Lars Jansson - The Time We Have (Imogena, 1996)

Lars Jansson, piano
Lars Danielsson, bass
Anders Kjellberg, drums

Recorded March 29, 1996

Rainbow Studio, Oslo

Engineer: Jan Erik Kongshaug

I first discovered Lars Jansson as a member of the Arild Andersen quartet on the album Green Shading into Blue (ECM, 1978). It was one of my first ECM acquisitions, a cutout copy found in The Happy Note in Coconut Grove, near where I lived in Miami. Cutout LPs were common and cheap then, which helped me explore the ECM catalog for about $5 per album. 

Fifteen years later, I rediscovered Jansson through the Penguin Guide to Jazz and got interested in his trio albums. There were many: 19 albums beginning in 1981 and continuing for four decades. The nine albums I've included in my collection range from 1984 to 2019, and they're all of uniform quality.

Jansson was born in Sweden in 1951 and, like most jazz pianists of his generation, was obviously influenced by the music of Bill Evans. With the trio as his preferred format, Jansson mostly plays his own compositions, sometimes sharing writing credits with members of his trio. Five numbers on The Time We Have are written by the trio, and three are by Jansson alone. Lars Danielsson and Anders Kjellberg contribute one each, and two are standards. 

As an American fan nurtured by the piano trios of Bill Evans and Red Garland, I find Jansson's trio refreshing to hear. Because most of his repertoire is unfamiliar to me, I pay closer attention. In the process, I learn to appreciate not only the compositions but also Jansson's touch and technique. The Time We Have's 13 tracks are filled with interesting detail and numerous surprises. 

Bassist Danielsson, a prolific writer and bandleader in his own right, shines on every track. 

Drummer Kjellberg completes the trio. Just one year younger than Jansson, Kjellberg's enduring presence in the Swedish jazz scene has resulted in well over 100 recording credits according to Discogs. The communication within the trio is virtually telepathic, drawn from decades of experience playing with each other.

The Time We Have is further distinguished by the quality of the recording. The engineer and studio comprise the "house of ECM," and the trio's art is definitely enhanced by the wonderful production. Every nuance of each instrument is rendered in clear detail. The piano and bass sound especially spine-tingling.