11. An exploration

Right before Christmas I got another tip for my January Second of Jazz post, once again from the founder and manager of Bare Jazz, Bodil Niska. The January article is about the Norwegian piano trio, Orter Eparg.

Orter Eparg was formed in 2008. They recently released their debut album with music based on the unique compositions by bass player, Dan Peter Sundland. With him on this album Sundland has Kjetil Jerve on piano and Rhodes, Andreas Wildhagen on drums and cymbals and special guest Liz Kosack on synth.

The album contains a good mix of familiar and explorative sounds. The three compositions, “Catapult Suite” 1, 2 and 3, provide plenty of room for the musicians to experiment with their individual expressions. They move back and forth between a common and structured soundscape, and experimental terrains. The track called “Oort Cloud”, begins as a lyrical and structured melody that gradually becomes improvisational. The title refers to a phenomenon in our universe, a theoretical cloud surrounding our solar system, and this composition is in some ways a journey from the familiar towards the unfamiliar.

Among my favorite tracks on this album are the rhythmic opening track Couch Surfer, the melodic composition “Spring is Just Around the Corner” and the previously mentioned “Oort Cloud”. The final track, “Kann”, is also a pleasing listen – a nice ending to this journey.

Here’s the album I’ve been listening to over the holidays. Enjoy!