ESPEN ERIKSEN TRIO

 “superb musicians at the top of their game” – BBC ESPEN ERIKSEN TRIO The jazz world is not short on piano trios, but it´s not every day one comes across a new trio with a personal musical language. The Norwegian Espen Eriksen Trio plays highly melodical and lyrical instrumentals with elements from Scandinavian folk and melancholia and shades of the deep woods. It’s definitely jazz, but their less is more approach is in contrast to most of their contemporaries, with structures almost like pop songs and with a strong focus on melodies and short solos. The trio has released two records, both critically acclaimed by publications like BBC, The Independent and KulturSpiegel. Although Espen Eriksen Trio can be seen in a continuum with other melodic piano trios, already their first release, “You Had Me At Goodye” (2010) marked a band with “it’s own superb reevaluation and reinvention of the piano trio tradition”(All About Jazz). The Milk Factory puts it this way: “Espen Eriksen’s ensemble has been compared to Tord Gustavsen and the late Esbjörn Svensson’s EST, but there is on You Had Me At Goodbye a level of clarity and versatility that makes the trio totally unique”. With their second album, “What Took You So Long” (2012), the trio fortified their idiom, “quickly vanquished all thoughts of being just another European trio distilling soft melodic story lines” (JazzWrap). “What Took You So Long” is in BBC’s words “a wonderfully plaintive jazz record, abandoned to the lost art of melodic minimalism, stripped back and beautifully near bare.” Espen Eriksen Trio has played all the big festivals and jazz scenes in Norway and toured in Germany, Switzerland, England, Russia, South Korea and Malaysia. Their music has been played on radio stations in Europe, USA, Asia, South America and Australia – including BBC and the shows “Late Junction” and Jamie Cullums “Best Of Jazz”. Both their albums have been included by the American jazz magazine “Jazziz” annual “Critics Choice”-­‐CDs. Espen Eriksen (piano/compositions), Lars Tormod Jenset (bass), Andreas Bye (drums) Short biography In 2014 Espen Eriksen Trio will do their third tour in Asia and play in Malaysia and Indonesia – at the best clubs (including No Black Tie in Kuala Lumpur and Black Cat in Jakarta) and at the North Sumatra Jazz Festival. They will also do their debut in Denmark at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Other activity includes gigs at clubs in Norway and Europe, and probably their second tour to Russia. In 2013 Espen Eriksen toured South Korea and had great success at the European Jazz Festival in Seoul. Even though the festival featured headliners like Enrico Pieranunzi/Larry Grenadier/Jeff Ballard and Maria João/Mário Laginha, it was (according to the organizers of the festival) Espen Eriksen Trio that became the public’s favourite. In 2013 they also toured Russia where they sold out at Rostov-­‐On-­‐Don State Philharmonic. Other highlights include concerts in Switzerland and Germany, amongst others on the renown Unterfahrt Jazz Club in Munich. Espen Eriksen Trio’s second album was released in 2012 and got equally superb reviews form the international press as their first. The summer of 2012 they impressed the London public three nights in a row at the Pizza Express as the opening act for Jon Cowherd with John Patitucci and Brian Blade. This year the trio also was featured in on TV on the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. In 2011 Espen Eriksen Trio did their first international tours in Switzerland, Germany and Malaysia. In Malaysia they played at Penang Island Jazz Festival in front of 2,000 spectators and the newspaper The Star called the trio the festivals “media favourite”. In 2010 Espen Eriksen Trio released their first album on the renown Norwegian label Rune Grammofon, and was immediately embraced by the international jazz press. Their Norwegian release tour included prominent scenes and festivals like the National Scene of Jazz (Victoria), Moldejazz, Vossajazz and Maijazz. Espen Eriksen played their first concert in the autumn of 2007. Reviews of ”What Took You So Long” (Rune Grammofon, 2012): “Each note offers a plea for peace and opens up spaces for pantheist wonder. What Took You So Long is a wonderfully plaintive jazz record, abandoned to the lost art of melodic minimalism, stripped back and beautifully near bare. No smoke and mirrors, just the graceful chemistry of superb musicians at the top of their game.” BBC (UK) “Despite a closing solo piece, "Oslo", invoking the aftermath of the Breivik massacre, there's not a great deal of drama to this rather poppy acoustic-­‐trio album; and that's what's so good about it. Pianist Eriksen, bassist Lars Tormod Jenset and drummer Andreas Bye create a delicate, ambiently inclined melodic jazz that doesn't try to bash you over the head with a sense of its own importance” 4/5 The Independent (UK) “In the space of just over three minutes, Eriksen, alone, conjures melancholy and hope in one of his most touching pieces to date and bring this rather superb second album to a fitting end.” 4.4/5 The Milk Factory (UK) “So when their debut, You Had Me At Goodbye, came out in 2010, I was completely unsure what to think. In the onslaught of European trios of the last few years that possibly tried to fill the void left by E.S.T., I was skeptical. That was completely wrong-­‐headed. This is truly, Espen Eriksen Trio-­‐-­‐a proper dynamic and distinctive outfit. …they do pour every ounce of emotion into their compositions. This makes What Took You So Long refreshing and a delight to listen to-­‐-­‐over and over. Enjoy...” JazzWrap (US) “The group´s second album judiciously avoids the abstract and amorphous noodling that characterises the improvisations of many contemporary piano trios. Instead Eriksen focuses on conveying melody -­‐ and does so splendidly via an aching lyricism that brings to mind Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett. 4/5 Record Collector (UK) ”Coming across a jazz trio with an identity of its own can be a rare thing, but once it happens, something instantly grabs you and you understand it right away. Espen Eriksen Trio is a perfect example of such bands, coming from Norway…As time passes by, all you want to do is sit and go through the entire record all over again.” Foxy Digitalis (US) “Espen Eriksen Trios is another great band from the Scandinavian jazz scene… If you’re into the Tord Gustavsen Trio or E.S.T., it’s a similar sound, where melody is important. A certain kind of hookiness and beauty to the sound is definitely there and interesting improvisations as well. I think you’re really gonna like this band.” Jamie Cullum on his BBC 2 show “The Best of Jazz” “Every note is played with an unyielding enthusiasm and total commitment to the emotional context of the tune. Whereas some jazz groups stake their musical reputations on improvising challenging, highly technical lines, Eriksen and his cohorts produce simple, folk-­‐like melodies throughout.” 4/5 Spectrum Culture (US) Reviews of ”You Had Me At Goodbye” (Rune Grammofon, 2010): “The album provides considerable reward for anyone who appreciates music that is skillfully conceived and superbly performed but which aims for the heart and aesthetic sense...You’ll be sorry to say goodbye when this luscious album ends.” 5/6 BBC Music Magazine (UK) “You Had Me At Goodbye signals another emergent group on the Scandinavian scene—sure to be worth watching—with its own superb reevaluation and reinvention of the piano trio tradition.” allaboutjazz.com (US) “Espen Eriksen’s ensemble has been compared to Tord Gustavsen and the late Esbjörn Svensson’s EST, but there is on Goodbye a level of clarity and versatility that makes the trio totally unique. The compositions are stripped down and yet show extreme refinement, both in the melodies and in the relation between all three instruments as they make their minimal set up sound at once rich and colourful. You Had Me At Goodbye is their remarkable debut.” 4.6/5 The Milk Factory (UK) “This tasteful, ambient-­‐friendly Norwegian piano trio offers an accessible, slightly poppy update on the examples of Tord Gustavsen and EST.. As the eight original Eriksen tunes total no more than 37 minutes, you're left wanting more rather than less.” 4/5 The Independent (UK) “these are simply beguiling melodic songs that happen to be instrumental: the "voice" here is Eriksen's piano. This is the soundtrack for your next best day. Highly recommended.” Direct Current (US) “Löblich ist dagegen das künstlerische Niveau und das sensible Zusammenspiel des Espen Eriksen Trios. Perlendes Piano, harmonisch reizvolle Bassläufe und ein zurückhaltendes Schlagzeug wirken entspannend. Wer musikalischen Balsam für die Seele benötigt, wird bestens bedient.” Jazzpodium (DE) “Liebhaber der großen skandinavischen Melancholie sollten an diesen Debütanten ihre stille Freude haben.” KulturSpiegel (DE) “As throughout, Eriksen displays a rich melodic sensibility and an undeniable warmth that counteracts even the chilliest Norwegian night.” Jazziz (US) “You Had Me at Goodbye is a most arresting collection of songs that should appeal to any fan of piano jazz.” 8/10 PopMatters