Artist Profile,
Daniel Herskedal
Growing up in the town of Molde on the Norwegian west coast, Herskedal’s interest in brass music began when he took up French horn, before later picking up the tuba and beginning studies at the Storyville jazz club, while also attending his high school’s music program. His studies would eventually take him to the conservatoire in Trondheim, joining multiple groups including a trio with pianist Espen Berg and saxophonist Bendik Giske, while he also played in the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra on multiple occasions. Eventually graduating from the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen with a Master’s in jazz tuba, Herskedal’s early recording output came out initially on NorCD, an independent label specialising in Norwegian folk, jazz and improvised music, while subsequent releases since 2012’s Neck of the Woods have been with Cardiff-based Edition Records. His music has a consistent cinematic heart, and Herskedal often works on soundtracks including the 2019 feature ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco’. Outside of his solo work, Herskedal splits his time between many different ensembles inside and outside of his home country - a soloist in demand for the BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Norwegian Navy Band and the Russian Patrarchate Choir to name a few. It’s not often tuba players manage to make their mark as much as Herskedal has - it’s hardly the most common choice of solo instrument - but Herskedal manages to unlock its real creative potential.
Before his bandleading Edition debut with Slow Eastbound Train in 2015, Herskedal’s first release for the label was with saxophonist and fellow Norwegian Marius Neset, with guest appearances from the Svanholm Singers, most notably on the soaring title track. The duets flirt with classical and folk music, and while Neset’s sax is often the leading sound in the pieces, Herskedal is not purely relegated to bass accompaniment duties and gets many moments in the spotlight.
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The album that brought Herskedal to a wider international audience, Slow Eastbound Train is also the beginning of a musical trilogy for Herskedal. The beautiful tone-setting opener, ‘The Mistral Noir’, showcases an early example of Herskedal’s multi-tracked brass composition technique, while the plucked strings on tracks like ‘Rainfall’ and ‘Monsoon Coming’ give a nice folky atmosphere. The strings return on tracks like the lush ‘Bydlo’ and the title track, adding a pinch of cinematic grandiosity.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC
The Roc takes much inspiration from Herskedal’s trip to Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, the title itself referring to the great bird of prey from Middle-Eastern mythology. Rather fittingly, this record is much more evocative of Arabic classical music and folk, with tracks like ‘Kurd Bayat Nahawand to Kurd’ even named after Arabic musical scales, and this ever-present theme of travel is just as prevalent as on Slow Eastbound Train.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Voyage was our 29th March 2019 Recording of the Week, and for good reason. From the turbulent opener ‘Batten Down the Hatches’ to the wide-open waters of the following track ‘Cut and Run’, this album features some of Herskedal’s best work in the context of an ensemble, a selection of jazz tone poems depicting different vessels at sea.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
After completing his trio of first albums, Herskedal has retreated somewhat to the more icy sounds of his native Norway. Hardly a stranger to more atmospheric music, Call for Winter is a markedly less ‘jazzy’ affair from the tubist. Herskedal recorded the album during a two-week period of isolation deep in the Norwegian wilderness. These multi-tracked recordings have him playing both tuba and bass trombone, even huffing away to create percussive sounds, while his counterpointal arrangements have an almost choral quality to them.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Herskedal’s most recent release is his collaboration with organist Magnus Moksnes Myhre, the two having met while studying at the conservatoire in Trondheim. Tuba and organ is hardly the most common pairing you’ll ever hear, and the pair make some interesting music with their unique setup, with Herskedal either playing the lead lines or providing some bass counterpoint to Myhre’s organ.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Joshua Lee - Jazz Content
