EH3 - Close To Nothing (2025) [Hi-Res]

The bedrock foundation is jazz-rock with a solid pointer to the American tradition, based on the blues, but with jazz’s expanded tonal language and harmonic richness. It is also not possible to escape the influence of soul, funk and classic rhythm & blues. As soon as you expand a basic scale or replace a couple of notes in a chord, you have included elements that point both into and out of the different genres. In the Norwegian jazz/rock guitar tradition, we also have people who have left their own mark on and further developed the tonal language. Terje Rypdal and Jon Eberson are natural to highlight, without Erland’s music being similar in any way.

The development of the genre has been great since it emerged in the late 60s. Guitarists in pop bands took increasingly greater liberties in the allotted time they had to perform more or less impressive solos. Heavier forms emerged, powerful amplifiers and effects became an important part of the soundscape and it was about breaking boundaries. Bands like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple were part of this, along with the Yardbirds and The Who. Jimi Hendrix showed everyone who was the boss and John McLaughlin went overseas and started playing with Miles Davis and Tony Williams Lifetime. In the early 70s, the time had come for influences from multiple genres, such as in the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Chick Corea´s Return To Forever. Here, the complexity of the music was jacked up many notches, and jazz-rock shared the stage and focus across previously separated genres. The largest festivals had headliners from both genres.

In today’s genre picture, there is a great breadth, from the highly experimental and sound-based to more disciplined form-based expressions with themes and rhythms that have much in common with traditional jazz forms with themes, chord patterns and improvisations over these. But rock goes hand in hand with the jazz form, with a sound image and intensity that kicks off life and dynamics.

Erland Helbø guitars
Frode Ågedal Berg bass
Erik Smith drums
Knut Løchsen keyboards, synth on three tracks
Brynjulf Blix hammond organ on one track