PRESENT
Over the last few years drummer Emil Brandqvist from Gothenburg, Sweden, played his way into the intimate upper ranks of European Jazz; his trio stands for low-key, picturesque, touching melodies and sounds that remain with listeners.
Together with pianist Tuomas Turunen from Finland and Max Thornberg from Stockholm on double bass, one of the trademarks for this multinational Scandinavian ensemble has been that the trio eagerly brings in guests to the studio to put the finishing brushstrokes on their audiophonic paintings. Much like designing a portrait, their music builds to reveal more and more layers.
On “Breathe Out” (SKP 9115), their first album for SKIP in 2013, it was the Sjöströmska String Quartet from Gothenburg that set gem-like accents. For the following album entitled “Seascapes” (SKP 9128), Emil Brandqvist and his trio invited a number of woodwinds and horns to add greater density to the atmospheric settings: flutes, clarinets, bass clarinets and flugelhorns.
“Falling Crystals” (SKP 9135) enhances the listeners’ range via moods and compositional structures that underscore just how exceptional these three ‘northern lights’ are. The aura and music were sensitively captured by Åke Linton, a Swedish studio legend whose credentials already include work with Bobo Stenson, Lars Danielsson and the Esbjörn Svensson Trio.
“The Sea Begins To Freeze” reveals an opening theme reminiscent of film noir in which Emil Brandqvist has revived his collaboration with the Sjöströmstra String Quartet. On the composition by Tuomas Turunen named “A Day In Memories”, synthesizer inserts turn the tables to astonishing effect. On “Longing”, bass-player Max Thornberg lets his bowing display a North African coloring to match the desire in the track’s name. “Shine” is equally surprising: Despite all the Nordic roots, here the trio shows that it too was raised on the kind of Jazz made famous by great trios ‘way back when’ in the USA. The whole album sparkles with solid compositions, a lasting sound where the trio definitively ‘shows its stuff’. In 2016 concert-goers in our latitudes will be able to look forward to more concerts from the Emil Brandqvist Trio than ever before; delightful evenings that may very well close with the bouncy lilt heard on “Through The Forest”.
ABOUT US
EMIL BRANDQVIST Drums
Emil Brandqvist is a drummer,a composer and bandleader. He is living in Gothenburg/Sweden and is educated at the Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg. He is involved in many different projects both as drummer and composer. Inspiration to his composing often comes as a soundtrack to the nature of Sweden. And the titles of the compositions often comes only when the music is performed for the first time and the pictures are starting to move in the mind. The music is often fully arranged but there is a big open window for the trio musicians to make the music live to its full. Emil is also composing music for films and has worked with the score for many different film-projects. Emil is always seeking new ways to express his music and is very interested in exploring the possibilities in new collaborations for his composing and playing.
TUOMAS A. TURUNEN Piano
Tuomas A. Turunen is an award-winning Finnish jazz pianist, known as a solo artist and as a member of several Nordic jazz groups, especially Emil Brandqvist Trio, Skalle & Sharon and Kauhukakara. He is a frequent performer at the top jazz events in Finland as well as at other European festivals. Outside of Europe Tuomas has performed notably on the African continent, e.g. at Jazz à Dakar -festival and at the legendary Rainbow Jazz Club in South Africa. Tuomas lived in Sweden from 2004 until 2009 and studied jazz piano at the Music Academy of Gothenburg with Lars Jansson and Anders Jormin as his teachers. Since obtaining his Master of Music degree in 2009, he has been based in France, working as a freelance musician, composer, entrepreneur and educator. Tuomas was awarded the Jazz Scholarship of Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 2009. In 2010 he won the Jury’s Special Price at Montreux Jazz Festival’s piano competition.
MAX THORNBERG Bass
Max Thornberg was born in Halmstad, Sweden, in 1985. He is a freelance double bass player and composer, and has performed with some of Swedens finest jazz musicians.He plays regularly all over Sweden, but also in Denmark and Germany. Max Thornberg is educated in the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, and resides in Stockholm since 2007.
01. While We Are Here
02. Soaring
03. Crystals
04. Through the Forest
05. The Sea Begins to Freeze
06. Longing
07. A Day Inmemories
08. Across the Waters
09. Early Spring
10. Shine
11. Guds Gröna Ängar
12. The Oak Trees
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