Ketil Bjornstad

“Remembrance”

(ECM 2149 273 2490)

Ketil Bjornstad is the Renaissance man of Norwegian jazz. The pianist is also an accomplished classical musician and a published novelist, essayist and poet. His relationship with ECM dates back to 1993 and he has recorded seven previous albums for the label deploying a variety of line-ups from duo to quintet.

Jon Christensen, the drummer on “Remembrance” appeared on Bjornstad’s ECM début “Water Stories” and has been a regular collaborator of the pianist for nearly forty years. Christensen was at one time practically ECM’s house drummer and has appeared on literally dozens of recordings. Although less prolific than he once was he has lost none of the good taste and musicality that made him first call for such great artists as Jan Garbarek, Keith Jarrett, Ralph Towner and many others.

The “Remembrance” trio is completed by tenor saxophonist Tore Brunborg, a new partner for Bjornstad but a player whose history with Christensen dates back to 1985 when both were members of bassist Arild Andersen’s group Masqualero. They have also played in groups led by pianists Jon Balke and Misha Alperin. Brunborg is currently a member of the Tord Gustavsen Ensemble and the Manu Katche band making a huge contribution to the success of both units. 

“Remembrance” consists of eleven short Bjornstad originals under the collective title “Remembrance Parts I-XI”. Neither the album’s notes nor the accompanying press release make it clear just who or what is being remembered although it has been suggested that the title is a reference to the long term musical relationship between Bjornstad and Christensen. In any event the mood is generally wistful, sometimes sombre and the playing pristine and uncluttered.  This is chamber jazz in the best sense of the phrase, often beautiful and with every note being made to count. Most of the pieces clock in at around the four minute mark and each musical statement is concise and pithy as Bjornstad and his colleagues draw out the full beauty of his melodies. There is no musical flab here as the trio distil the essence of each piece.

The album was recorded remarkably quickly with the trio laying down the tracks in a single day with mixing taking place the day after. Despite this there is no reduction in the quality of the famous ECM sound. Everything is as crystal clear as we have come to expect but perhaps this is not so surprising given that the album was recorded at the famous Rainbow Studio in Oslo with the legendary engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug at the helm.

“Remembrance” is perhaps not the kind of record that warrants a track by track dissertation. A mood of contemplation and fragile beauty runs throughout the album with the Bjornstad’s clarity and lightness of touch at the piano superbly complemented by Brunborg’s keening, Garbarek like tenor sax and Christensen’s famously fluid and delightfully detailed drumming. There is something unmistakably Nordic about this music and a church like feel permeates some of the tracks which seems particularly apposite given the album title. Considering the rapid nature of the recording the empathy between the three players is remarkable and the mood of quiet concentration palpable. You can almost hear Christensen thinking and his delicate cymbal work is a particular delight. Movements VI,VII and IX are duets between Bjornstad and the drummer and it was this pairing that formed the genesis of the album, Brunborg being added to the group on the suggestion of producer Manfred Eicher.

Elsewhere Bjornstad and Brunborg take turns at leading the way. There is no jazz soloing as such but the level of group interaction is supremely high throughout. It’s sometimes a criticism of an album that it lacks variety in mood, style or pace but the feel of one piece-dom that prevails throughout “Remembrance” is it’s greatest strength. This is an album that is totally about the establishment and sustaining of a mood and Bjornstad, Christensen and Brunborg do this brilliantly.

It’s probably invidious to pick out best tracks but among the most distinctive are the Bjornstad/Christensen duet of Movement IX which features the freest playing on the album and the gorgeous folk tinged melody that appears in Movements I and XI and effectively bookends the album. It’s the kind of tune that you feel you’ve known all your life and sounds as if it’s just been plucked out of the air.

“Remembrance” deserves to become an ECM classic. It’s harmonically sophisticated yet highly melodic and eminently accessible. When I first got into jazz I listened to ECM records almost exclusively but as my tastes have broadened a number of the newer artists on the ECM roster have slipped under my radar, Bjornstad being one of them. If “Remembrance” is anything to go by this is a major oversight on my part and I’m sure it will serve me well to investigate Bjornstad’s extensive back catalogue.

In the meantime I’d recommend this beautiful new album to pretty much everyone. If you like the music of Jan Garbarek and Tord Gustavsen you’re almost certain to love this. One of the most enjoyable albums of the year thus far. 

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