25. Enchanté
The insufferable temperatures that I’ve had to endure over the past few weeks in this arctic country I call home, have made the perks of being a jazz enthusiast even more apparent. Jazz clubs bring warmth to fingertips and toes, as well as to the heart and soul.
I went to a concert at Herr Nilsen the other night, with Seamus Blake quartet featuring Bjørn Vidar Solli on guitar, Julian Haugland on bass and Jon Wikan on drums. They started off by playing through Sonny Rollin’s album “The Bridge”. This was a truly honorable tribute to one of the greats. The second set consisted of four original compositions by Haugland; “Ash”, “Day One”, “The Festival” and “Party Tune”, and in the middle of the four compositions they did a beautiful version of “God Bless the Child”. The latter was for me the highlight of the evening.
Seamus Blake is recognized as one of the finest exponents of contemporary jazz. His music is known for its sophistication, bold improvisations and “sheer swagger". The last time I heard him play, he performed at Victoria National Jazz Scene with a group called BRIDGES. This is a group led by the Swedish drummer and composer, Anders Thorén, also featuring Espen Berg on piano, Hayden Powell on trumpet and Jesper Bodilsen on bass. After their concert I got to talk with Anders and Seamus, and we decided to do a project for the International Jazz Day on April 30th. So, my next Building Bridges project (I know, lots of bridges…), will be at the recently renovated Oslo Culture House, where there will be a concert with Thorén’s jazz group BRIDGES.
Hope to see you at the Oslo Culture House on IJD!
