A spiritual journey with Karl Seglem
On Friday 10 April 2015 the critically acclaimed musician and composer Karl Seglem will release his album “Som spor” in Germany. This is a recording of his commissioned work for the Vossa Jazz Festival in 2012, recorded live at the Nasjonal Jazzscene in Oslo. The work moves within the world-jazz landscape in the familiar Seglem style, and the composer himself describes the recurrent theme of his compositions as a musical journey built on solid craftsmanship and hard work. The album received glowing reviews in Scandinavia, and was nominated for a Spellemannpris (Norwegian Grammy) in the jazz category.
“Som spor” evokes a feeling of sitting around a crackling bonfire while listening to music that puts you in a trancelike state. Through his compositions Seglem opens the door to a mystical and bygone time, and takes the listener with him on a spiritual journey.
“Music is profoundly serious for me – and very playful. Rooted in tradition and at the same time innovative. Jazz is the freedom to do as you want. For me, improvisation is the ability to lead the music into totally unprecedented places here and now. And at the same time to take the listener on a sound journey, ” Seglem explains.
Throughout his long career as a musician and composer, Karl Seglem has constantly developed his musical expression. He has a unique ability to convey feelings through music in the here and now – a gift for communication that really comes into its own in “Som spor”. This is a journey through the musical intersection of jazz and folk music. A distinctive universe of sound, or as journalist Terje Mosnes said so aptly about the CD “URBS”: “New, powerful reports from planet Seglem.”
“I think that ‘Som spor’ is my strongest world-jazz record ever, ” says Karl Seglem.
The title of the work, which means “Like Traces”, originates in the human desire to mean something – to leave traces behind when our journey is at its end.
“Time goes by. We don’t live very long. Maybe we leave some traces behind, maybe not, ” Seglem concludes.
Out of the shadows, with a highly distinctive character
Stuart Nicholson in Jazzwise (UK) and Terje Mosnes in Dagbladet (N) have both emphasised that nobody has carried Jan Garbarek’s legacy forward in such a personal, powerful and distinctive way as Karl Seglem. Several German critics also point out that Seglem is now taking a decisive step out of his colleague’s shadow. Karl Seglem has been awarded several prizes for his music. In 2010 he received the highest award presented by the Norwegian jazz community, the Buddy Prize. He received the Edvard Prize, and he won the Norwegian Folk Music Award for his CD Ossicles. Both this CD and Som spor were nominated for a Norwegian Grammy Award, Spellemannprisen.