody rather than solos on every track, so he kept the pieces brief.
‘La Calme au Château ’was written as a tribute to the beautiful surroundings where the recording took place. A delicate, airy guitar, a richly resonant bass providing a foundation, and a breathy trumpet lead the way. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a trumpet played quite like Pohjola. He can soften and thin the tone until it sounds flute-like.
Danielsson’s cello on Philippe Sarde’s ‘La Chanson d’Hélène ’has a raw, almost fragile tone, each note carrying a weight that seems to linger in the air. Parricelli’s guitar lines are gorgeous and Pohjola’s subdued trumpet ties everything together on this hauntingly beautiful piece.
Danielsson did an intriguing arrangement of Ellington’s ‘Mood Indigo, ’but the piece feels out of place. It’s a take on the American jazz tradition and that is not what TRIO is about. The music is more a mix of classical chamber music and Nordic jazz, that has more of a melancholy atmosphere than American jazz. As Danielsson puts it, “My inspiration comes more from classical music, pop and folk pieces than from jazz.”
Ron Sexsmith is a Canadian singer-songwriter known for his warm, understated voice and tender songwriting, qualities that could describe TRIO’s sound. In Sexsmith’s ‘Gold In Them
Hills, ’the cello, guitar, and trumpet weave through each other like soft-rock threads, each instrument touching on the melody with a kind of gossamer phrasing.
John Parricelli’s ‘Lacour ’has a sultry Spanish feel, with Danielsson’s deep, resonant bass as a gentle anchor. Pohjola’s trumpet, not quite as breathy, recalls Art Farmer. Parricelli’s guitar has a beautiful, clear tone, each note picked with deliberate precision. Midway through, the cello gracefully trades places with the bass, leading to an exquisite, layered ending.
Château Palmer, with its serene acoustics and tranquil atmosphere, was the perfect setting for this recording, mirroring the music created by three wonderful musicians. ACT has been putting out many beautiful releases, and TRIO may be one of their best.
