Trygve Seim: Sangam

The title of Trygve Seim’s latest CD, Sangam (ECM), means “confluence” or “learned gathering” in Sanskrit, or sometimes it’s used to describe the meeting point of three rivers. Naming your album Third Stream ain’t as arty, but that’s what the tenor/soprano saxophonist is getting at and in which he excels. The core of the subtle yet often stunning Sangam is performed by a nine-piece jazz group that mines classical-leaning textures and compositions tinged with Norwegian folk music, which is particularly brought out by accordionist Frode Haltli. Seim writes meditative melodic bits and stitches these delicates together into long-form tunes, such as the title track and the, ahem, Lord of the Rings-conjuring “Dansante,” or suites, as is the case with “Himmelrand i Tidevand,” which is augmented by trombones, strings and a conductor. Havard Lund (clarinet, bass clarinet) and Nils Jansen (bass saxophone, contrabass clarinet) provide deep, dark tonal support for Seim’s airy, Jan Garbarek-influenced playing, while the remarkable trumpeter Arve Henriksen plays the mirrorlike brass counterpart to the leader’s reeds.

Originally Published May 1, 2005