Three European jazz greats united at Château Palmer

Le Calme au Château...There’s no better way to put it… Recorded not in a studio, but in a wood-panelled salon in a secluded corner of the Bordeaux wine region, the second collaboration between ACT Music and Château Palmer brings together Lars Danielsson with long-time collaborator John Parricelli and Finnish trumpeter Verneri Pohjola for an album entitled simply ‘TRIO’. With a delicately light sound and perfectly balanced acoustics, this oasis of calm along the Route des Châteaux was not just the ideal location but perhaps the perfect metaphor for the music produced by three master craftsmen who blend tradition with experimentation. Lars Danielsson was tasked with creating this second episode in the partnership between ACT and Château Palmer. Following the inaugural duet of Michael Wollny and Joachim Kühn, he saw it as “an opportunity to propose a new formula, something new, to experiment with a new combination of instruments, new compositions, a new dimension.” The inclusion of guitarist John Parricelli was an easy choice: “We’ve known each other for a long time. I feel safe with him” - a vintage partnership, if you will. When ACT suggested Verneri Pohjola to complete the trio, Lars Danielsson jumped at the idea of adding the Finnish trumpeter’s velvet tone to the mix.

In many respects, the principle of ‘beauty through simplicity’ characterises the album. Lars remembers: “Just before we met up at Château Palmer, I had a big concert in Luxembourg that took up all my attention. It was after that when I put this series of melodies down on paper. I know myself—I’m at my best when I’m in a hurry,” laughs the double bassist, leader, and composer. “It wasn’t predetermined, but I found myself drawn to the ‘song’ format. Hence the need for a voice, like Verneri’s trumpet, and also brevity—a deliberate choice. We didn’t need everyone to have a solo on every track but rather to concentrate on the essence of the melody. This helped us maintain a natural collective flow, a common momentum. There’s a real belief here that beauty can come from simplicity.”

Recorded in late May and early June, another set of artisans was hard at work just outside, where the grapes were beginning to take shape and the flowers were appearing - another cycle of vines at a château with a proud history and passion for handing down a fine craft. With no sheet music, no screens, and, for the bandleader and bassist, not even headphones, the music truly captures the spirit and joy of a collective sound, with each piece allowed to unfold naturally. “Just as you don’t have to drink the whole bottle to appreciate a wine, I don’t think you have to reveal everything for music to be appreciated. The compositions generate their own dynamic. I didn’t need to give Verneri and John any instructions. I preferred that everyone feel free within the proposed framework.”

The carefully crafted songs not only champion the spirit of collaboration, but pay tribute to their French hosts too. There’s ‘Étude bleue’, a guitar ostinato “with a blue feeling”. The almost abstract ‘L'Époque’ references Debussy’s Syrinx for solo flute. Verneri Pohjola offers up ‘Peu d'amour’, while John Parricelli’s ‘Lacour’ is inspired by Olivier Messiaen. Three covers, including a fascinating rendition of Ellington’s ‘Mood Indigo’, only serve to highlight the deep sense of jazz tradition that runs throughout.

The result is a celebration of the senses, in much the same way a tasting at Château Palmer is. You can almost smell the wood of the double bass, touch the valves of the trumpet, feel the early summer sun shining through the windows, and, of course, taste the wine, which forms an inseparable partner to the recording. Finally, the album reaches its twelfth and final track. Unfolding like the end of the harvest, it feels less like a conclusion and more like a new beginning—a reminder that both the music and the vines are constantly evolving, ready to be rediscovered with each passing season.