Ever since the 1920s, composers have tried combining jazz and classical music. At best, their efforts met with only moderate success. Then, suddenly and spontaneously, about 15 years ago, a new form of European jazz appeared, and there it was. Mare Nostrum is a perfect example of this new genre: music which is entirely European in sensibility, but could only be played by musicians intimate with the jazz idiom. There are three of them: Sardinian trumpeter Paolo Fresu, French accordionist Richard Galliano and Swedish pianist Jan Lundgren. They all have a flair for melody and a similar lightness of touch, which makes their combined sound both delicate and irresistible.
They compose most of their repertoire. Each piece is quite short, usually featuring individual solos and some superb interplay. Listen to Lundgren’s Love Land or Galliano’s Blues sur Seine, for examples. But so well do they know each other’s style that it’s often impossible to tell where composition leaves off and improvisation begins. Only musicians as good as this can play together with such simple clarity that your attention is held until the very last note dies away.
