Young Swedish, Bergen-based pianist-composer Johan Lindvall is known for his collaborations with Jenny Hval, Christian Wallumrød and Mette Henriette. Last year he was commissioned by the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra (TJO), and his composition «om du reser mycket» (if you travel a lot in Swedish) was premiered at the Molde International Jazz Festival (Moldejazz) in 2020. The album by the same name was recorded at Studio Paradiso in Oslo in October 2020.
«om du reser mycket» is described as a homage to the bursting fantasy. How much can we demand from each other’s imagination? om du reser mycket is about the dialogue: discreet suggestive conversations, voices that try to approach each other. The project integrated Lindvall’s interest in film and music and the live performance included a film made by Lindvall and videographer Jenny Berger Myhre and light design by Kyrre Heldal Karlsen.
The 11-musicians version of the TJO features, the duo Propan (vocalists and electronics players Ina Sagstuen and Natali Abrahamsen Garner), clarinet player Klaus Ellerhusen Holm, alto sax player Mette Rasmussen (who replaced on the album Mette Henriette who played on the performance at the Molde Jazz Festival), guitarist Christian Skår Winther, percussionist Matilda Rolfsson, and cellist Marianne Baudouin Lie, among others. om du reser mycket offer a suite-like composition composed of ten distinct and short conversations and sonic experiments of Lindvall and the TJo, all highlighting the multifaceted, genre-binding musical personality of Lindvall and all focusing on minimalist, rhythmic motifs. These pieces develop a loose and delicate narrative that builds its tension and blossoms patiently with great focus on detail, beginning with the ethereal and spacious («introduction»), moving to the chamber jazz («fall»), angelic dreamscape («dröm»), a playful song with intense coda («att säga nej»), enigmatic drones («regn») and («varit här förut»), light groove («röd»), chamber done («två»), seductive groove («inte nu») and expanding this vein with the infectious, funky conclusion («slut»).
Eyal Hareuveni
Ina Sagstuen (v, elec), Natali Abrahamsen Garner (v, elec), Eira Bjørnstad Foss (vio), Marianne Baudouin Lie (c), Klaus Ellerhusen Holm (cl), Mette Rasmussen (as), Christian Skår Winther (g), Lars Ove Fossheim (g), Matilda Rolfsson (perc), Kyrre Laastad (dr, vib, elec); Johan Lindvall (p, synth)
