Nordic Circles is not a group per se, rather the first instalment of what is intended as an ongoing project that gathers together various musicians by the invitation of bassist Anders Ljungberg mixing upcoming talent with more experienced musicians. As the name implies, the music, a collaborative process that grows out of original compositions by the participants, is intended to reflect a Nordic sensibility within their overall approach to jazz improvisation. Quite what that is, as seen through the creative prism of this ensemble, might be said to be a less frantic approach to improvisation and an emphasis on melodic development. Lien, as he demonstrated during his period with singer Silje Neergard, is a superb accompanist and works with elegant, if occasionally mischievous, creativity within the parameters of the eight compositions that comprise this album. Johansen has a tone that with careful nurturing could become unique, while Orvang’s role, between trumpet and piano, is less precisely defined as he tries hard not to tread on anybody’s toes.