Whenever people talk or write about Jazz music it never takes long until
someone mentions the magic between the musicians. If you never really
understood what it meant but were afraid to ask, let Karl Seglem
explain. For almost a decade the Norwegian saxophonist with a fable for
all types of goat horns has been playing together with the Acoustic
Quartet, three younger musicians. Together they translate into music the
true meaning of magic in Jazz: discipline and freedom, trust and risk,
feeling and energy. Plus: a lot of fun. Following Norskjazz.no ('09) und
NyeSongar.no ('12) the new album Nordic Balm is the third studio album
of this formation with Karl Seglem, pianist Andreas Ulvo, bass player
Sigurd Hole and Jonas Howden Sjøvaag on drums. Thanks to constant
touring since 2008 the four are more than well-rehearsed, they form a
unity - a real band. This process in itself is important to Karl Seglem,
he describes the three albums as a trilogy and regards Nordic Balm as
the strongest and most important so far. But of course that is also due
to the fact that the most recent album is always the most important. All
the elements that made Karl Seglem's music so popular and successful
come together on Nordic Balm: strong roots in Skandinavian Folk and
World Music, a perfect balance of composition and improvisation,
extremely skilled musicians and excellent sound quality. Yet there is
also a pure joy of playing that urges through the cracks of this
foundation and sometimes takes control over the band, for example on the
manic goat horn heavy Fjordskimmr. From more measured songs like Lys i
glaset to up-tempo tracks like Eidblome and the groove based Ned Dalen,
that came to Karl Seglem on a hike in the Norwegian mountains, this
sheer lust of playing carries the album and pushes it forward. Even
Balsam, a song for Karl Seglems brother who is fighting cancer, never
turns into a lament but instead celebrates his positive energy and will
to live.
