In Essence Frode Kjekstad
Album info
Album-Release:
2019
HRA-Release:
15.11.2019
Album including Album cover
- 1 In Essence 05:48
- 2 The Dark Hour 05:25
- 3 Hot Gloves 04:20
- 4 Leaving 08:05
- 5 The Golden Apple 03:52
- 6 Walk In the Peacock Park (96kHz) 05:10
- 7 Blues For JD 04:28
- 8 Rude Waltz (96kHz) 03:47
Info for In Essence
The internationally recognized and critically acclaimed jazz guitarist Frode Kjekstad from Norway is out with a new album! This time in the legendary trio format. This time only with original material. And: this time with Norwegian musicians!
After previously having recorded with living jazz legends as Dr. Lonnie Smith, Eric Alexander and Byron Landham in his recordings done in New York, he now has brought his childhood friend and superb bass player Frode Berg, and the amazing drummer Magnus Sefaniassen Eide to a studio in Sandvika, Norway.
The result is the album “Frode Kjekstad: In Essence”!
This album is challenging the boundries of “jazz guitar as we know it” in different directions, always without changing genre, and with a crystal clear reference to history! With a charismatic, extrovert and virtuoso style so rare in present day jazz guitar, Frode Kjekstad is reaching towards a broader audience, with strong melodies, chilling rhythms, deep groove and heartfelt love for this music.
The trio is bursting with pure joy of playing together, almost jumping out of the speakers to grab you by the neck, in this magic session.
Joyful energy and musicality, all beautifully dressed up in a modern sound production, reaches beyond the boundaries of genre, and schould be of great to joy to any music lover, no matter what musical references one might have.
Frode Kjekstad was called “A young genius with perfect sense of time and rhythm” by Frank Forte (Just jazz guitar Magazine) and producer Joe Fields called him “the new Pat Martino”!
This album is another brick in the wall that makes the fundament for Frode Kjekstad as one of our times strongest names in jazz guitar.
Frode Kjekstad, guitar
Frode Berg, bass
Magnus Sefaniassen Eide, drums
Recorded October1, 2019 by Håvard Caspersen “on location” at Rud vgs., Sandvika, Norway
Mixed by Håvard Caspersen at The Fendermentalistik Republik of Nerdistan
Mastered October 2019 by Frode Ågedal Berg at Your Sound Mastering in Spikkestad, Norway
Produced by Frode Kjekstad
Frode Kjekstad
was born in Lier, Norway in 1974. He was already captured by the music of Charlie Parker and Joe Pass when he picked up the guitar at the age of 14, and the year after he started studying jazzguitar.
He moved to Oslo in 1994. Studying music at the University, teacher and trumpeter Torgrim Sollid introduced him to New York-guitarist Randy Johnston. This meeting was a great inspiration, leading to lessons as well as a great friendship.
Playing regularly for 4 years with Sandvika Bigband, considered Norway's best band in it's genre, Frode had the opportunity to play with international jazz stars as Diane Shuur, Frank Foster, Johnny Griffin, Don Menza, Rob McConnel, Jim Morrison, Mark Nightingale, Claire Martin, Deborah Brown, Uffe Johanson and many others.
Frode has played with a number of american players in Norway in different settings, among these Gerald Willson, Wendell Brunious, Grant Stewart, Randy Johnston, and others!
In 1999 he joined a trio led by Scandinavian jazz-organ king Paul Wagnberg's trio.
Working as a freelance jazzguitarist at cafés, in bigbands, trad-bands, and be-bop combos from 1990, Frode also started teaching jazzguitar in 1992, and has been teaching guitar in many different institutions since then. He is now teaching guitar at the college Rud vgs near Oslo.
This album contains no booklet.