In 1984, the mighty Norwegian horn player Frode Gjerstad formed the Circulasione Totale Orchestra, which became a veritable training ground for the Norwegian free-jazz scene, as well as a home for an impressive range of international musicians, including Sabir Mateen and Bobby Bradford. Then in 1998, Gjerstad felt the need to pare things down, so he took the core of the Orchestra and formed the Frode Gjerstad Trio, with Paal Nilssen-Love on drums and �yvind Storesund on bass. Now 16 years and 8 releases later, the group is still going strong, although these days the bass chair is filled by Jon Rune Str�m. The thankfully ubiquitous Nilssen-Love has been playing with Gjerstad since he was 15 years old, and Str�m is fast becoming one of the most in-demand young bassists on the free scene, making this a three-generational group overflowing with experience and energy.

The 6 tracks on East of West come in all shapes and sizes, but no matter the container, the music always satisfies. Gems include the 10-minute "Summersault," and indeed it's a wild ride as Gjerstad's angular, searching lines travel into some rough and raw places, full of screeches and scrapes and all manner of bold insistence. There's such great power throughout this tune, a propulsion fueled by the trio's interlocking imagination and inventiveness. The song also features a beautiful ending, with the last minutes drifting into an airy dance of cymbal pulses by Nilssen-Love, sonorous plucks by Str�m, and floating lines by Gjerstad. The 7-minute "Letters" is a questing piece, full of emotional exploration and no-holds-barred honesty. Again Gjerstad astonishes with his lines, which manage to be fluid and melodic while cutting the ears with tiny shards of sonic glass. The by-ways and minutiae of his creations are truly wondrous and a joy to follow, if you dare. The two short pieces are both outstanding: "Dead Bird's Nest" is haunting and spacious, with fluttering notes that do in fact resemble a bird, and the impressionistic "East of West" is evocative as a haiku. Str�m really shines on this song with his elegant bowing, and Nilssen-Love displays his unerring gift for watertight accenting.

Altogether East of West is wild and tasteful and gorgeous, replete with compelling sounds and surprising adventures. The trio doesn't opt for easy answers, and they never present a solution where there is none. Instead they strive for uncompromising honesty, making this music fantastically human and a journey well worth taking.