Here’s a look at a new album in prospect from violinist Adam Bałdych and the Helge Lien trio on their upcoming album Bridges.

Bałdych sits in the tradition of Polish jazz violin identified with Michał Urbaniak and Krzesimir Dębski but above all Zbigniew Seifert.

Switching label from long time label Ozella to ACT Records on this new album, Norwegian pianist Lien, last we heard on the oddly titled Badgers and Other Beings, was making a few changes chiefly bringing in new drummer Per Oddar Johansen (Close Erase, Trygve Seim) who’s back with him again here plus longstanding bassist Frode Berg. With nods to Jan Johansson and Brad Mehldau in his bag of influences Lien belongs in the top rank of new generation European jazz pianists up there with Michael Wollny, Iiro Rantala, Marcin Wasilewski and Ivo Neame.

The new record, to be released in Germany in late-August and the UK in mid-September includes the Bałdych & Lien title track and a version of ‘Teardrop’ by Massive Attack also interpreted in recent years highly effectively by both Mehldau and Robert Mitchell.