Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Sommeren Der Ute / Once Upon a Summer (2015) [Hi-Res]

Ellen Bødtker about “Once Upon a Summer” In August 2013, I travelled with Jan Erik Vold on the Japanese railway Schinkansen, reading haiku poems together. We were on a concert tour in the country, and looking out the window at the marvelous Japanese landscape passing by. I discovered a kinship between Jan Erik´s haiku poems and the harp´s Asian soundscape. It was during this journey the idea ofthis project was created. “Once upon a summer” is a musical and poetic journey through several continents with poetry as the leading track. Lyrics by Jan Erik Vold´s diverse universe enliven the ocean, summer, sea and people, and we are meeting the hermit Zuikan that is calling upon himself. I realized that by a glance at the Japanese villages seen passing by, they have much in common with the Norwegian scenery. The rare crew of harp, trumpet, percussion and voice crept forth among the poems. Musically, I have been inspired by a huge range of timbres, both Oriental and Norwegian as well as Jan Erik´s poetry. In light of all this wonderful material I have tried to fi nd my own voice. Arve Henriksen´s unique trumpet sound portrays nature in itself, and Eirik Raude´s percussion palette is a universe of colors and sounds. This has been like a journey on a blistering wave with creative friends.

Ellen Bødtker www.harpe.no is an innovative harpist and composer. She has played in most concert halls, venues and festivals in Norway and a lot around the world. She is a harpist with character and is one of Scandinavia’s leading harp soloists. She studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music, University of Music and Dart Eligible Arts, Vienna and Indiana University, Bloomington USA. Ellen has a strong commitment to contemporary music and several of Scandinavia’s leading composers have written solo pieces for her. She holds the position of solo harpist with the ensemble Oslo Sinfonietta. She has performed at prestigious festivals in many parts of the world with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. As a soloist she has played with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, The Norwegian Wind Ensemble, St. Petersburg Chamber Orchestra and Oslo Sinfonietta. Besides six solo albums under her own name, she has also participated in numerous panels in many genres, which has led to solo concerts in countries such as Japan, USA, UK, Germany, Italy, Russia and Canada. She is founder and president of the Munch notion «Heart Blood» that celebrated Munch 150 years in Norway and with «Heart Bloo

Jan Erik Vold is known as an essayist, translator, cultural commentator and recording artist. He has through his poems and newspaper articles set in motion a series of debates on literature and politics. In September 2000 he was also appointed an honorary doctorate at the University of Oslo. In the 1960´s he studied languages and literature at the universities of Oslo, Uppsala and Santa Barbara, California. He debuted as a poet in 1965 with the collection “Mellom speil og speil” (Between mirror and mirror), and has since had an extensive production. Among his most famous record releases is «Blåmann, Blåmann» (1988) with Chet Baker and «Ingentings bjeller» (1977) with Jan Garbarek. His poem «Tale for loffen» (A speech for the white loaf) made him famous throughout Norway. When he let his funny imagination run riot over the word «Kulturuke» (Cultur week) as presented in the national TV evening news many years ago, he became a person virtually every adult in Norway got to know. Jan Erik Vold now lives in Stockholm.

Arve Henriksen www.arvehenriksen.com hails from Stryn in the western part of Norway and is one of today’s leading jazz trumpet players. As a musician and composer, he has a position that reaches far beyond the jazz world. Henriksen was educated at Jazzlinja (NTNU) in Trondheim at a period where he participated in a several bands. His own solo CD “Sakuteiki” was released 2001. Together with Paal Nilssen-Love, he was in 2004 selected to the honorable launch program «Norwegian Jazz Launch Europe». In 2005 he participated on the concert DVD and CD release «Sketches of Spain» with the Norwegian Wind Ensemble led by Maria Schneider. In 2012 Arve Henriksen released a box with 7 LPs and a DVD, containing the older albums «Sakuteiki» (2001), «Chiaroscuro» (2004) and «Strjon» (2007), as well as previously unreleased live recordings on the LP «Chron». «The Nature of Connections» was released in 2014. Arve played on the Norwegian Grammy nominated release «Fly North!» with Jan Gunnar Hoff, Anders Jormin and Marilyn Mazur on Losen Records, 2014. He is founder and leader of the band Supersilent. Arve now lives in southern Sweden.

Eirik Raude www.eirikraude.no has won numerous awards as percussionist and premiered dozens of works. He has been a soloist with orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic, premiered works by Erlend Skomsvoll, Sofia Gubaidulina, Eivind Buene, Mark Adderley. He has made interdisciplinary collaborations with world music including video art, contemporary dance and theater as well as exploration of new technologies; with different groups and individuals. His latest project is a concert that explores sound and space: «Horizons», with Arve Henriksen. He released his first solo CD in 2005 which was applauded by the press. Eirik Raude studied percussion at the Academy of Music, Rotterdam Conservatory and Yale University and has taught at the Barratt Due Institute of Music, held international percussion seminars as well as master classes at Tromsø High School. He worked for 10 years as a percussionist in the Oslo Philharmonic Orch.

01. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Hvitt Hav / White Ocean (2:50)
02. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Stille Hav / Quiet Ocean (1:19)
03. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Sommeren Der Ute / Once Upon a Summer (10:22)
04. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Brev Som Kommer / Letters That Come (2:22)
05. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Mykt Hav / Tender Ocean (1:31)
06. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Eneboeren Zuikan / Zuikan the Hermit (1:57)
07. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Hokusai Den Gamle Mester / Hokusai the Old Master (4:46)
08. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Sju Ganger Ned Og Åtte Ganger Opp / Seven Times Down and Eight Times Up (1:04)
09. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Tre Dråper Vann / Three Drops of Water (1:07)
10. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Abel Ek / Abel Ek (6:18)
11. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Dråpen / The Drop (2:00)
12. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Solen, Snøen / Sun, Snow (2:40)
13. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Stein, Vann / Stone, Water (4:42)
14. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Hvem Er Det Som Hvisker? / Who S the One Whispering ? (1:45)
15. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Stupe I Havet / Plunging into the Ocean (2:18)
16. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Fossen / The Angry Rapids (2:12)
17. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Havet Og Smilet / Smiling by the Ocean (6:17)
18. Jan Erik Vold & Ellen Bødtker - Rodt Og Hvitt / Red and White (1:59)