Terje Rypdal - Miroslav Vitous - Jack deJohnette

When this multinational modern jazz supergroup came together to record an album for ECM, Norwegian guitarist Terje Rypdal and U.S. drummer Jack DeJohnette had each released an excellent string of records under their own names for the label and were well aligned with the airy, impressionistic ECM aesthetic. Czech bassist Miroslav Vitous (a founder of Weather Report prior to his solo career) came from more of a fusion background, but the three meshed perfectly on this session. Amid the ethereal, almost ambient textures lies a gently surging, searching feel, as the trio swoops and glides with improvisatory grace. Rypdal consistently defies convention, making his axe sound like anything but a guitar, whether he's setting up sparkling, synthesizer-like arpeggios or floating through the tunes with a violin-like tone. Vitous's basslines alternately swell and rumble, playing musical tag with Rypdal instead of simply supplying support. And DeJohnette applies so many tonal colors in his artful approach that he defies you to consider his drums anything but a melodic instrument.