Ketil Bjørnstad@ BodøJazzOpen, Røvik Kirke (English)

 

I've been thinking for years that I should look into Ketil Bjørnstad. He is so famous. I've been travelling to Norway almost every year for 54 years and I've never heard a whole record of his or read one of his books. He was even on the Spiegel bestseller list and played with my idol Arild Andersen back in the 70s. The two are friends, as he told me today after the concert,

What is the reason for my lack of interest so far? I come from a working-class family and my parents had a small farm. Bjørnstad always represented the educated middle class to me. I shied away from it because I felt somehow excluded. No more of that!

The event, it wasn't just a concert, was a blast: Ketil Bjørnstad as a "national treasure" had the large audience in the modern Rønvik Church behind him in no time.  A very likeable classical singer, whose name escapes me, led a very entertaining conversation about contemporary Norwegian culture and his role in it. His relationship with the recently deceased singer-songwriter and writer Ole Paus, a close friend of Bjørnstad's, played a special role. Unfortunately, I know almost nothing about them. Mitt lille Land by Paus has been described as Norway's unofficial national anthem..


Bjørnstad is visibly satisfied with the Steinway and begins with romantic piano music. Beforehand, he describes Mozart as the greatest jazz musician and improviser. He announces that he will play a few classical pieces and then improvise. The sensitivity with which the Norwegian plays the piano is incredible. Every note seems to be meaningfully embedded in a greater whole and of infinite beauty. Music to lean back and close your eyes. The audience is mesmerised. 

But suddenly he is seized by a furore in the form of an enormously thunderous keyboard whirl that I would perhaps expect from Chris Jarrett. Aha, now it's improvisation time. Again and again he ends up with Lady Madonna and it becomes very jazzy. In between, he parlours reverently about his recordings at Abbey Road and the omnipresent spirit of the Beatles.

A wonderful Norwegian concert with a philanthropist. What more could you want?




Zum Schluss rezitiert Bjørnstad einige Gedichte seines
Freundes und Seelenverwandten Ole Paus


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