Rruga

'The first Vallon trio was formed in 1999, but this current combination came together five years ago after shared experiences on their native Swiss jazz scene together. This is their ECM debut, and already expectations are running high for a trio that for at least two years now has been talked about in European circles as one of Europe's most promising bands. Rruga (meaning journey in Albanian) certainly suggests a group of considerable potential. They have a calculated understated style and an unhurried way of making a musical point not rushing to the music denouement but always selecting the most circuitous route, which speaks of a shared musical maturidty rare among younger players... Exposing musical meaning is all to this band and the means they use to achieve it is never less than fascinating. - JazzWise, March 2011 Rruga is the ECM debut of an exceptional group, bringing fresh energy and new ideas to the piano trio tradition. All three musicians are strong writers as well as original and subtle players. Produced by Manfred Eicher in the South of France (at Studios Ia Buissonne in Pernes-les-Fontaines), Rruga proposes a robust yet uncommonly sensitive music played by a young and well-travelled working band, with years of accumulated experience. This is a piano trio whose gifted leader is influenced, he says, more by singers than pianists, and the group 'sings' in its own unique way with an emphasis on melody, texture, shading, and dynamics.