«All The Difference» is the second album of the Italian-Swedish reeds player Alberto Pinton and his Trio, following RÖD (self Produced, 2018) (You’ll find the review https://salt-peanuts.eu/record/alberto-pinton-trio/). Pinton is joined by long-time comrades – drummer Konrad Agnas , who also plays in Pinton’s Quartet, Noi Siamo quartet and Sextet, and double bass player Vilhelm Bromander , who also plays in Pinton’s Sextet. The album was recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. Ironically, these social distance restrictions and lack of live gigs left «much more time than usual to rehearse and try things», in one afternoon of first and second takes at Örnsbergs Musikstudio, Stockholm, in May 2020.

Pinton wrote the 11 short compositions. The atmosphere of «All The Difference» is introspective, contemplative and melodic, focused on exploring the very fine nuances of the trio’s close interplay. Pinton, as always, shows a masterful command on a variety of reeds instruments – baritone saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet and alto flute, plays with a distinct, warm voice. Bromander and Agnas are attuned to every detail in Pinton’s playing and offer solid but precise rhythmic patterns.

This kind of intimate, chamber atmosphere allows Pinton to explore the timbral range of each instrument, while articulating simple yet clever melodies, and stressing an organic flow of the music. This fine album opens and concludes with a beautiful, moving ballad, «Never There», with Pinton most of the time alone with the bass clarinet. Pinton suggests mysterious, haunting melodies with the alto flute on «The Sentinel» and «The Sevens». Few pieces like «Ytram» and «Domino» highlight Pinton’s love of Eric Dolphy music, with its sudden, angular shifts.

Eyal Hareuveni 

Alberto Pinton (bs, cl, bcl, alto fl), Vilhelm Bromander (b), Konrad Agnas (dr)