Jesper Bodilsen Trio: Mi Ritorni in Mente

Jesper Bodilsen is an extremely capable soloist, but on this CD he spends as much time augmenting and embellishing the playing of pianist Stefano Bollani and drummer Morten Lund as he does displaying his own formidable skills. Sometimes Bodilsen, Bollani and Lund nicely deconstruct a number before returning to the central melody, notably on their treatments of “Nature Boy” and Michel Legrand’s “The Summer Knows.” But listeners get a more complete picture of the trio’s talents when they venture outside the jazz canon and present works with more changes and surprises, such as Bollani’s “Dark Valley Serenade.” It’s on these tunes that Bodilsen’s booming phrases and Lund’s crackling answering rhythms join with Bollani’s lengthy, slashing octave leaps and percussive piano work.

Bodilsen clearly has the tools of a world-class bassist, and his solos are technical marvels. On his next release let’s hope that he eschews the covers and concentrates on fresh material that will test and stretch his considerable abilities.

Originally Published July 1, 2005