Emil Brandqvist Trio - Poems for Travellers (2025) [Hi-Res]

The Emil Brandqvist Trio plays in the top league of European piano jazz formations. After reaching No. 2 on the German Jazz Charts with their last album and receiving a special award in 2024 for 50 million streams of their successful pieces—a milestone rarely achieved in the instrumental jazz genre—their brand-new project is sure to win over their ever-growing fan base.

For the first time, the three Scandinavians have opted not to include guest musicians, instead recording their signature mix of striking melodies and highly complex arrangements solely as a trio in the studio. All three band members contribute as composers. The opening track, the gripping "A Visit To Reality," immediately signals that this time, the trio itself is at the center of attention, with all three musicians taking on solo roles. Drummer Emil Brandqvist does not hold back on the catchy melodies for which the Gothenburg native is so highly regarded—one example being the touching ballad "Endless Like The Sea."

Tuomas A. Turunen is also in top form, with his shimmering piano runs refining his own composition "Shades Of Leaving." He is also responsible for the song "Run Away." The Finnish pianist further takes the spotlight with a solo piano piece, the classically inspired "Interlude No.2" by Emil Brandqvist. Max Thornberg has the honor of closing the album with his composition, the heartfelt ballad "Evening Land." "Poems For Travellers" marks another highlight in the over ten-year-long success story of this Scandinavian trio.