Thomas Strønen

Time is a blind guide, perhaps, but time will tell us if projects like this one by Norwegian drummer Thomas Strønen succeed in breaking through the boundaries that restrict some music and musicians to certain cycles and spaces. Time will tell, of course, but Time Is A Blind Guide can be performed by either string trio or by a conventional jazz trio. The latter opens the doors to the world of jazz, while the former (I’m not so sure about this) those of chamber music. In fact, I have my doubts about jazz too, as Strønen’s approach is unlike what many would understand as jazz. There is certainly improvisation. Indeed, Strønen proposes that the compositions should merely be guidelines and that the musicians should play “whatever seems right to them”. This clearly goes against the conventions of chamber music. The dilemma can be easily resolved: take your seat, open your ears wide and let yourself be carried away by this essentially beautiful music. And what is beauty? We’ll talk on the way out.