Restored, Returned

by

Tord Gustavsen Trio

Edit

Since it has been several years since Tord Gustavsen has released an album, the arrival of Restored, Returned was eagerly anticipated. I pre-ordered it when the listing appeared here on amazon and didn't give it another thought until it arrived and I played it for the first time. What a difference from past releases! And as with almost anything when there is a drastic change, there will be some fan backlash and so it seems to be with this.

While it took a while to adjust my ears to the new sound, I like not only the minimalist nature of the music but also Kristin Asbjornsen's gritty, besotted and oddly appealing vocals. Additionally, I find that introduction of the saxophone to the music adds texture and a layer of darkness that was missing before.

Here are my favorites: the mournful, almost religious quality of Lay Your Sleeping Head, My Love; the noirish interplay of sax and piano on Spiral Song; the mesmerizing title cut with its strange sudden ending, the sax-laden The Swirl/Wrapped In A Yielding Air, and a wonderfully dark offering of The Gaze. Those who were/are fans of the late, lamented Esbjorn Svensson Trio will find much to like here.

Perhaps you are not going to like Restored, Returned if your tastes are firmly planted in the realm of instrumental jazz. But if you are willing to open yourself to the possibilities Gustavsen probes here, you may find that the changes once so disconcerting are a pleasure after all. The CD is packaged in a standard jewel box and comes with a cardboard slip case and an attractive booklet that contains basic album information, a few pictures, and lyrics.

I bought this the day it came out. After one listen, I dumped it onto the listen later list. Well, by now I've forced myself to listen a half dozen times and it does not get any better. The instrumentation is great. Tord works magic with saxophonist Tore Brunborg and I'd give it 5 stars for the music minus the vocals. My issue is with Kristin Asbjornsen. She sings on 7 out of the 11 tracks. Her voice isn't awful. It's not interesting either. I like Joanna Newsom's newest recordings so I don't have anything against vocalists who sing with a sense of adventure. I just don't care for the adventure that Asbjornsen is leading. The lyrics are weak, almost an embarrassment. I think there is a way to edit out beginnings and endings of tracks on iTunes. I've got to try to delete her from what could have been a beautiful recording.

I bought Christian Wallumrod Ensemble's Fabula Suite Lugano on the same day. It is not as good as The Zoo Is Far, but it soars high above Tord's tepid vocalist.