March 2009

Jesse Stacken
That That
Fresh Sound New Talent

By Bill Milkowski

“Freedom,” “dissonance” and “envelope-pushing” are the watchwords of this adventurous ECM-ish piano-trio outing by Jesse Stacken and his fellow provocateurs Eivind Opsvik on bass and Jeff Davis on drums. The three explore some dark, thorny terrain on “Shady Oak,” “Distractions” and “Inventor,” demonstrating remarkable flexibility, an uncanny chemistry and an underlying capacity to swing. And Zen-delicate rubato pieces like “Sad Sidewalk” and “Birds in Slow Motion” make dramatic use of silence and breath. A rare gem.