New Morning Ketil Bjørnstad

• 1 New Morning 02:45
• 2 The Sorrow in her eyes 03:57
• 3 Prelude No. 21 03:28
• 4 Lost Chords 05:40
• 5 The Token (Instrumental version) 05:02
• 6 The Personal Gallery 02:38
• 7 The Sea No. 2 01:18
• 8 Floating 07:08
• 9 Forever Prokofiev 02:05
• 10 Ray Of Light 03:22
• 11 Kari Danser 03:12
• 12 New Life 02:06
• 13 The Rainbow 03:11
• 14 The Circle 02:53
• 15 Remembrance No. 1 03:36
• 16 Fragment of Sandmann Lied (Jon Blund) 04:03
• 17 The Night 02:23
• 18 Pianology No. 2 03:41
• 19 Variation From The Bach Variations 01:58
• 20 If Only 03:53
• 21 Late Summer 05:06
• 22 Song of Belonging 02:39
• Total Runtime 01:16:04

Info for New Morning

Throughout what is soon to be 50 years as a musician, Ketil Bjornstad has published over 70 albums. Either as the main artist, composer, or musician in close collaboration with other top Norwegian artists. Ketil made his debut on the 10th of January in 1969 with the Philharmonic only 16 years old and became a full-time musician.

A new morning in a city under lockdown: The country was put under lockdown in the spring of 2020. Creative forces became gradually more important when exploring options for culture during this rather grim situation. Christer Falck showed the initiative to arrange a streaming festival from Sentralen in downtown Oslo, and Bjørnstad agreed to participate, which also sparked the start of this new album project.

I prepared for a concert in which I thought was to be quite introverted, without any consequences, like an echo from the time we experienced at the time, so often alone only with our thoughts. I asked to get started as quickly as possible, and when I got started, it was for empty halls, with an improvisation. I sat alone in a beautiful ivory hall, with one camera pointed right at me and two covering my sides, alongside microphones where I am used to having them. I only knew that I was supposed to play for five quarters uninterrupted and that the concert would not be as introverted as I imagined. Covid would not stop the music. The music made everything stronger. The grand piano was excellent, Bjørnstad explains.

Ketil Bjørnstad, piano

Ketil Bjørnstad
described as “a cultural prodigy” by The Guardian’s John Fordham, started out as a classical pianist, making his debut with the Oslo Philharmonic, playing Bartók. Encounters with jazz of the late 1960s, especially Miles and Coltrane, changed his priorities and he was fascinated also by the new Norwegian improvising scene that ECM was documenting. Soon he switched streams and began playing with the jazz men. Simultaneously he has maintained a career as a respected writer with many books to his credit – novels, poems, essays and more.

Ketil Bjørnstad’s recent ECM releases have included “Life In Leipzig” with Terje Rypdal, the song cycle “The Light” with Randi Stene and Lars Anders Tomter, and “Remembrance” with Tore Brunborg and Jon Christensen.

Bjørnstad’s recordings have been incorporated in the soundtracks of numerous films, including several by Jean-Luc Godard: “Notre Musique”, “The Old Place”, “Histoire(s) du Cinéma”, “Forever Mozart” and “Eloge de L’amour”.

After playing double-bass with the Oslo Philharmonic Orcherstra and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Svante Henryson (born in Stockholm in 1963) effected an about-turn in his career and joined Yngwie Malmsteen’s band as bass guitarist in 1989. This led to much session work and collaborations in the pop world, and Henryson has appeared on recordings of Stevie Wonder, Ryan Adams and Elvis Costello, amongst others.

Self-taught as cellist, he has collaborated with many jazz musicians including Jon Balke, Nils Petter Molvaer, Trygve Seim, Arve Henriksen, Marilyn Mazur and Arild Andersen. In classical contexts he often works with Anne Sofie von Otter and has directed her tours of North America, Europe and Asia. As a composer he has written music for ensembles of all sizes – from symphony orchestra to chamber groups.

This album contains no booklet.