Espen Eriksen Trio with Andy Sheppard: As Good As It Gets

The Espen Eriksen Trio—Eriksen on piano, Lars Tormod Jenset on bass, and Andreas Bye on drums— was formed in 2007 and their debut album, You Had Me at Goodbye, was released in 2010 on Rune Grammofon where they have remained ever since. In 2016 British saxophonist Andy Sheppard was invited to guest with the trio when they played in London. Sheppard has since commented, "I knew from the first time I heard the trio play that I would fit right in. I loved the melodic sense and vibe and was thrilled when I was invited..."

By 2018, Sheppard and the trio had studio-recorded and released their first album together, Perfectly Unhappy, which received rave reviews and stars all round. In 2022 the trio released the seven-track live album In the Mountains which featured Sheppard on three tracks recorded live in concert, in Oslo, in 2018. So, As Good As It Gets, the trio's seventh album, is also the third to feature Sheppard.

Even though they were born decades apart—the trio members in the '70s, Sheppard in the '50s—in different countries, the four musicians sound made for each other and have a near-telepathic rapport. As on past trio albums, all of the pieces were composed by Eriksen himself and are ideal for the foursome. Sheppard never sounds like a bolted-on soloist but is a vital integral component of the ensemble sound and mood; when any of the others is soloing, he gives them centre stage. Throughout the album, the sound and recording are exquisite, with every note played being easily heard and savoured. As has been true of past albums by the Espen Eriksen Trio, with or without Sheppard, the only appropriate comment is "More, soon, please."