To be appreciated
The saxophonist, composer, arranger and bandleader Eirik Hegdal has received many awards for his work, and in 2018 he received the best of all: the Kongsberg Jazz Festival's musician prize.
That means he's back at this year's festival with three projects, and these projects are so different that together they convey the impression of a very special and versatile artist.
On the Thursday of the festival, he comes with his trio "en-en-en", which for the occasion has been expanded with the outstanding Swedish guitarist Johan Lindström. The next day, he takes over the Lågdalsmuseet with the commissioned work "Følk" - with music inspired by Scandinavian folk music with a distinct touch of jazz - which is reflected in the fact that the vocalists are Unni Løvlid and Sofia Jernberg and the instrumentalists Gjermund Larsen (fiddle) and Hans Hulbækmo (drums).
On Saturday, he comes with the piece "Musical Balloon". All too often commissioned works are performed only once, but here we have the opportunity to relive the successful concert from Vossa Jazz 2018. The musicians in the band are among the best to be found in Norway and Sweden. This will be an event!
The commissioned work "Følk" (dialect of "folk") by Eirik Hegdal is based on "10 new walking stories from Central Norway". These are fictional, stand-alone stories written by Hegdal.
"There was a pot in the kitchen and it was boiling on stock until a pot of stock"
After attending several concerts with fiddle men and fiddle ladies who tell about very colorful backdrops to the mow, the springer and the pole, the idea came to create their own stories. These new "walking stories" will partly be told upfront, some as text sung by the vocalists Sofia Jernberg and Unni Løvlid, and some on a screen behind the musicians. In addition to the two vocalists, Gjermund Larsen is on fiddle/harding fiddle and Hans Hulbækmo on percussion. Hegdal himself plays saxophone and bass clarinet.
This palette of outstanding musicians provide a wealth of opportunities. All have roots in folk music in one way or another, but have worked extensively with a number of different styles. The commissioning agency "Følk" also draws inspiration from several quarters, and will make room for the unique voices in the ensemble. The composer has been inspired by dazzling vocal technique, combinations of soft tongue and pizzicato, harding fiddle and harmonica, folk music from far and near. The music offers beautiful melodic lines and abstract soundscapes, performed by virtuoso musicians.
Text: Tor Dalaker Lund
