Thomas Torstrup Quartet: Two Brothers
NXN Recordings

No, the quartet featured on Thomas Torstrup's Two Brothers doesn't pair the Norwegian pianist with a sibling. The performances by him, trumpeter Simen Kiil Halvorsen, bassist Stian Andersen, and drummer Ivar Asheim do, however, exhibit the kind of telepathy we generally associate with family members. It's very much Torstrup's date: the pianist, who hails from Stavanger and was educated at Trondheim University, composed seven of the eight pieces, which the four recorded at Oslo's New Tone Studio in August 2019. It's not the first recording he's appeared on, though. Snøkorn appeared in 2014, and two Øra Fonogram releases followed, 2017's Still with Heidi Skjerve and a year later Selbu Sessions with John Pål Inderberg and Martin Högberg. All such experiences laid a solid groundwork for Two Brothers, judging by the confidence with which its pieces are executed.

Stylistically, the album material ranges from melodic quartet jazz to a piece inspired by Messiaen and was inspired in large part by nature and family experiences, from hiking and the elements to a young boy's introduction to drumming. As a player, Torstrup's ever resourceful and imaginative, as shown by the extended solo he executes in “Uphill,” and while Halvorsen's very much his own man, you might be reminded a bit of Arve Henriksen when he blows breathily through “First Solar Wind,” a lovely duet by the trumpeter and pianist that shows how effectively the two partner when playing live.

Animated by a jittery pulse, “Transcribing Raindrops” initially tickles the ear with jaw's harp-like noises and attractive unison lines by piano and trumpet before transitioning into swinging quartet interplay and aggressive solo statements from the front-liners. Of the Messiaen-inspired “Modes,” Torstrup's comment that he “took so much freedom in the writing, that they may be hard to find in the tune” is borne out by the result, which plays like a fluidly flowing jazz quartet expression as opposed to dry academic exercise. Not surprisingly, Asheim contributes forceful drive to “Learning to Play a Drum,” but it's ultimately as fully integrated a performance as the others; the lyrical ballad “Two Brothers” likewise lives up to its billing in accentuating the smooth interactions between the trumpeter and pianist. The sole non-Torstrup composition, Andersen's “Item” fits so comfortably with the others you'd think it was penned by the pianist if you didn't know otherwise.

October 2021