Being There is the third CD of the Tord Gustavsen Trio after Changing Places (2003) and The Ground (2005). The group consists of the leader himself on piano, Harald Johnsen on bass and Jarle Vespestad on drums. They played in well-known Norwegian groups such as Farmer's Market, Supersilent and the Silje Nergaard band. As a trio they have been together for several years and that can be heard. The
… band members are fully attuned to each other and operate together as one melodic romantic instrument. They themselves describe their sound effectively as 'Nordic-Caribbean-gospel-bluesy'. We hear beautiful compositions of our own, with that typical Norwegian spaciousness. On the one hand, Gustavsen is reminiscent of Keith Jarrett's lyricism, and on the other hand of the drive of the Esbjorn Svensson Trio (EST). The most striking is the restrained character. The music always balances on the verge of unpacking, but never overcomes it. The group thus evokes a wonderful tension. (HB)more
