Benjamín Gísli Trio: Line of Thought

More often than any are willing to confess, it is a pundit's easy way out to compliment and praise an artist by saying that they are reminiscent of some legend and that this legend inspired the artist etc, etc. It looks good for both the reviewer and subject, and serves to make the reviewer sound smart and the artist great. But does it mean anything at all?

Such is the case with Line of Thought, the entrancing debut from young Icelandic pianist & composer Benjamín Gísli. There are at least one hundred pianists behind us, and with us now, that one will encounter within his very warm, spacious, personal style. As for contemporary pianists, Shai Maestro comes to mind. For late players, Esbjorn Svensson is certainly present in Gísli's rolling cadences. Inspired by none other than Bill Evans, Gísli's six finely honed originals conjure Evans' lucid control of melody while employing Keith Jarrett's gentle touch. Carla Bley's modal eccentric "Ida Lupino" rounds out the set.

Drummer Veslemøy Narvesen and bassist Andreas Solheim's assured minimalism compliments the pianist's sense of same and growing investigative spirit, giving the whole set, (which, dismayingly, barely lasts thirty-five minutes) an elegant air of something new ("For Carla," "Line of Thought") yet familiar (the snappy jump of "Gospel Song for Andy" and the introspective closer "It Will Be Alright"). Line of Thought is a good place for artist and audience alike to start.

Comments