Espen Eriksen Trio & Andy Sheppard

The Espen Eriksen Trio is a Norwegian jazz piano trio comprising pianist Eriksen, bassist Lars Tormod Jenset, and drummer Andreas Bye. Their sound emerges from Eriksen's lyrical, often limpid compositions that draw inspiration from folk and liturgical musics and jazz impressionism. Based on their first three albums, 2011's You Had Me at Goodbye, 2012's What Took You So Long, and 2015's Never Ending January, critical and aesthetic comparisons to E.S.T., the Necks, and the Tord Gustavsen Trio abounded. That said, none of these groups rely on lyric harmony to the extent Eriksen d...