A very well-conceived and curated album project that brings together Wesseltoft’s collaborations with a variety of experimental trio combinations, plus one each of a solo performance and a duo performance. Despite the comings and goings of various personnel and the variety of approaches they bring, the album sustains an overall mood that frames both spontaneous interaction – the two tracks with Hovensjø and Christensen stand out – and those with an element of preplanning – Taalah, Olsen – which collectively over 10 tracks produces what used to be known as ‘the album experience’ before the era of single song downloads.

For many, of course, jazz has always been about the album experience, the ECM label the standout in this field; but in the age of self-produced albums this has often gone by the wayside. Not so on Am Are. With Wesseltoft mediating the ebb and flow of the music from keyboards (he is a natural leader) he’s created one of his best albums of recent times.