And Vestiges of Rock-From the Deep, Loamy the Bridge Is Almost Completely Flat, So You Flexible Musician

g6.df\ ne of the cherished traditions of the Bull), but all through the prism of his own the material after that." The basic tracks for g $venerable Vossa )azz Festival goes musical voice. Kjohtatn, for example, were recorded in an \*./ by the title "Tingingsverket," a com- On the phone from his home in the small ancient stone church near Lena, Norway, and missioned work by an artist of note. A special town of Haugesund, where he was born in then Eicher added post-production touches. meaning, depth and local angle were attached 1961, @kland explained that creating the tap- One of Okland's most trusted collabora- to the 2016 honoree, Nils Okland, the inno- estry-like piece Glodetradar was a challenge, tors over the years, including on his latest ECM vative and tradition-respecting master of the well rewarded by the outcome. "I'm not an edu- album and at the 2016 Vossa Jazz Festival, is Hardanger fiddle (aka hardingfele). cated composer," he said. "The difficult part the harmonium player Sigbjorn Apeland, with His connection to the Norwegian town of was to try to make some links between the dif- whom Okland also has a fascinating improvi- Voss is integral to his artistic evolution. In ferent parts. It was quite easy to get ideas, but sational trio-with a drummer-called 1982. the 1990s, as a student and then teacher at more challenging to put them together." The trio has recorded for the muscular-ambi- Voss' widely respected Ole Bul1 Akademiet, What is it that makes the Hardanger fiddle ent-inclined label Hubro, which will release its Okland was on his way to finding a personal- so unique? "The sympathetic strings have a big next album in February. ized path-inch:ding jazz, free improvisation influence on the sound," Okland said. 'And Okland describes Apeland as an extremely and vestiges of rock-from the deep, loamy the bridge is almost completely flat, so you flexible musician. "Sigbjorn studied free tradition of the indigenous Hardanger fiddle. often pla| on two or three strings at a time. It's improvisation with fohn Stevens in London, The instrument's unique resonance is created a different way ofplaying, because you almost when he was young," he says. "He also rr-orked through a set of sympathetic strings, which are release the sound. When I play violin, I have as a church organist close to my hometolr'n." positioned beneath the bowed strings. This fid- to be quite active with my bow to make a good They began making music together in the d1e, which originated in the Norwegian region sound. But with the Hardanger fiddle, it's late'80s, and the bond is stronger than ever called the Hardanger, typically has a total of more like you lift the sound out. You have to now, as Okland raises his international pro- eight or nine strings. be more careful." file. (Stateside, he hopes to make his \err \brk Okland's hour-plus suite at Yossa lazz, While he has recorded for other labels, debut in 2017, ard has been in'r'ited to the titled, Glo detradar (a rotgh translation is "glow including Rune Grammofon, Okland has acclaimed, adventurous Big Ears Festiral in thread"), played like a seamless blending-and been strengthening his discography on ECM, Knoxville, Tennessee, in March.) synthesis-of two important recent albums on thanks to an empathetic connection with the Okland relates his eclectic musical er-olu- the ECM. The first is Nordic post-rock trio head of the label, Manfred Eicher. "I worked tion to the deep tradition of Hardanger hd- project Lumen Drones (2014) and the second closely with him in Christian Wallumrod's dlers, which dates back to the l,th cenrury. is the hauntingly lovely and introspective 2015 group," Okland said, regarding his central role "Especiallywith old players who I har-e met, all release Kjolvatn. Oklandt compositions draw in the keyboardist's mystical, radiant cham- of them play differently. They rr-ere lile poets. heavily on the influence of Norwegian folk ber-jazz project, as heard on the 2005 disc A I like that the music ... can be so indilidu- music and the country's vintage hymn tradi- Year From Easter. "Bttt on my recordings I al. That makes it more personal. \bu ca-n see tion (to which he paid more direct tribute on have done for ECM, [Eicher] has not been in that happening ifi jazz and rock and cL;assical the 20ll ECM album Lysoen-Hommage A Ole the recording situation, but he had worked on music, as well." \l-oodard -losel .

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