Improvisation has long been a central part of Manfred Eicher’s celebrated artistic vision for his unique record label ECM which has focused on jazz and contemporary classical music. And one of his most successful releases lays in Officium, a pioneering disc which brought together early vocal polyphony from the Hilliard Ensemble with the improvisation of jazz saxophonist, Jan Garbarek. Here was a form of fusion that appealed very much to contemporary listening tastes around two decades ago, one which appealed equally to the new ager who sought something meditative, and jazz and early music fans alike. And it was this venture which no doubt inspired this collaboration between the Oslo-based Trio Mediaeval and trumpeter Arve Henriksen.

Trio Mediaeval. Photo © Ingvil Skeie Ljones

Performed to a packed house at the Catholic cathedral, St Francis Xavier, this brilliant quartet presented their 2017 release, Rímur along with a few other selections. Like Garbarek, trumpeter Arve Henriksen has created a new sound world for his instrument, forsaking the more familiar burnished, ‘brassy’ tone for one which was much more gentle and flute or reed-like. The influence of Miles Davis’ muted tone on Sketches of Spain was...