Radio Planet 3
by Cliff Furnald
There's a seemingly endless supply of new music pouring out of Europe these days, and the creative factor does not seem to be suffering from the excess supply. In fact, if anything, the competition and cooperation among these musicians is generating excellent new music at every turn.

Bäsk is something of a supergroup for Sweden's new folk scene. This trio, featuring Jonas Simonson on flutes, Sten Kallman on saxes and percussion, and Hans Kennemark on fiddle, have collectively been in the vanguard of this current wave of innovation, working with bands like Filarfolket, Den Fule, and Groupa and in collaborations with artists like Ale Möller and Niss Kerstin.

Bäsk [Northside (U.S.)/ Xource (Sweden)] is a very straightforward set of tunes, both traditional and original, presented pretty much live and acoustic. Each musician has the chance to explore not only the rhythm and melody of their instruments, but also their essential sound as they interact. There is a spaciousness to this recording that allows each stroke of the string, each channel of breath, each strike of hand on skin to stand out and matter.

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