The acclaimed Danish jazz trio Ginman Blachman Dahl — pianist Carsten Dahl, bassist Lennart Ginman, and drummer Thomas Blachman — return with Play Ballads, a luminous collection of fifteen jazz standards rendered in their uniquely reflective style. This is not merely another set of familiar tunes; it’s a masterclass in restraint, communication, and trust between three of Denmark’s most revered jazz artists.
From the first notes, the trio’s deep musical rapport is unmistakable. Every pause, every silence, and every breath is weighed with intention. Their collective voice feels as natural as conversation — three artists who have grown together over decades, finishing each other’s musical sentences. Play Ballads is both intimate and expansive, a reminder that true jazz mastery lies not in technical bravado, but in the courage to slow down and listen.
The album draws from the great American songbook, including timeless pieces such as Matt Dennis’ “Angel Eyes,” Vernon Duke’s “Autumn in New York,” Billy Strayhorn’s “Take the ‘A’ Train,” Thelonious Monk’s “Blue Monk,” and Duke Ellington’s “Satin Doll.” Yet, in the hands of Ginman Blachman Dahl, these classics become something entirely new. Each track is performed at deliberately slow tempos, inviting the listener to hear familiar melodies with fresh ears. The pace is unhurried, the phrasing deliberate, as if the trio were rediscovering the songs in real time.
Carsten Dahl’s piano leads the way with poetic sensitivity, his improvisations unfolding like quiet revelations. Lennart Ginman’s bass offers grounding, breathing space, and melody within melody, while Thomas Blachman’s drumming — spare, textured, and unintrusive — becomes an art of understatement. Together they create a sound world where silence is as expressive as sound, where every note feels inevitable.
The results are extraordinary. “Angel Eyes” emerges as a tender confession, its sparse chords and delicate pacing creating a sense of intimacy rarely heard in trio settings. “Gone With the Wind” carries a gentle melancholy, stripped of nostalgia and filled instead with graceful acceptance. “Autumn in New York” captures the wistfulness of the season itself — a meditation on change, beauty, and impermanence. Ellington’s “Things Ain’t What They Used To Be” is transformed into something quietly profound, a subtle statement on time and transformation that feels deeply personal.
Across the album, the trio’s interplay evokes the great tradition of jazz trios past — Evans, Haden, Motian — yet their sound is unmistakably their own. There’s no rush, no excess. Instead, each phrase is allowed to breathe, and what emerges is a music of patience, precision, and quiet power.
Their shared musical journey stretches back to the late 1980s, through collaborations with Page One, Thomas Agergaard, Claus Hempler, and countless others. Individually, they’ve each built illustrious careers: Dahl, one of Scandinavia’s most imaginative pianists; Ginman, a bassist with both technical brilliance and compositional elegance; and Blachman, a drummer and bandleader known for his rhythmic invention and fearless individuality. Together, they’ve explored both original compositions and jazz standards across multiple acclaimed recordings since 2004. Their collective experience with American greats such as Ed Thigpen, Joe Lovano, and Eddie Gomez has further shaped their artistry, enriching the depth and nuance they bring to every note.
Play Ballads feels like the culmination of all those years of dialogue — not an endpoint, but a distillation. The trio’s chemistry is effortless, their musical intuition so finely tuned that even the simplest gesture feels profound. The album reminds us that jazz, at its core, is about connection: between musicians, between silence and sound, between the familiar and the new.
With Play Ballads, Ginman Blachman Dahl invite listeners to slow down, breathe, and rediscover the beauty of the familiar. These fifteen tracks are less performances than conversations — intimate, unhurried, and deeply human. Every phrase speaks to the trio’s mastery, their mutual trust, and their shared understanding that sometimes the quietest moments carry the greatest weight.
Play Ballads is available now — a timeless addition to the modern jazz canon, and a profound reminder that true artistry is found not in what is played, but in how it is felt.
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