Being is the new album from Norwegian pianist and composer Eyolf Dale. A musician of exceptional beauty and poise, his music is rich in colour and mood. Being, his first album in the piano trio format, builds on the extraordinary success of his three previous Edition albums with more than 6 million streams on Spotify alone. Praised for his lyricism and exploratory improvisational style, Eyolf follows the likes of countrymen Tord Gustavsen and Bugge Wesseltoft in developing global audiences and media recognition for Norwegian music.
Being is emotive and highly personal. The music is serene, beautiful and profound, blending a subtle groove with intense lyricism. Rooted in Jazz, he employs a classical approach yet has never studied classical. If Chopin was a Jazz pianist he would sound like Eyolf Dale. His phrasing is nuanced, his touch is precise and his music is deeply emotive.
But Being, as the name suggest is so much more than just a new album for Eyolf, as he explains: “Being is my first trio album. I wanted to be ready to say something before I made a trio album. The interplay with my heroes Audun Kleive and Per Zanussi evolved naturally and grew from numerous tours with Wolf Valley octet the past few years, and with them I’ve found a truly collaborative trio with just the right temperament and musical awareness for my compositions. To me, Being feels highly personal, reflective of my experiences from childhood to adulthood and encompasses the space and freedom to be playful and in tune with Per & Audun’s unique touch. The album is about a search for contentment, for peace, for being present’.
Eyolf Dale first emerged into Norwegian scene in 2008 but it was his octet releases, and first albums on Edition, Wolf Valley and Return to Mind, that his profile grew outside his home country. Wolf Valley recorded in one room was an elegant display of the band while Return to Mind employed a greater depth of tone and richness to the ensemble. As a composer his work ranges from solo pianistic elegance, orchestral colouring in his octet to subtle groove and interplay of his trio.
This album stands with a classic and iconic feel to it. A set of music that can stand the test of time. It’s timeless and has a depth that will give repeat listeners endless rewards. It has the command to stand as one of the great albums to come out of Norway in recent years.
