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MUSICIAN
October 2008
“The Light – Songs Of Love And Fair” (ECM) gets critical acclaim
both in Norway, Great Britain and in Germany. In the issue of
Gramophone, Richard Whitehouse writes: “Ketil Bjørnstad has
followed a distinctive creative course from classical piano
prodigy to jazz pianist and sui generis composer, while
not forgetting his success as a poet, lyricist and novelist.
They are attributes that puts one in mind of a latter-day
Leonard Cohen, and the song-cycles on this disc are redolent of
the Canadian master in their fastidious alignment between words
and music … listening of the deepest, most thought-provoking
kind.” In Jazzwise, Stuart Nicholson writes that “Bjørnstad
creates an album of wonderfully understated passions … Once
again his melodies allow the voice to invest each word with
rich, personal meaning in an album that, like so much of
Bjørnstad’s work, can not be easily set aside.” Ray Comiskey of
Irish Times writes that the album is “gorgeous”, and in
Norwegian DN, Trond Jensen compares the music of KB with Gorecki
and writes: “Always beautiful. And, at the same time,
reliefingly abstract.”
Together with the Swedish cello-player Svante Henryson, KB is
expected to record a new album for ECM in January 2009. The two
musicians worked together on KBs “Seafarer’s Song” (Universal
2004) and have also given a recital at the Bath Festival.
24 November 2008
The live-recording of “Coastlines” with Lill Lindfors (Canal
Street, Arendal 2007) will be released on Grappa (Norwegian ECM-distributors).
A one-cd excerpt of KBs tripple-album “Rainbow Sessions” will be
released by EmArcy/Universal in 2009. The limited edition of the
tripple-box is sold out.
EmArcy label in November 2006. The soundtrack is
Life in Leipzig (KB and Terje Rypdal) and is very well received,
getting 5 stars in many major newspapers. Mode Steinkjær in
Dagsavisen calls the recording a "first-rate" album,
"challenging, exciting, playful and sincere." Dagbladet’s Terje
Mosnes calls Terje Rypdal and KB "two of the most characteristic
voices in contemporary music".
He also writes that the concert-cd is "one of the most ecstatic
celebrations of melody and inspired romantic expressiveness ever
made." In Bergens Tidende, Hanne Farestvedt writes: "Intensely
beautiful".
May 2008
The album "The Light - Songs of Love and Fear", with KB, Randi
Stene and Lars Anders Tomter, was released by ECM. The album is
produced by Manfred Eicher.
February/March 2008
ECM released a live-recording from Leipziger Jazztage 2005. KB
plays together with guitarist Terje Rypdal.
KB’s album "Devotions" (EmArcy) was very well received in
European newspapers and jazz-magazines. Rolf Thomas in German
Jazzthetic says it is a timeless album where everything is in
tune. Terje Mosnes in Norwegian Dagbladet gives it 5 stars and
calls it "a tribute to the melodic narration" and Olav Gorseth
in Bergens Tidende also giving it 5 stars, calling it "elegant,
melodic and poetic jazz".
February 2007
Ketil Bjørnstad recorded "The Light" (texts by John Donne) and
"Four Nordic Songs" (texts by KB), written by KB for Randi Stene
(mezzo soprano) and Lars Anders Tomter (viola) in Rainbow
Studio. The trio's first album together with "The Shadow” was a
big success on the KKV-label in 1990.
The triple-album "Rainbow Sessions", where KB plays solo piano,
was sold out immediately after the limited release of the box
set in January/February 2007, and got excellent reviews from
many countries. In Norway, jazz-critics Terje Mosnes (Dagbladet)
and Tor Hammerø (Nettavisen) both gave it 5 stars, together with
a very enthusiastic review by Johan Hauknes in the Norwegian
Jazznytt-magazine, comparing KB's music with Erik Satie. A
1-cd-version of the sessions is considered.
Ketil Bjørnstad’s new EmArcy-album "Devotions" was recorded in
Rainbow Studio in January 2007, with Wolfgang Puschnig on sax,
clarinet and flutes, Arild Andersen on double bass, Alex Riel on
drums and KB on piano. The album was released in 2007, starting
with Italy, Austria and the Netherlands in the spring, and
Germany, England, Norway, Asia, etc in the fall. The quartet
will perform at the North Sea festival in Rotterdam 14 July 2007
Ketil Bjørnstad’s triple-cd-box Rainbow Sessions is
released by Universal as a tribute to the Rainbow Studio in Oslo
and is also Bjørnstad’s first solo piano-recording since The
Rosenborg Tapes from 1998.
Autumn 2006
The sountrack to the film S@motnosc W Sieci, with music
by Bugge Wesseltoft and Ketil Bjørnstad, has been several weeks
at the top 10-chart in Poland.
Ketil Bjørnstad has delivered most of the music to Witold
Adameks film Loneliness In the Net (S@motnosc w Sieci)
based on the bestseller by Janusza L. Wisniewskiego. On the
soundtrack-cd from the film (Universal Music), he appeared
together with Bugge Wesseltoft.
3 March 2006
Ketil Bjørnstad's youth opera IZZAT had it's premiere at
Den norske Opera (The Norwegian Opera). The libretto is written
by the Norwegian poet Gro Dahle. All musical arrangements by
Svein Dag Hauge (LAVA). Director: Terje Hartvigsen.
2005
Ketil Bjørnstad is getting excellent reviews for his trio-album
FLOATING. Mojo calls it “a beauty” . Jazzwise
says it is one of KB’s best albums ever. Adresseavisen
calls it the best cd of the year.
September 2005
KETIL BJØRNSTADs latest recording FLOATING was released on
EmArcy (Universal) 12 September in Norway, and later this autumn
in other countries - featuring Palle Danielsson on double bass
and Marilyn Mazur on drums & percussion. He was touring in
Norway in September 2005 - Sortland 15, Trondheim 16 and Oslo 17
Alex Riel will play instead of Marilyn Mazur on that tour.
February 2005
KETIL BJØRNSTADs album "Before The Light" (November Music,
Taiwan) was re-released by EmArcy/Universal
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