The cold, wet snowy weather that accompanied the March 9 drive to the meetMUSIC concert was forgotten the moment the Joel Lyssarides Trio played the first notes. Joel Lyssarides on piano, bassist Niklas Fernqvist and drummer Rasmus Blixt captivated the 200 or so listeners from the very first moment. At first with astonishment, then with growing enthusiasm, they perceived the exquisite sense of tone color, subtle harmonies and lively phrasing in the playing of the three Swedish musicians, who were in constant dialogue with each other during the nearly two-hour concert. Together the trio moved through space and time, subtle, soulful, deeply relaxed and -relaxing. The lightness in their playing and the will to communicate with the audience transferred to the auditorium in an instant, creating an atmosphere of warmth and togetherness.
Sovereign, intense and with deep conviction the artists performed at their first gig in Germany. The different moods of the compositions were remarkable, sometimes wild and loose, sometimes gentle and quiet, and often changing quickly. But the endings of the pieces were very special: no drumbeat at the end, but always quiet and restrained, which the audience acknowledged with a smile and a sigh of relief. Standing ovations ended an evening that made audience and artists happy. Even non-designated jazz fans went home elated. The three Swedes expressed their gratitude for the great reception in Germany, which they had probably not expected.
