Uffe Steen Trio & Vestbo Trio on Music, Recording and Listening

Leaving room for the unexpected

The music has a clear framework, but it is never completely fixed. There is a clear plan for the concert, while leaving certain sections open to interpretation and improvisation.

“We like having a framework, but you never quite know what is going to happen. There are places in the songs where there are 'elastic bands', so the music can move in all sorts of directions.”

That approach reflects the different musical backgrounds within the group. Vestbo comes from a background that includes pop and rock, while Steen and his trio have deeper roots in jazz and improvisation. Rather than trying to eliminate those differences, the musicians allow them to shape the music.

For the audience, it means that a concert can develop in unexpected ways. A musician might suddenly stop playing, an introduction might change, or a rhythmic pattern might take the music somewhere entirely different.

“The coolest thing is when something unexpected happens, because then everyone remembers it. You can create a completely unique evening.”

It is also one reason Vestbo enjoys touring with the band. The aim is not simply to reproduce the same performance night after night, but to remain open to what happens in the moment.

Capturing the music as it really sounds

That same philosophy shaped the recording of 3+3=10. Instead of recording the six musicians separately in a conventional studio environment, the band returned to Fermaten in Herning, Denmark, where they could use the empty concert hall during the day.

The musicians set up on the floor rather than on the stage, arranging themselves in a circle and playing together while microphones captured the performance.

In many ways, the process resembled a rehearsal rather than a traditional recording session.

“We realised that a normal recording studio didn’t really work for this band. We just need to play, and then someone needs to capture what happens.”

The album was recorded over two days, with the finished record created from the best takes. There were no overdubs or corrections added afterwards.

“It is simply how the band sounds.”

For Vestbo, this way of working is closely connected to the character of the music. The musicians are not trying to create a perfect studio construction; they are trying to preserve the feeling of six people playing together in the same space.

When the room becomes part of the recording

That approach also shapes Vestbo's understanding of authentic sound. For him, authenticity is not necessarily about technical perfection. It is about whether the recording retains something of the original musical experience.

“When I think about authenticity, it is the way the music is captured. It is not so much about the sound quality itself. It is about how the performance is recorded.”

Instead of making every instrument sound completely isolated, the recording allows the acoustic environment to become part of the experience. Ambient microphones capture the character of the room, along with the subtle sounds that naturally occur when musicians play together.

“You can hear the room, and you can hear little things, perhaps a chair creaking. That is also authenticity to me. You can actually sense what kind of room the music was recorded in.”

For an instrumental band, this sense of space is particularly important. There is no vocalist carrying the narrative. The instruments have to communicate the melody, emotion, dynamics and interaction themselves.

“We need all those other nuances because the instruments are the ones telling the story.”

Good sound is about getting closer to the music

Vestbo's interest in recording quality also extends to the way music is experienced at home. Over the years, his connection with the Hi-Fi world, including through Peter Lyngdorf and DALI, has given him a greater appreciation of what happens when a recording is played back on a high-quality system.

For him, the connection between musicians and Hi-Fi enthusiasts is a natural one.

“We are all looking in from different sides, but we share the same thing: a love of music.”

The band's approach to production reflects that philosophy. The recordings are kept dynamic rather than heavily compressed, giving the music room to breathe and preserving the contrasts between quieter and more powerful passages.

“If you have a good system, you can really hear it and get something extra out of it. But even on an ordinary system, it still sounds good.”

When Vestbo listens to music himself, he tends to listen for the overall balance of the recording rather than focusing on individual technical details.

“The bass shouldn’t be booming, and the top end shouldn’t become too sharp. It is always about balance.”

For him, good sound is ultimately there to serve the music. The better the recording and playback system allow the original performance to come through, the more opportunity there is for the listener to become immersed in it.

Dance Hall no. 7 - Live at Fermaten, Herning, Denmark