Hvalfugl

The music of Hvalfugl is so damn beautiful.  The trio’s debut album By stakes out territory where Scandinavian folk and Nordic Jazz share a border, which means you’re gonna get some lovely melodic imagery cast out into a thick, moody ambiance.  Some of this music dances joyfully about, while other pieces are made from the stuff of serenity.  Opening track “Novemberhymne” still reels me in as easily as the very first time I hit play on this lovely recording, and the melodic hooks of “Op Nord” and title-track “Hvalfugl” make sure my ear isn’t going anywhere.  The trio of bassist Anders Juel Bomholt, guitarist Jeppe Lavsen and pianist Jonathan Fjord Bredholt put on an excellent display of how economical melodies can result in a wealth of emotional connections.  By remains one of the most beautiful things I’ve heard in 2017

Music from Aarhus, Denmark.

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