At the heart of the New Melodic, Tingvall trio are to make their Ronnie Scott’s debut in August. Swedish pianist Martin Tingvall, based like Cuban bassist Omar Rodriguez Calvo and German drummer Jürgen Spiegel in Hamburg, is from the southern Swedish province of Skåne and studied jazz piano and composition at the Malmö Academy of Music moving to Hamburg in 1999 and founding the trio four years later. Tingvall writes the songs, which have an anthemic nuanced feel, and the band is frequently compared to EST. Spiegel, the oldest of the group has a background in rock and African music, while Calvo two years younger has a wonderful ringing tone in the tradition of the late great Orlando ‘Cachaíto’ López tempered with the European sound of say Palle Danielsson. The trio have a contrapuntal style that draws out imaginative themes, but retains a sense of drama despite the accessibility, and features some real improvising, with an obvious unforced band empathy throughout. Their album In Concert last year, their debut live album, featured ‘Mustasch’ and ‘Trolldans-Monster’, tunes the band played in London at their Pizza Express Jazz Club debut two years ago, little folk-y touches recalling Jan Johansson the patron saint of Swedish jazz piano.

Tingvall appear as part of the club’s tasty international piano trio festival that runs from 4-10 August. Topping the bill is the great Joe Sample, with Jacky Terrasson, Jason Rebello, Phronesis, Harold Lopez-Nussa, Jason Rebello, James Pearson, Reuben James, Peter Edwards, Janette Mason, and Gareth Williams also appearing.

Above: a live version of the title track of Tingvall trio’s brand new album Beat due out on Skip Records later this summer. The trio recorded the album in acclaimed engineer Stefano Amerio’s studio Artesuono near Udine in Italy and is the trio’s fifth studio affair.

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