Espen Berg Trio

They have toured Europe, Japan, China, and India, played sold-out concerts at Ronnie Scott’s in London and concert halls in Tokyo, Guangzhou, and Athens, and have been described by the British Jazz Journal as ‘one of the best trios in existence today.’ With four critically acclaimed albums behind them, the trio has continuously challenged and reinvented itself through a unique combination of complex rhythms, deep harmonic understanding, strong melodies, and intense, playful interplay. On May 5th, their fifth album—Entropies—will be released by the Svale record label.

Entropies explores the tension between order and chaos – the planned and the instinctive. Berg has written a wealth of powerful melodies but also challenges expectations with spontaneously composed tracks and polymetric structures that keep both the trio and the listeners on the edge of their seats. Some of the tracks features contributions from exceptional musicians: Flavia Huarachi (flute), Joakim Munkner (cello), and Nils Olav Johansen (guitar, vocals), but the trio also stands firm as a rock on its own with Berg’s newly written compositions, as well as their contemporary interpretation of the Sting classic, ‘Russians.’ Comparisons can be made to the music of Craig Taborn, Brad Mehldau, Keith Jarrett, and Nik Bärtsch, but Entropies primarily carries a clear and personal imprint: an organic interplay where precision and freedom exist side by side, and where the music constantly feels in motion.

Espen Berg was described as a ‘true piano master’ by All About Jazz as early as his debut album Noctilucent (2012). His latest solo release, The Kempen Concert (2025), was hailed as ‘one of the most important piano recordings ever’ by German radio listeners. Berg was named the Sparebank1 SMN Jazz Fellow at Moldejazz in 2016 and an official Steinway Artist in 2023, and is active in a range of collaborations.

With Entropies, the Espen Berg Trio confirms its position as one of the strongest voices on the Norwegian jazz scene today—uncompromising, vital, and constantly evolving.