Imperfect Solitude - Tore T Sandbakken
Tore T Sandbakken debuts on Jazzland with "Imperfect Solitude". Accompanied by Hanna Paulsberg on sax and Dag-Filip Roaldsnes on piano, the album features compositions by Sandbakken and Roaldsnes, and is a classic jazz album, shot through with pensive ballads, dramatic urban-flavoured pieces, melancholy, wistfulness, chattering energetic improvisations, and a dynamic range from delicate melodic lines to towering power riffs. This is late night jazz at its finest, perfect for a lonely gaze across a city skyline, or a musical accompaniment to a quiet evening with close friends and a bottle of wine.
Imperfect Solitude marks Tore Sandbakken's official debut as a band leader. But don't mistake this for an unseasoned debutant, Sandbakken has been a force to reckon with on the Norwegian music scene for years, counting some tenfold albums of band collectives as well as more than thirty albums as a sideman or producer. This new project has lingered on his mind for several years, and the pieces of the puzzle came together as saxophonist Hanna Paulsberg and pianist Dag-Filip Roaldsnes rounded off the trio. The two of them have been close collaborators of Sandbakken for many years, most notably through Dag-Filip Roaldsnes Ensemble which sport three critically acclaimed albums.
With music penned by both Sandbakken and Roaldsnes, the open «trio sans bass»-format subtly hints to both Paul Motian and Christian Wallumrød while remaining distinctly something unique in itself. The title suggests that a lot of the material has emerged from times of solitude, but celebrates the positive creative sphere that solitude can offer to an artist.
The album was recorded on one pandemic day in the fall of 2021, in the A studio of Newtone Studios in Oslo; a big room that is known for its acoustics (and possibilities for performing socially distanced!). Imperfect Solitude presents a trio that have a good natural interplay and are obviously enjoying each others creative outlets.
About the musicians:
Tore Sandbakken is a sought after improvising musician both in Norway and internationally. He has toured the world extensively and released albums with artists such asArrigo Cappeletti, Nils Petter Molvær, Bergljot, Dag-Filip Roaldsnes Ensemble, Odd S. Albrigtsen Quintet feat. Petter Wettre, Carlo Maria Nartoni Norwegian Trio amongst others.
Hanna Paulsberg is a brilliant saxophonist who leads her own quartet of more than ten years Hanna Paulsberg Concept. She is also known from the highly successful trio GURLS and is a regular feature of the renowned Trondheim Jazz Orchestra.
Dag-Filip Roaldsnes is a jazz pianist with a broad palette of sounds. He has three albums of original music with his own group Dag-Filip Roaldsnes Ensemble, in addition to working with a host of other collaborators; most notably perhaps Karl Seglem and Edvard Hoem.