Lingering phrases . . .
John W. Dunner | Atco, NJ United States | 10/16/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Occasional pianist with Norwegian jazz singer Rebekka Bakken, Julia Hulsmann leads this trio outing of melancholy impressionism perfect for autumn shorelines. The crowds are gone, reflected in Hulsmann's spare keyboard lines, warmed by Marc Muellbauer's sunny double-bass counterpoint and Heinrich Kobberling's feathery, Norse-code percussion. Opening with the title track's probing, tentative tracings, the album grows further on, reaching the high noon beach dance of "Gelb." The one cover, Seal's "Kiss from a Rose," is a standout, as Hulsmann draws out the song into lingering phrases, receding waves, greying memories."