Northwestern Songs

The trinity of piano, bass and drums is an ensemble construction with a particularly prominent place in jazz, past and present. Indeed, some of these piano trios are among the most revered and popular groups the music has seen. The standing of the piano trio in the Norwegian jazz landscape is no different. And like a lot of modern jazz from Norway it has also taken on flavours very distinct to this country.

Pianist Torvik met and played with double bassist Bjornar Kaldefoss Tveite and drummer Oystein Aarnes Vik during a short stint in Oslo. They quickly hit it off, and the idea of making an album with this trio began to take shape. The resulting album, 'Northwestern Songs', was recorded at Newtone Studio in Oslo, June 2019.

Here, Torvik continues to explore the relationships between pop sensibilities and jazz, which was also a feature of the music on his debut as a leader, the 2016 quintet recording 'Northwestern Sounds'. At the same time, the open and revealing nature of the trio format allows him to further explore and challenge himself as piano player.

Personnel: Arne Torvik (piano), Bjørnar Kaldefoss Tveite (bass), Øystein Aarnes Vik (drums)