Norwegian Percussion – Kjell Samkopf

A daring venture into Norwegian music for percussion

Released in collaboration with the Norwegian Percussion Society, a nation-wide organization working to maintain and develop the technical standard and general conditions of Norwegian percussionists, this album is packed with some of the most ground breaking music for percussion – all written by Norwegian composers. This album is not only important in disseminating Norwegian music for percussion to a wider audience, it is a daring venture into a vast and, for many, unknown repertoire within contemporary Norwegian music.

Performed by a range of prominent musicians, including Rob Waring, Kjell Samkopf and jazz musicians Célio de Carvalho, Jon Balke and Jon Christensen, we are treated with five works all diverse in their expression. Magne Hegdal´s “Schema Sonante” is a movement along a scale from precise coordination to total freedom, achieving free and individual development within a fixed and unifying framework. Bjørn Kruse´s “Syllables” reflects impulses from a great variety of musical styles in a modern and personal musical language, with improvisation being a core element. Øistein Sommerfeldt´s “Music for One Percussion Player” is a welcome addition to the percussion-repertoire, showing off the “beautiful” side of percussion instruments. Kjell Samkopf´s “Variations on Parang Chant” echoes the Swedish jazz pianist Jan Johansson in what must be one of the most pleasing-to-the-ear compositions on this album. As the album´s closing piece we find one of Norway´s most famous jazz drummers Jon Christensen´s piece “Rhythm Notes”, a collective, improvised session featuring some highly renowned Norwegian musicians.