IAJRC Journal

Glass Song, by the Yelena Eckemoff Trio, is a lengthy exercise in introspective music that’s vulnerable sounding and often melancholy. In lesser hands, that combination might turn deadly dull, but the classically trained Eckemoff has astutely enlisted bassist Arild Andersen and drummer Peter Erskine in her group, two veterans of ECM-style clarity and refinement, and the results are absorbing and largely pleasurable. Interestingly enough, Andersen and Erskine had never recorded together until this session. Eckemoff wears her emotions on her sleeve, and her simple compositions arise from specific conditions, usually natural, like Cloud Break or Dripping Icicles. The minimalist themes provide an occasion for genuine three-part conversations, carefully and deftly limned by Eckemoff and her musical partners.

Andersen, with his big resonant sound and polished lyricism, has a chance to solo quite a lot, to excellent effect. His firmly grounded attitude stands in contrast to Eckemoff’s impressionistic wanderings. The exquisitely sensitive Peter Erskine, who’s played on previous Eckemoff recordings, plays as much or as little as the situation demands. Given its propensity for slow tempos and meditative phrasing, Eckemoff’s music proves somewhat lulling over the long running time of the disc, and is best savored in small doses.