Extended Circle Tord Gustavsen Quartet

• 1Right There02:55
• 2Eg Veit I Himmerik Ei Borg05:41
• 3Entrance02:54
• 4The Gift06:22
• 5Staying There04:54
• 6Silent Spaces03:33
• 7Entrance, Var02:50
• 8Devotion04:38
• 9The Embrace05:02
• 10Bass Transition00:43
• 11Glow05:14
• 12The Prodigal Song06:23
• Total Runtime51:09

Info for Extended Circle

The sixth ECM album from Tord Gustavsen, recorded in Oslo in June 2013, quietly but most assuredly takes the Norwegian pianist’s music to the next stage of its development.

Gustvasen’s quartet with Tore Brunborg, Mats Eilertsen and long-term associate Jarle Vespestad has matured into a group whose interactions draw strength from restraint, patiently building the music toward its climaxes. Here are new gospel-tinged pieces and ballads from Tord’s pen, gentle and luminescent group improvisations, and an ecstatic interpretation of the Norwegian traditional “Eg Veit I Himmerik Ei Borg” (“I Know A Castle In Heaven”).

For Norwegian pianist Tord Gustavsen, the title of his sixth album for ECM has a programmatic significance. Extended Circle refers, he says, to the completion of a “double circle” of trilogies: the first with the trio heard on Changing Places, The Ground and Being There, and the second with the quartet (formed inside the expanded ensemble of Restored, Returned in 2009 and then documented on The Well in 2012).

Extended Circle incorporates tunes inspired by chorales and spirituals. These were developed collectively and gradually integrated into the repertoire as the group toured in the wake of The Well. “The new album title also refers to the view of things not being linear,” says Gustavsen. “The modernistic notion of linear progress is dead... But still we want to move in creative circles or spirals, coming back to musical and spiritual issues from ever-new angles, developing the musical approach or ideology with – hopefully – a deeper insight, a deeper set of experiences and skills.”

Tord Gustavsen, piano
Tore Brunborg, tenor saxophone
Mats Eilertsen, double bass
Jarle Vespestad, drums

Recored in June 2013 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo
Engineered by Jan Erik Kongshaug
Produced by Manfred Eicher

Tord Gustavsen - Piano
Pianist Tord Gustavsen has released four albums on ECM Records with his ensemble and trio; 'Changing Places' (2003), 'The Ground' (2005), 'Being There' (2007) and 'Restored, Returned' (2009/2010). His music has been met by a huge volume of critical approval around the world (cf. Critics). The recent release also won the Norwegian Grammy Award (Spellemannsprisen).

After playing primarily in trio format for several years, Tord launched his new project, Tord Gustavsen Ensemble, in 2008 with a commissioned work for the Vossajazz Festival in Norway, followed by a few selected performances leading up to a new recording in 2009. Tord also plays in duo and trio formats with the musicians in the new ensemble.

Before starting his solo career, Tord had already been an important part of the Norwegian jazz scene for several years. His playing has formed a cornerstone in projects featuring some of the finest Norwegian singers, including Silje Nergaard, Siri Gjære, Kristin Asbjørnsen, Solveig Slettahjell and Live Maria Roggen. The urge for individual expression fuses with acutely attentive listening in creative interplay, making Tord a very special experience both as a soloist and as an ensemble player. While relating to fields like Scandinavian folk music, gospel, Caribbean music and cool jazz alike, Tord's ensembles present a unique universe of lyricism and subtle funkiness. His way of conversing jazz history with 'Nordic' reflective moods and lyrical beauty brings about an intriguing voice on today's music scene.

Tord tours extensively world-wide with his projects (cf. Live). He can be heard on several albums; in addition to his own releases there are releases with Kristin Asbjørnsen, Silje Nergaard, the Nymark Collective, the Ulrich Drechsler Quartet, Carl Petter Opsahl, and the duo aire & angels.

You can read more about Tord's biography, about his theoretical thesis 'The Dialectical Erotism of Improvisation', and about his other musical projects on his personal web site: www.tordg.no

Jarle Vespestad - Drums
Jarle has been one of Scandinavia's most in-demand jazz musicians for several years. His range of experience covers projects like Farmers Market; Supersilent and the Silje Nergaard Band, as well as duo cooperation with saxophonist Tore Brunborg, trio with Petter Wettre, and appearances with Bugge Wesseltoft. Along with fierce technique and startling abilities in complex rhythmic landscapes, Jarle has a unique sense of expressive minimalism and quiet moods, which is really featured in Tord's ensemble.

Mats Eilertsen - Double Bass
Mats plays with a unique combination of solid accompaniment and constant creative thinking, making him a very special musical partner. His interplay with Tord has developed through recording and touring over several years with various ensembles, resulting in a solid and intuitive musical connection. Mats leads his own quartet/quintet, and he has released four albums under his own name with intriguing and inventive projects. He also plays with ensembles like Parish, Food, Jacob Young Group, Wolfert Brederode Quartet, and The Source.

Tore Brunborg - Saxophones
Tore’s approach to music is unique in the world of saxophonists. He has a strong lyrical ‘voice’ on his instrument, bridging Scandinavian folk music influences with American traditions in a very special way. He is the perfect complement to Tord's melodic playing, and their interplay has gone far beyond the normal roles of ‘soloist’ and accompaniment – they play together in an integrated ‘musical organism’.

Tore Brunborg’s experiences as a band leader and an ensemble musician cover a wide range of the most important European jazz projects through several decades, with the legendary Norwegian group Masqualero as a starting point in the 1980’s. He has played with Jon Christensen, Arild Andersen, Jon Balke, Nils Petter Molvær, Bugge Wesseltoft, Anders Jormin to name a few – and he also currently leads a quartet with British pianist John Taylor.

Booklet for Extended Circle