For those unaware, Jacob Young’s fourth leader-recording for ECM not only presents the guitarist’s first pass a the guitar trio format, but moreover offers a broader view of his compositional pallet, as he, bassist Mats Eilertsen and drummer Audun Kleive explore a wide variety of pulsations, temperaments and styles, all tied together by Jacob’s always melodic embrace.

On his last effort, 2015’s Forever Young, the guitarist was joined by Trygve Seim and the Marcin Wasilewski Trio, performing what The Guardian called, “a set full of undemonstrative surprises and contrasts”, where “the quality of the composing matches the formidable powers of the band.”

Eventually continues that record’s gentle lyricism, while Audun Kleive’s percussive injections add counterpoint to Jacob’s in turns balladic and more rhythmically overt elaborations, lending this set its sharp edge.

Longtime partner Mats Eilertsen, who appeared on Jacob’s label debut Evening Falls (2004) and Sideways (2007), contributes a confident foundation, simultaneously complementing and challenging his colleagues in a vivid, contemporary jazz programme.

1. Eventually
2. I Told You In October
3. Moon Over Meno
4. One For Louis
5. Schönstedstraße
6. Northbound
7. The Dog Ate My Homework
8. The Meaning Of Joy
9. Inside

This beautifully-ornate, expertly-sculpted new recording, opens on the quietly stirring Eventually and the motivated I Told You In October, and then brings us the delicately concentrated Moon Over Meno, the ornately sculpted One For Louis, and then we are brought forth the fervently rhythmic Schönstedstraße.

This most wondrous composer of modern melodic and lyrical jazz music continues onward with the veritably stoic Northbound and the impassioned, playful jazz-pop bounce of my own personal favorite here, The Dog Ate My Homework, the recording rounding out on the languishing beauty within The Meaning Of Joy, closing on the quietly melodic nature of Inside.

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