Congratulations to Oliver Weindling for keeping the Babel label going for 30 years, marked by this release, his first for his label in four years. It’s deserving of its three star rating in what is a very challenging and competitive field, the piano trio. Henrik Jensen and pianist Tjalve both hail from Denmark, Jensen a Danish ex-pat and now resident in Frome and a part of West Country jazz scene, performing with Iain Ballamy, Sam Crockatt, Gareth Williams, and John Law. Tjalve, formerly resident in the UK for some 20 years, has now returned to his homeland, and Smith, once drummer with Robert Plant and the Loop Collective, is also active on the Frome scene.

The group are not lacking for potential, but this recording has the bass a little too far forward in the mix, and with a tendency to stick to its own path rather than seeking greater interaction with Tjalve and Smith and comes across somewhat rigidly. Tjalve, who is in a position to dictate dynamics, tends to stick to a monochrome mezzoforte, with an imagination ahead of his technical skills. Collectively the trio have not reached the degree of internal cohesion and dynamics, that, let’s say, another West Country trio, Yetii, have achieved; this suggests they may not have clocked up practise/road time hours together to work on this. But overall, there is enough creativity on display that suggests that this a project to keep tabs on.