Making Beautiful Music in a Converted Japanese Farm House :Vocalist Sinne Eeg and Pianist Jacob Christoffersen : SHIKIORI

Sinne Eeg And Jacob Christofferssen: SHIKIORI: Stunt Records

I have been a fan of the Danish vocalist Sinne Eeg since I came across her 2015 Stunt Records album Eeg-Fonnesbaek which was a spectacular duo with the bassist Thomas Fonnesbaek. I later reviewed her equally impressive album Dreams from 2017, which she recorded with Danish pianist Jacob Christoffersen and with an excellent American band consisting of guitarist Larry Koonze, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Joey Barron. You can find that review here. If you haven't yet gotten hip to the talent of this vocalist you need to take a listen to her new album.

Eeg's latest release is titled Shikiori, and is a collaboration with the pianist Jacob Christoffersen, who has worked together with Eeg for over twenty years.  After such a long time working together, it's a wonder that this album, Shikiori, a duo album and the first the two have released with both of their names as co-headliners, took this long to happen. 

The title Shikiori is a poetic Japanese word that loosely means  "weaving of the four seasons."  Eeg and Christoffersen's album seems to successfully weave a tapestry of sounds, styles and sentiments to great effect. Shikiori also happens to be the name of a 140 year Japanese farmhouse that bassist Seigo Matsunaga has restored and converted into a top-notch recording studio and intimate performance venue. It is reportedly a special place amidst rice fields and mountains that allows for peaceful reflection and creative inspiration. Matsunaga has said it was his intention to "...create a place where the heart returns." Apparently, the bassist has been successful in his quest, as other important artists, like the talented Tigran Hamaysan, the amazing Armenian jazz pianist, has used the venue as a tranquil stop on his Japanese tour in 2023.

If it is true that artistic creation does not confine itself to artificially created  boundaries, than Eeg and Christoffersen have done their part to create an album that follows its own muse. They have chosen twelve songs, mostly from diverse sources, upon which to place their own imprimatur, creating their own impressive aural tapestry.

The opener "Losing You," is a composition penned by Eeg with Danish pop star Søren Sko. It is a beautiful bittersweet song of lost love that features Eeg's dynamic and heartfelt vocals accompanied by Christoffersen's sumptuous piano. Critic Dan Bilawsky of AAJ   wrote  the duo presents "...their own brand of quiet-storm soul" on this one and I have to agree.

The album features three compositions by Eeg and Christoffersen that seem to be inspired by the setting of the recording and Japanese folk-song tradition. The first is titled "Hebi," a word that means snake in Japanese. The snake can symbolize growth of wisdom or personal transformation. Christoffersen opens the song with a beautifully subdued piano entrée that creates an ethereal background upon which Eeg can provide her gorgeous wordless vocalizing. The pianist's touch is quite elegant. Sinne's voice is exquisitely pliable and resonant, and she creates a vapor-like essence. You are floating in the cosmos of your mind here.

The Soba flower is the white blossoms of the buckwheat plant. The buckwheat grain is used to make Soba noodles, a traditional Japanese dish, and fittingly "Soba Flower" is another Christoffersen creation for this recording. The composition has a cycling, vamp-like, folk-inspired pianistic theme upon which Eeg sings in Japanese. Quite fetching.

"Soba" is a reprise of the previous "Soba Flower," this time with Eeg wordlessly vocalizing in-synch with Christoffersen's repeating piano lines. The two have a telepathic connection that allows the improvised element of this music to enfold organically. Just beautiful.

The remainder of the album features a commanding performance of the  challenging, but rewarding, Billy Strayhorn's  composition "Lush Life." The song is harmonically challenging and has often stymied singers, most notably Frank Sinatra. Sinatra, who while once attempting to record it, stopped midway through the session, unhappy with his read of the complex arrangement. He would put it off, never revisiting the chance to record the song. Eeg has no such problem. Having a palpable rapport with her pianist, Eeg becomes the consummate storyteller. Her command of the song's pathos is superb. Her voice captures the loneliness and disillusionment that the music evokes. It's hard to believe a then sixteen year old Strayhorn penned this mature beauty.  Sinne's delivery is so matter of fact convincing that it's like she has the listener in the palm of her hand. Worth the price of admission.

The duo does a jaunty take on David Wheat/Bill Loughborough's "Better Than Anything." The album continues with Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim's heartfelt love song "Maria" from the Broadway hit West Side Story. Eeg and Christofferson give this beautiful ballad their own interpretation with warmth, sensitivity and heart. There is no doubt this woman can sing, capturing the emotional soul that the music deserves. Just listen to her as she brilliantly executes the gorgeously inspired coda. 

Other songs on the album include a showtime-like delivery of Gershwin's "But Not For Me." A delightful take on Christoffersen and Hansen' "Seems Like Yesterday" where Eegs' fluid wordless vocalese is on display, and soulful take on  Christoffersen and Freeman's " A Second Chance." 

Two other favorites are Sinne's take on Annie Lennox's "Cold," originally heard on Lennox's Diva from 1992. Eeg's proves that despite her jazz proclivities, she proves that popular music in the hands of a vocalist with talent and creativity can always find inspiration in good material. 

The gorgeous Eeg composition "Don't Be So Blue," was originally recorded on her album of the same name from Red Dot Records released in 2010. It just kills at how much emotion this woman can project. The band on that album included Christoffersen on piano, the talented bassist Morten Ramsbøl, and the drummer Morten Lund. This new album's version maybe missing some of the trio's beautifully textured accompaniment from the 2010 recording, but her voice is just as powerfully evocative and emotive. Christoffersen's piano work is lush and moving and his accompaniment with Eeg is superb. These two make beautiful music. Need I say more, what on earth are you waiting for?

Larry Goldings and his Piano Trio Live at Sam First : "I Will"

Larry Goldings and his trio : I Will: Live at Sam First: Sam First Records

The musician Larry Goldings recorded a piano trio performance when he played at the Los Angeles Club, Sam First , back in October of 2023. The Album, I Will, was released by Sam First Records on Valentine's Day February 14, 2025 and features Goldings on piano, Karl McComas-Reichl on upright bass and Christian Euan on drums. This "live" album was excellently recorded and a superb capture of Goldings at some of his most creative on piano. Careful listening of his piano work make clear that Goldings, despite his reign as one of the time's most revered player of electronic keyboards and particularly the B3 organ, is also one of the most eclectically inspired and harmonically imaginative piano minds of this era.

Larry Goldings, Karl McComas-Reichl, Christian Euman (photo credit unknown)  

Interestingly, I last heard Larry Goldings within days of his recording of this album in Los Angeles back in October of 2023. In the performance I attended at Portland's 1905 jazz club, Goldings was on organ and playing with his excellent  long-time organ trio mates Peter Bernstein on guitar and Bill Stewart on drums. The show was fantastic and for those who have an interest you can read that review by clicking here.

Goldings' has a sterling reputation as an innovative organ and keyboard master who has worked with such diverse artists as Rickie Lee Jones, Maceo Parker, James Taylor, Norah Jones, John Scofield and Steely Dan to name just a few. He developed his fascination with the organ from his additional interest in playing a walking, left-handed piano bass line, vis-à-vis his influence from the pianist Dave McKenna- with the man's facility to left-hand walking bass like no other.

I am familiar with Goldings' solo piano work from his excellent piano solo album from 2011, In My Room. Goldings' unique ability to mine such expressiveness from slightly obscure gems like Brian Wilson's beautifully reflective "In My Room," Rod Argent from the Zombie's haunting "A Rose for Emily," and even the well worn Beatles' "Here, There and Everywhere" among others are fertile material for the pianist to open up other musical revitalizing possibilities.

On I Will, Goldings has brought together another astute selection of songs that reinforce the artists eclectic taste in music. The album starts off with his own composition "Roach," which he reprised from his previous solo album In My Room. The song is a homage of sorts to the style of drummer icon Max Roach. In comparing the two versions, one can hear Goldings predominant left handed bass line that drives the song in the original recording. In the latest take, Goldings reintroduces this slightly skewed bluesy composition and opens with that groove, this time accentuated by what sounds like some creative abrasion of the cymbal rim by Euman for percussive effect. Goldings pianistic walking bas line is now reinforced by McComas-Reichl's probing upright bass and Euman's exploring percussion. The freedom of having this intuitive rhythm section carry the groove load seems to release the inventive Goldings to his own devices. He adds more dissonant surprises, adds interesting harmonic possibilities to his playing and adds rhythmic variations to spice things up. This version adds interesting embellishments by Goldings and creative accompaniment by his talented bandmates that make the set more adventurous, unpredictable and rewarding.

Goldings' chosen repertoire for this album is another peek into just how diverse this man's musical background has been, He takes Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So" from the famous folk-opera "Porgy and Bess," and he and his trio use the melody almost like an artist uses a pencil sketch on empty canvas that is transformed into a colorful masterpiece. These guys have a symbiotic relationship and it is most clearly demonstrated on this particular performance. The communication is almost telepathic and the trio injects a modern perspective and some vital energy into this weathered classic. Goldings' Shearing-like block chording and his musical humor at the coda is a treat.

The Beatles' compositions, in this case a McCartney tune, "I Will", are often vehicles that Goldings uses to see what can be further crafted. On this one, the pianist almost broods over the fetching melody. He extracts meaning from the essence of the love song's message, always being there for someone. His piano bobs and weaves around the melody as his is conversationally accompanied by the buoyant bass of  McComas-Reichl. 

The repertoire continues to throw you a curve ball, this time with Mario Bausa's "Mambo Inn." Opening this one with Euman's syncopated drum work, the group creates a breezy flow that immediately brings your feet into the action as the Afro-Cuban rhythm unfolds. There is a joy in the pianist's hands and it is pure delight. Bassist  McComas-Reichl offers a plucky, facile bass solo that resonates with authority. Euman is equally rhythmically engaged in creating this musical vacation to the tropics. Grab an umbrella drink and enjoy.

"Embraceable You," another number from Gershwin, is a song that Goldings reprised from his Awareness album released in 1996. That album matched Goldings on piano with bassist Larry Grenadier and the iconic drum legend Paul Motian. On this latest take, Goldings meanders at the intro, probing, establishing  direction and determining the right time before introducing the recognizable melody. McComas-Reichl and Euman find equal time to explore the rhythmic and harmonic possibilities along with Larry, a little outside but never too far from the structure of the music. Goldings' pianistic approach is like a wellspring of variations that he creates on stage and in real time and he has the chops to pull off anything that his mind can percolate. His music has an inherently organic feel to it, and his audience at Sam First were rewarded by his unfettered imagination.

"Jasus Was A Cross Maker" is a composition by singer/songwriter Judee Sill from back in 1971. The song was inspired by Sill having read a fictionized novel about Jesus being a carpenter who built crosses that the Roman's used for crucifixions. Despite the preposterous storyline the music has an Americana feel to it with Goldings using a honky-tonk-like piano approach that delves into a gospel influenced sound to great effect. McComas-Reichl offers an inventive bass solo that seems to support the redemptive aspects of the music.

Goldings preferences on music can sometimes include his love of pop and showtime music. On Leonard Bernstein's uplifting "Somewhere" from the maestro's musical hit West Side Story is wonderfully portrayed by the trio. There is pathos and hope in this music. Goldings mines the emotional aspects of this fetching tale with some gorgeous ornamentation and dramatic chordal work in his playing.

The closing composition is a Goldings' original titled "Sing Song." The music has a repeating, simple, sing-song melody that evokes a child-like fairy tale theme quality. But Goldings is also a humorist, just ask his alter-ego "Hans Groiner," an Austrian musicologist that sometimes raises his head at some of Goldings' appearances. The approach to this music is a bit misleading. Like the master of hip humor Thelonious Monk, who used to add his tongue-in-cheek lines to songs like his "Boo Boo's Birthday" or his "Little Rootie Tootie," Goldings is equally adept at inserting humorous lines into complex musical compositions. First with the repeating, simple melody, then he slowly reveals his skills as he builds a dynamic, multi-layered composition that is anything but pedestrian. The audience loves being let in on this inside joke.

I Will is the kind of album that really engages the listener. If you spend the time to really listen, you will be rewarded on multiple levels by the magical pianist's incredible inventiveness and joy.