One Long String

One year after relocating to Stockholm, Sweden, Red Mitchell recruited pianist Bobo Stenson and drummer Rune Carlsson to record One Long String, a lyrical and vividly liberated effort that underscores just how dramatically the change of scenery impacted the bassist's musical approach. The album percolates with energy and daring, with an underlying soulfulness resulting from the rhythmic synergy uniting Mitchell and Carlsson, but it's nevertheless Stenson (Mitchell's co-writer on the original material) who commands the most attention, thanks to his precise yet far-ranging melodies. Indeed, few trio sessions are so robust or so intrepid. For all the mechanics at work throughout One Long String, the end result is a record that never loses focus or its sense of collaborative spirit.