With “About Time”, Martin Salemi and his trio succeed in creating a work that is at the same time dense, compact and airy, while letting the music breathe and never seeming to force it.

His influences include Stefano Bollani and Diederik Wissels, as well as American “new wave” pianists such as Aaron Parks and Gerald Clayton, and the great masters Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau and Gonzalo Rubalcaba; all of this with a hint of ECM aesthetic. His many influences have not prevented Martin from creating his own unique identity: the pianist likes to wrong foot us, not to be where he is expected. This is what makes his music so varied and so very personal.

Memories and reminiscence are the themes of tracks like “Remembered” or “One Fine Day”, while the haunting groove of “Doubt” is a celebration of uncertainty; then slower pieces with lyrical melodies evoke the serenity and calm of deep waters. In the end, Martin Salemi leaves us on a high note with “Most of the Time”, a ballad without lyrics which, if it had any, would sing that most of the time, everything is fine…