Now we know: the word ‘Eigengrau’ describes a state of darkness behind closed eyes. At least that is the explanation that Vincent Meissner provides for the title of his new trio album. Not quite dark, not quite light, and driven by introspection. Or their front door?

Well, that's one thing about introspection. You never really know what you're going to see. And certainly not with others. And that in turn makes it difficult to follow the introspective of a third party, especially when they use the language of music. So it might not be so easy to grasp the music on Meissner's third album in its entirety, because, as the label lets us know, it is characterized by looking inwards, by reflecting on experiences and encounters that were significant for him.

Now the inclined expedition participant could refer to the names of the pieces, but whether Supernumb is not a little too comprehensive, Oknok a little too vague in the possible classification between IT jargon, company group and other offers of relevant search engines and Manja a little too personally unknown, we will leave it at that.

However, we will not leave the listening impression to one side. And that is - how shall I put it? - wow! The young trio dares to do something, and they do it skillfully. The playing is captivating, technically excellent and musically convincing. The titles bear witness to the evolution of familiar forms and oscillate charmingly between tradition and daring.

As a counterbalance, the musicians present the Sinéad O'Connor hit Nothing Compares 2 You, composed by Prince, and Separator by Radiohead, two pop songs in jazz guise. This is exciting in that the pieces are quieter than their originals and, as there are no vocals, the jazz elements and jazz mood are more evident.

And the recording? Producer Andreas Brandis has given himself a gift. Piano (Meissner), bass (Josef Zeimetz) and drums (Henri Reichmann) are very carefully leveled and seductively authentic. They are placed on stage in a clobber manner and allow the interaction to be experienced remotely as if the dialog were taking place directly in the listening room. The frequency response is wonderfully balanced and the dynamics are finely chiseled.

This combination of fine sound and good feel makes Eigengrau one of those jazz albums that you wish there were more of. More courage to take traditions as building blocks. And more quality beyond the familiar and saleable (yes, this also exists in jazz!). Although the ACT Music label is not so endangered.

Eigengrau is worth a recommendation - it's a bit peculiar and by no means gray. (Thomas Semmler, HighResMac)

Vincent Meissner Trio