Tord Gustavsen | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | 5 October 1970 Oslo, Norway |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, bandleader |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | ECM |
| Website | tordg |
Tord Gustavsen (born 5 October 1970) is a Norwegian jazz pianist and composer. He tours extensively worldwide, and he has been a bandleader for a trio, ensemble and quartet at various times, all bearing his name.
Gustavsen was born on 5 October 1970 [1] in Oslo and raised in rural Hurdal, Akershus. [2] He "grew up playing church music". [3]
Gustavsen holds a bachelor's degree (mellomfag) in psychology at the University of Oslo, before he attended the Trondheim Musikkonsevatorium [4] for a three years study of jazz (1993–96). Thereafter he became a graduate (Cand.philol.) of musicology at the University of Oslo, where he was guest teacher of jazz piano and theory (1998–2002). [5]
Between 2003 and 2007 The Tord Gustavsen Trio released three albums on ECM Records. [3] The trio was made up of Gustavsen on piano, Harald Johnsen on double bass and Jarle Vespestad on drums. The albums "contained rapt, pristine, meditative music, which resonated with the inner needs of a large, discriminating audience": combined sales exceeded 100,000. [3] The trio won the Nattjazz prize in 2005.
A later ensemble was composed of Gustavsen, Tore Brunborg (saxophones), Mats Eilertsen (bass) and Vespestad (drums). [3] With vocalist Kristin Asbjørnsen added for some tracks, the album Restored, Returned was recorded in 2009. [6] The album was awarded with Spellemannsprisen (the Norwegian Grammy). [7] [8] The quartet's follow-up, The Well , was released in 2012. [7] That year, Gustavsen played over four days at the Montreal Jazz Festival: with the quartet, as a solo pianist and in a duo with vocalist Solveig Slettahjell. [9] The quartet album Extended Circle two years later "reveals a new edginess and dynamic impact that the quartet brings to Gustavsen's music." [3]
In addition, he has recorded as a session musician, and guested on friends' albums. Collaborative projects have included Norwegian jazz vocalist and songwriter Silje Nergaard, musician Carl Petter Opsahl, actress Cecilie Jørstad and drummer Rune Arnesen, duo aire & angels and jazz vocalist Siri Gjære. He also took part in Nymark Collective established by Kåre Nymark. Since 2014 Gustavsen has collaborated with the German-Afghan jazz singer Simin Tander, releasing the album What Was Said (2016). They also performed at the 2016 Vinterjazz and the 2016 Vossajazz in Norway.
Gustavsen continues to be highly interested in psychology and has written a lengthy thesis on the paradoxes of improvisation, drawing on the dialectical psychological theory of Helm Stierlin and Anne-Lise Løvlie Schibbye. [10]
| Year | Formation credited | Album | Peak positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOR [11] | FRA [12] | GER | |||
| 2003 | Tord Gustavsen Trio | Changing Places | 32 | – | – |
| 2005 | The Ground | 1 | 141 | – | |
| 2007 | Being There | 3 | 144 | – | |
| 2009 | Tord Gustavsen Ensemble | Restored, Returned | 15 | – | – |
| 2012 | Tord Gustavsen Quartet | The Well | 4 | 194 | 100 |
| 2014 | Extended Circle | 24 | 103 | – | |
| 2016 | Tord Gustavsen with Simin Tander and Jarle Vespestad | What Was Said | 31 [13] | – | 72 |
| 2018 | Tord Gustavsen Trio | The Other Side | 40 [14] | – | 58 |
| 2022 | Opening | – | – | – | |
| 2024 | Seeing | – | – | – | |
Silje Nergaard is a Norwegian jazz vocalist and songwriter. She is one of the best-selling jazz artists on the official sales chart in Norway. She became known worldwide after the release of the international bestseller Tell Me Where You're Going featuring Pat Metheny on guitar.
Susanna Karolina Wallumrød is a Norwegian vocalist, known for her low key original songs. She is the sister of the drummer Fredrik Wallumrød and the pianist Christian Wallumrød, cousin of the pianist David Wallumrød, and is married to the music producer Helge Sten.
Jarle Vespestad is a Norwegian jazz musician (percussion), the younger brother of jazz musician Liz Tove Vespestad, and a central member of Tord Gustavsen's projects.
Solveig Slettahjell is a Norwegian jazz singer, known for her soulful, seductive voice.
Changing Places is an album by the Tord Gustavsen Trio recorded in December 2001 and June 2002 and released March 18, 2003 on ECM. The trio features rhythm section Harald Johnsen and Jarle Vespestad.
Being There is an album by the Tord Gustavsen Trio recorded in December 2006 and released April 30, 2007 on ECM. The trio features rhythm section Harald Johnsen and Jarle Vespestad.
Harald Gill Johnsen was a Norwegian jazz double bassist, known for his contributions in bands like Køhn/Johansen Sextet and Tord Gustavsen Trio, and a series of recordings with such as Sonny Simmons, Sigurd Køhn, Nils-Olav Johansen, Jan Erik Kongshaug, Frode Barth, Per Oddvar Johansen and Ditlef Eckhoff.
Kristin Asbjørnsen is a Norwegian jazz singer and composer whose focus is on improvised music. She is known for musical projects like Dadafon including with Carl Haakon Waadeland, Krøyt, Kvitretten, and Nymark Collective among others.
Morten Qvenild is a Norwegian jazz pianist, band leader, and producer.
Mats Eilertsen is a Norwegian jazz musician and composer. He is known for recording with numerous bands, including the Maria Kannegaard Trio, Ola Kvernberg, Nils Økland, Eldbjørg Raknes, Anders Aarum Trio, Eirik Hegdal, Sverre Gjørvad, Nymark Collective, SKRUK, «Jazzmob», «Dingobats», Håkon Kornstad Trio, Food with Iain Ballamy, Jacob Young Band, Solveig Slettahjell's Slow Motion Orchestra, Håvard Wiik Trio, and «JazzCode».
Siri Gjære is a Norwegian jazz vocalist from Levanger, known for her collaborations with musicians like Tord Gustavsen, Stian Carstensen, Eirik Hegdal, Maria Kannegaard, Jarle Bernhoft, Eldbjørg Raknes, and Steinar Raknes.
Kåre Nymark Jr. is a Norwegian jazz trumpeter and composer, with experience in bands such as Nymark Collective, SKRUK, The Real Thing, Gumbo, Funky Butt, Jazzmob, and the Ytre Suløens Jass-ensemble (1992–2010), and with musicians such as Earle Hyman, Nils Petter Molvaer, Silje Nergaard, Tord Gustavsen, Kristin Asbjørnsen, Arve Henriksen, John Pål Inderberg, Henning Sommerro, Arne Domnerus and Morten Gunnar Larsen.
Restored, Returned is an album by Norwegian jazz pianist and composer Tord Gustavsen Ensemble recorded in January 2009 and released on ECM later that year.
Even Helte Hermansen is a Norwegian guitarist, known from several orchestras playing experimental jazz.
Carl Petter Opsahl is a Norwegian priest, jazz musician, and journalist.
Extended Circle is an album by the Tord Gustavsen Quartet recorded in June 2013 and released on ECM January the following year. The quartet features saxophonist Tore Brunborg and rhythm section Mats Eilertsen and Jarle Vespestad.
Sigurd Hole is a Norwegian jazz musician from Rendalen living in Oslo.
Simin Tander is a German jazz musician and composer.
What Was Said is an album by pianist Tord Gustavsen, vocalist Simin Tander and drummer Jarle Vespestad.
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