Pianist Espen Eriksen and trumpet player Gunnar Halle take hymn as the starting point for their beautiful and searching improvisations. We promise a meaningful experience in the exquisite surroundings of the middle age church at Trondenes.
According to Nettavisen Eriksen and Halle – belong to the most expressive musicians amidst their generation of Norwegian jazz artists. The duo was formed in 2007, but had performed together in other projects before then. They know one another inside out musically and according to the publication Dag og Tid have created - a sparkling duo.
- At the beginning we were afraid that a reworking of dearly beloved and familiar hymns might be considered clumsy and respectless. On the contrary, we have only recieved tremendous feedback from the public. People of all ages have been delighted to discover hymns from a new perspective, with a close link to old traditional folk melodies, state the duo.
Eriksen and Halle have toured in Norway, Denmark, Spain, England, Scotland, Iceland and Greece with this project, and the feedback has been overwhelming everywhere.
- Hymn delights church goers from from the provinces just as much as non-believers from the big cities. This is quite simply beautiful music, Salt Peanuts (Scandinavian music internet publication).
In 2010 the duo gave their debut with the critically acclaimed album «Meditations on Christmas», in which they recorded improvisations based upon Christmas hymns and folk melodies. «Hymn» is a continuation of this project, and this time they draw inspiration from hymns depicting the entire Church calendar.
Bergens Tidene responded by writing: - Lyrical and fragile, almost transparent nuances, performed free of over elaboration and in a manner which brings forth the power of these melodies.
Gunnar Halle was born in 1973 in Bærum. He was educated in Copenhagen where he became extablished as one of Scandinavia´s most sought after trumpet players; existing as a freelancer since 2001. He has for the most part collaborated with Danish, Swedish and Finnish musicians and has toured worldwide as well as participated in over 70 releases.
Espen Eriksen is born in 1974 in Haugesund. Espen is most well known as the leader of the Espen Eriksen Trio which has enjoyed glowing reviews at home and abroad. The trio has been compared with the Swedish Esbjørn Svenssons EST, and as many will recall gave a wonderful concert at Galleri Nord-Norge during the festival in 2012.