2003 Record of the Year
 The
unwritten rules of year-end awards dictate that the presenter (that would be me) validate
his or her omniscience by returning to a disc he (or she) singled out earlier in the year,
validating his (or her) wisdom and judgment.
Satisfying as that is, I have to admit I really blew it
this year. I never even wrote about the record I've listened to most: Tord Gustavsen's Changing
Places [ECM 1824]. How could that be?
First, it was brought to my attention by the poet Richard
Lehnert, who was in the process of writing his "Record of the Month" review for Stereophile,
and, of course, I felt I could not take advantage of the Web's immediate responsiveness to
scoop his print-lagged lead time. Besides, Changing Places literally rendered me
speechless.
Almost a year later, it still does. Gustavsen, drummer
Jarle Vespestad, and bassist Harald Johnsen are all virtuosic, but what really impresses
me about their playing isn't the high level of skill they exhibit but rather the amount of
empathy they display. It's hard to believe Changing Places is a debut record -- it
sounds as though these guys have been playing together forever.
They aren't playing standards, either. All the songs on Changing
Places were written by Gustavsen and they're hummable, folk-like, and unforgettable.
There are precedents for debuts this satisfying, of course
-- two that come to mind are Keith Jarrett's and Pat Metheny's, which make them
once-every-20-years events.
So listen now -- it's going to be a long time before you
hear the likes of Changing Places.
...Wes Phillips
wes@onhifi.com
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