CLT stands for double bass player Casper Nyvang Rask, pianist Lars Fill and drummer Terkel Nørgaard. These three Danish musicians are part of the fertile scene of Copenhagen. Nørgaard leads the trio Reverse, Fill released three solo albums so far and plays in the group I Think You’re Awesome and Nyvang Rask played in recordings of sax player Henrik Pultz Melbye, pianist Jeppe Zeeberg and drummer Kresten Osgood.
The debut album of CLT, «Every Second Is a Blues», offers seven spontaneous improvisations recorded during a single day in the studio in the spring of 2017. The blues is only a metaphor for an existential state of mind, not a binding musical legacy, but every second matters in CLT exploratory, searching interplay. The trio often opts for a raw, challenging kind of interplay, but with a keen attention to the most subtle nuances.
Every piece on «Every Second Is a Blues» suggests a different atmosphere and a distinct sonic entity. Three pieces are played solo. «Sky So Pink» is an abstract soundscape, sketched by the minimalist solo piano of Fill. The solo piece of Nyvang Ras, «Indigo Fall on the Sea», offers a searching yet rhythmic texture and Nørgaard’s masterful «Yellow Panic on the Train» creates a detailed, arresting story.
The trio improvisations tell different kind of stories. «Well Walked Wilbur» focuses on a tensed and dramatic interplay. The longest improvisation «Vir prudens non contra ventum mingit» emphasizes how CLT mode of operation as a three-headed unit, with Fill sketching a lyrical texture, Nyvang Rask exploring deep and dark colors and Nørgaard soaring above all with subtle, open groove of his own. But, somehow, all comment on each other ideas and together they gain more power and intensity. CLT explodes with sheer power and aggressive intensity on the title piece. The last one, «In Angulo Cum Libello», is the best realized trio improvisation. CLT patiently develops rich palette of colors, nuances and dynamics of this fine trio, spicing the interplay with emotional, even romantic veins.
Eyal Hareuveni
Casper Nyvang Rask (b), Lars Fiil (p), Terkel Nørgaard (dr)
