Jazz Pianist Bobo Stenson's Gorgeous New ECM Album: Indicum

“Bobo” Stenson isn’t a household name among jazz pianists the likes of Dave Brubeck, Keith Jarrett, or Ahmad Jamal, but he ranks up there right at the top among jazz piano aficionados. He cut his teeth as a kid in his native Sweden, playing alongside Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Gary Burton, and Don Cherry.

Later, the redoubtable sufi mystic reedman Charles Lloyd also chose him for his quartet, following the earlier pianistic DNA of Jarrett, Michel Petrucciani, and other keyboard wizards.

Indicum is Bobo’s latest album on ECM, a follow-up to his much lauded Cantando from 2008. Once again, he is joined here by Anders Jormin on bass and Jon Fält on drums. Indicum doesn’t disappoint and delivers that same level of artistry we’d expect from before. Featuring works like Bill Evans’ “Your Story,” it’s one of those special albums you can enjoy from start to finish, which is not always a given. I can’t recommend this graceful, lambent music enough.

Here he is playing an original called “Olivia” from 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YgwTxRjk4g

A stunning version of the moving Mercedes Sosa classic “Alfonsina y el Mar,” also from 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKrTzvf6La8