Ketil Björnstad

In the spring of 2018, Ketil Bjornstad realized that it was only a scarce year before 50 years had passed since he debuted as a pianist with the Philharmonic in the University's Aula on January 10, 1969. On that day this year, the celebration of what is Bjornstad's year began. 2019 started with a nice new release of "Rainbow Sessions" in a limited 4cd-boxset. "The World I Used To Know" is recorded at one of the world's most famous studios - Abbey Road in London, more specifically in Studio Two where, among others, The Beatles recorded their material. The album is released not only on cd and double-vinyl, but also as a magnificent box consisting of five cd's. The box contains the recordings from Abbey Road, but also three cd's of music from his entire career with various guest vocalists, and one complete new album recorded at Rainbow Studio in Oslo.

Pianist Ketil Bjornstad interprets poems by critically accliamed author Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold's collection "Litt trist matematikk" and performs them together with the vocalist Eva Bjerga Haugen. Transforming poetry and other writings into music is an important part of musician, composer and writer Ketil Bjornstad's work. Most well-known among his works are the interpretations of Harry Martinsson, Knut Hamsun, John Donne and Edvard Munch. Earlier this year he released the critically acclaimed album, "A Suite of Poems" with Anneli Drecker on ECM, where poems by Lars Saabye Christensen was the source of inspiration.

For the first time in his rich and multifaceted career Bjørnstad give us an album with a classic piano-bass-drums trio constellation. It has Palle Danielsson generating his usual warm, earthy bass, and Marilyn Mazur on some varied and sympathetic percussion. Here we encounter melody and Bjørnstad in a new constellation and both thrive. Even though this is the first meeting between the three, there are large doses of empathy present and that they have a lot to talk about.

This CD from pianist Ketil Bjornstad fits the ECM stereotype. The music is generally mournful, full of space, floating and very much a soundtrack for one's thoughts. The 12 parts of "The Sea," which find Bjornstad joined by cellist David Darling, guitarist Terje Rypdal and drummer Jon Christensen, set somber moods rather than introduce memorable themes and the only real excitement is supplied by Rypdal's rockish guitar.

This CD from pianist Ketil Bjornstad fits the ECM stereotype. The music is generally mournful, full of space, floating and very much a soundtrack for one's thoughts. The 12 parts of "The Sea," which find Bjornstad joined by cellist David Darling, guitarist Terje Rypdal and drummer Jon Christensen, set somber moods rather than introduce memorable themes and the only real excitement is supplied by Rypdal's rockish guitar.

Pianist Ketil Bjørnstad's quartet set with cellist David Darling, guitarist Terje Rypdal, and drummer Jon Christensen is almost a stereotype of an ECM release. His ten originals all set an introspective and mostly somber mood, their themes are less important than the atmosphere that they form, and the individual solos of the musicians are less significant than the ensemble sound. The general mood is a bit sleepy and the development from song to song is quite slow, although there are a few fiery and rockish solos from guitarist Rypdal.

Pianist Ketil Bjørnstad's quartet set with cellist David Darling, guitarist Terje Rypdal, and drummer Jon Christensen is almost a stereotype of an ECM release. His ten originals all set an introspective and mostly somber mood, their themes are less important than the atmosphere that they form, and the individual solos of the musicians are less significant than the ensemble sound. The general mood is a bit sleepy and the development from song to song is quite slow, although there are a few fiery and rockish solos from guitarist Rypdal.