EHE / Erland Helbø Trio – Close To Nothing (Losen Records, 2025)
EHE’s Close To Nothing feels like a night drive across two continents at once: Norwegian frost on the windshield, American freeway lights ahead. The trio shapes jazz-rock, jazz-funk, and blues into a focused, melodic engine, with clear nods to Pat Metheny that color the journey.
Bandleader Erland Helbø brings the authority of a musician who lives onstage, roughly 200 shows a year, in rooms big and small.
Bassist Frode Ågedal Berg is a fixture on double bass with the Oslo Philharmonic and a seasoned improviser across styles. He skillfully moves from deep, grounded support to inventive lyrical statements.
Drummer Erik Smith is a first-call session and touring player since his teens. He brings the seasoned authority of a studio veteran and the spark of a live catalyst.
Guest Knut Løchsen slips onto three pieces with keyboards and synths that widen the horizon.
The record’s center of gravity sits in interplay. Grooves lock without stiffness, melodies sing without sentimentality, and the solos converse rather than compete. Metheny’s shadow appears in the lyricism and glide, yet the trio’s personality speaks through phrasing and dynamics.
Helbø has been described as a missing link between Norway’s fusion lineage and an American approach to feel and flow. The album backs that up.
Buy Close To Nothing.