Pianist Lars Jansson’s trio including Thomas Fonnesbaek/b and Paul Svanberg/dr bring in the Paul Desmond-influenced alto sax of Sigurdur Flosason for a collection of rich pastels of song.
Flosason’s alto sax has a tone of beautiful lightness, something rarely delivered in this day of shrieking cacophony. The tones caress Jansson’s Bill Evansy touch on the soft “Fragile Ground” and both are deft along with Svanberg’s nimble drums on “Serenading The Moon.” The team shows that they can get funky as well, with Fonnesbaek’s bass giving off blue hues during the title track, and the quartet create dark shadows with tympanic mallets on the somber “To The End of the World.” Flosason’s horn glows like a full moon as he serenades with the leader on a sonata-like “Spring Water” and floats like a cirrus cloud over the chiming bass and piano during “Green Sky” and bears down a bit on the quietly modal “Lava.” Textures and tone win the day on this art gallery of musical Monet’s.