Norwegian jazz pianist and composer Tord Gustavsen’s music continues to evolve, teasing out beautiful melodies and subtle rhythmic movements from a gentle and profound sonic space. Tord will be returning to EFG London Jazz Festival with his stellar piano trio with his regular drummer Jarle Vespestad and now with Steinar Raknes on bass.

Gustavsen’s compositions draw inspiration from Norwegian folk melodies and classical music. His earlier trio albums had a quietness and grounded sensuality that immediately earned him a large international audience. His 2018 album The Other Side embraced again the full-sounding simplicity of the ‘Nordic Blues’, setting it against expansive harmonic landscapes. As Gustavsen puts it: “I have the clear feeling that stretching out and being creative happens organically, avoiding alienation and stiffness, when done in energetic connection with my roots – with the groundedness and sensuality of the hymns and the spirituals and the lullabies I grew up with.”

Tord returns to UK venues this year with his classic piano trio expanded with subtle electronics. Playing music from his latest ECM records release Opening as well as material from previous releases.

Support comes from Ellen Andrea Wang. Born and raised in Norway, Bassist and singer Ellen Andrea Wang has been a powerful force in Jazz and beyond, distinguishing herself as a truly inventive artist that blends styles in unprecedented ways. From collaboration with Sting, Manu Katché, and Marilyn Mazur, to performances at major Jazz Festivals, to her appearance with the vocal Jazz Group GURLS, to her own projects Pixel and the Ellen Andrea Wang Trio, Wang has consistently sought to tastefully blend Jazz and Pop in new ways. Her compositions and performance balance the the lyrical with the rough, the acoustic with the electric, resulting in a unique modern sound.