Further Reading
2nd July 2021
The Norwegian tubist's latest record is his most varied, evocative and creative to date; a concept album inspired by the Norwegian coastline, Harbour beautifully marries his jazz trio work with his more composed, cinematic style.
Daniel Herskedal is the epitome of brilliance – an esteemed composer of beautifully lyrical, rhythmically charged music and a world-class performer and technically proficient on an instrument he has made uniquely his own.
Coming off the back of winning a Spellemann Award (Norwegian Grammy) for his 2020 solo album ‘Call for Winter’, Daniel Herskedal’s new album that will cement his position as one the most exciting, prolific and inspiring musicians of his generation in Europe.
Harbour, his sixth album on Edition, reunites his long term collaborators, pianist Eyolf Dale and Andreas Helge Norbakken: a band that gets stronger and stronger with each release. Their joint sonority and musical depth is overwhelming, full of awe-inspiring melodies soaring over a bed-rock of rhythmical precision laid down by Dale and Norbakken. The production, thanks to the contribution from engineer August Wanngren, takes Daniel’s sound a step further, with more pronounced and richer subtleties evident in the vast sonic array created by these three instruments. It’s a wonder that this range of sounds are produced by just three musicians.
The Norwegian landscape has always played a vital role in Daniel’s music – natural, bold, vast but with a sense of minimalism in the space and wild openness. His discography also demonstrates a sense of journeying and worldwide influences. Each of his albums with this ensemble displays the inspiration of travelling and the journey, navigated through Daniel’s own imaginary world landscapes, from the tracks Moon Coming on Slow Eastbound Train (2015) to Hijaz Train Station on The Roc (2017) and Chatham Dockyard on Voyage (2018).
Harbour’s inspiration comes from a sense of being close to the sea and taking shelter from the storms and wild elements. The album was recorded at Ocean Sound Recordings, which sits on an island on the rugged Norwegian coastline in December 2020. The music evokes that feeling of warmth and protection when sheltered from the weather and the sea.
Daniel has proved he has the facility, vision and musicianship to push the boundaries of his instrument, technically and sonically, further than anyone before. Harbour is the result of a consummate musician perfecting his craft and musicianship over many years. Truly spellbinding!
