RCD2045 - In The Country: This Was The Pace Of My Heartbeat (CD)
We are very proud to introduce a new, young group on the label, a unique trio that have come up with a truly great debut album. ”This Was The Pace Of My Heartbeat” is not your typical piano trio album, meaning that pianist Morten Qvenild (26) has skipped the Keith Jarrett school. When it comes to piano players he will admit to a certain fondness for Paul Bley and the late Norwegian free player Svein Finnerud, but he also draws inspiration from pop writers when it comes to a sense of structure and modern composers such as Messiaen and Feldman for the use of space and sound. The album include nine original Qvenild compositions as well as a Ryan Adams cover and an interpretation of Händel´s beautiful ”Laschia Ch´io Pianga”. The album is an analogue recording and is produced by Arve Henriksen. Morten Qvenild is already a central force in a young generation of extremely competent Norwegian musicians operating with great ease between various genres. He is Susanna´s orchestra and writing partner in Susanna and the Magical Orchestra, he is a member, writer and arranger for acclaimed Norwegian jazz singer Solveig Slettahjell, he was a writer and member of Jaga Jazzist and a member of Shining since the beginning and up to their latest album. Finally he is a member of The National Bank, a pop/rock group with the Horntveth brothers from Jaga Jazzist in the lineup, recently enjoying several weeks at the top spot of the Norwegian charts. In The Country is the piano trio he started in 2003 after meeting bass player Roger Arntzen (28) and drummer Pål Hausken (25) at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. As with Morten, they are both active in other groups as well, Roger most notably in Damp with Shining leader Jørgen Munkeby and Pål with singer Hilde Marie Kjersem in Tub Quartet.
Released 07.03.05