KETIL BJØRNSTAD

Post-Fusion Contemporary / Third Stream / Jazz Related Improv/Composition / Jazz Related Rock / Pop/Art Song/Folk / Jazz Related Soundtracks • Norway
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KETIL BJØRNSTAD picture
Norwegian pianist, composer and author, born April 25, 1952 in Oslo.

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A classically trained jazz pianist with a bent toward avant-garde improvised music, Ketil Bjørnstad is a well-known musician and writer in Europe. With his cerebral, atmospheric style that belies a palpable inner passion and an inclination toward genre-crossing compositions, Bjørnstad helped develop and popularize the "European jazz" aesthetic. He is also a writer and poet and has published over 30 works beginning with his 1972 poetry collection Alone. He began recording a year later with Apning, and issued some 24 studio outings include 1977's Selena for Phillips, 1983's Bjørnstad/Paus/Hamsun with singer Ole Paus, and lyrics by author Knut Hamsun for KKV, and 1990's The Shadow, wherein Bjørnstad set the poems of John Donne to music. After signing to ECM he issued 1993's Water Stories; it marked the beginning of a series of H2O-themed outings for the label that included 1995's
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KETIL BJØRNSTAD Discography

KETIL BJØRNSTAD albums / top albums

KETIL BJØRNSTAD Åpning album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Åpning
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1973
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Berget Det Blå album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Berget Det Blå
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1974
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Tredje Dag album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Tredje Dag
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1975
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Finnes Du Noensteds Ikveld album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Finnes Du Noensteds Ikveld
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1976
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Selena album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Selena
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1977
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjørnstad / Sigmund Groven ‎: Musikk For En Lang Natt album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Ketil Bjørnstad / Sigmund Groven ‎: Musikk For En Lang Natt
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1977
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Leve Patagonia album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Leve Patagonia
Jazz Related Rock 1978
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Svart Piano album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Svart Piano
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1979
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Tidevann album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Tidevann
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1980
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjørnstad / Stavangerensemblet ‎: 30-Årskrigen album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Ketil Bjørnstad / Stavangerensemblet ‎: 30-Årskrigen
Jazz Related Rock 1981
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Engler I Sneen album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Engler I Sneen
Jazz Related Soundtracks 1982
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjørnstad & Ole Paus : Bjørnstad / Paus / Hamsun album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Ketil Bjørnstad & Ole Paus : Bjørnstad / Paus / Hamsun
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1982
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Aniara album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Aniara
Jazz Related Rock 1983
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Mine Dager I Paris album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Mine Dager I Paris
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1984
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Preludes Vol. 1 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Preludes Vol. 1
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1984
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjørnstad, Ingri Andersen ‎: Natten album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Ketil Bjørnstad, Ingri Andersen ‎: Natten
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1984
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Preludes Vol. 2 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Preludes Vol. 2
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1985
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Three Ballets - Ophelia's Arrival / Pianology / Minotauros album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Three Ballets - Ophelia's Arrival / Pianology / Minotauros
Third Stream 1987
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Pianology album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Pianology
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1987
KETIL BJØRNSTAD The Shadow album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Shadow
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1990
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Odyssey album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Odyssey
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1990
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Rift - En Rockopera album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Rift - En Rockopera
Jazz Related Rock 1991
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjørnstad • Erik Hillestad ‎: Messe For En Såret Jord album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Ketil Bjørnstad • Erik Hillestad ‎: Messe For En Såret Jord
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1992
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Water Stories album cover 3.80 | 5 ratings
Water Stories
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1993
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjørnstad / David Darling / Terje Rypdal / Jon Christensen : The Sea album cover 4.57 | 12 ratings
Ketil Bjørnstad / David Darling / Terje Rypdal / Jon Christensen : The Sea
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1995
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjørnstad / David Darling : The River album cover 3.40 | 5 ratings
Ketil Bjørnstad / David Darling : The River
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1997
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjørnstad, David Darling, Jon Christensen, Terje Rypdal ‎: The Sea II album cover 3.30 | 5 ratings
Ketil Bjørnstad, David Darling, Jon Christensen, Terje Rypdal ‎: The Sea II
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1998
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Nytt Liv («The Rosenborg Tapes» Volum I) (aka New Life) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Nytt Liv («The Rosenborg Tapes» Volum I) (aka New Life)
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1998
KETIL BJØRNSTAD 20 Variasjoner Over Preludium & Fuge I Ciss-Moll Av Johan Sebastian Bach («The Rosenborg Tapes» Volum 2) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
20 Variasjoner Over Preludium & Fuge I Ciss-Moll Av Johan Sebastian Bach («The Rosenborg Tapes» Volum 2)
Third Stream 1999
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjørnstad / David Darling : Epigraphs album cover 3.54 | 7 ratings
Ketil Bjørnstad / David Darling : Epigraphs
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2000
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjørnstad Featuring Eivind Aarset, Nora Taksdal, Kjetil Bjerkestrand : Before The Light album cover 2.25 | 2 ratings
Ketil Bjørnstad Featuring Eivind Aarset, Nora Taksdal, Kjetil Bjerkestrand : Before The Light
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2001
KETIL BJØRNSTAD The Bach Variations album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Bach Variations
Third Stream 2002
KETIL BJØRNSTAD The Nest album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Nest
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2003
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Floating album cover 4.33 | 3 ratings
Floating
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2005
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Rainbow Sessions album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Rainbow Sessions
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2006
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Devotions album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Devotions
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2007
KETIL BJØRNSTAD The Light: Songs Of Love And Fear album cover 2.00 | 1 ratings
The Light: Songs Of Love And Fear
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2008
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Damen I Dalen album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Damen I Dalen
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2010
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Remembrance album cover 3.70 | 6 ratings
Remembrance
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2010
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjørnstad / Svante Henryson ‎: Night Song album cover 2.67 | 3 ratings
Ketil Bjørnstad / Svante Henryson ‎: Night Song
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2011
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Vinding's Music: Songs from the Alder Thicket album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Vinding's Music: Songs from the Alder Thicket
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2012
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Sunrise - A cantata on texts by Edvard Munch album cover 4.00 | 1 ratings
Sunrise - A cantata on texts by Edvard Munch
Third Stream 2013
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ensomheten album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Ensomheten
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2013
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Verden Som Var Min - Sekstitallet album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Verden Som Var Min - Sekstitallet
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2015
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjørnstad & Ole Paus : Frolandia album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Ketil Bjørnstad & Ole Paus : Frolandia
Pop/Art Song/Folk 2015
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Verden Som Var Min Syttitallet album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Verden Som Var Min Syttitallet
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2016
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Verden Som Var. Min Åttitallet album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Verden Som Var. Min Åttitallet
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2017
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjørnstad / Eva Bjerga Haugen / Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold ‎: Hun Som Kjenner Tristheten Ved Ting album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Ketil Bjørnstad / Eva Bjerga Haugen / Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold ‎: Hun Som Kjenner Tristheten Ved Ting
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2018
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Verden Som Var Min Nittitallet album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Verden Som Var Min Nittitallet
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2018
KETIL BJØRNSTAD A Suite of Poems album cover 4.00 | 1 ratings
A Suite of Poems
Pop/Art Song/Folk 2018
KETIL BJØRNSTAD The World I Used To Know album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The World I Used To Know
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2019
KETIL BJØRNSTAD The Beginning - and the End album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Beginning - and the End
Third Stream 2019
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjørnstad & Guro Kleven Hagen ‎: The Personal Gallery album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Ketil Bjørnstad & Guro Kleven Hagen ‎: The Personal Gallery
Third Stream 2020
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Lofotoratoriet album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Lofotoratoriet
Third Stream 2020
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjornstad - Lars Saabye Christensen - Anneli Drecker: Between Hotels and Time album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Ketil Bjornstad - Lars Saabye Christensen - Anneli Drecker: Between Hotels and Time
Pop/Art Song/Folk 2022
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Sanger Ved Havet's Begynnelse album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Sanger Ved Havet's Begynnelse
Third Stream 2023
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Nightwalker album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Nightwalker
Third Stream 2023
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Terje Vigen - En Musikal album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Terje Vigen - En Musikal
Jazz Related Soundtracks 2024

KETIL BJØRNSTAD EPs & splits

KETIL BJØRNSTAD live albums

KETIL BJØRNSTAD Old album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Old
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2001
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Grace album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Grace
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2001
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Seafarer's Song album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Seafarer's Song
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2004
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Life in Leipzig album cover 2.00 | 2 ratings
Life in Leipzig
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2008
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Hvalenes Sang (Oratorium) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Hvalenes Sang (Oratorium)
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2010
KETIL BJØRNSTAD La notte album cover 4.50 | 3 ratings
La notte
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2013
KETIL BJØRNSTAD A Passion for John Donne album cover 3.67 | 3 ratings
A Passion for John Donne
Third Stream 2014
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Shimmering album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Shimmering
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2015
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Bartók | Debussy | Ravel album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Bartók | Debussy | Ravel
Third Stream 2015
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Images album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Images
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2015
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Sanger Om Tilhorighet album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Sanger Om Tilhorighet
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2016
KETIL BJØRNSTAD New Morning album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
New Morning
Third Stream 2022

KETIL BJØRNSTAD demos, promos, fans club and other releases (no bootlegs)

KETIL BJØRNSTAD re-issues & compilations

KETIL BJØRNSTAD Leve Patagonia (Utdrag) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Leve Patagonia (Utdrag)
Jazz Related Rock 1978
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ophelias Arrival / Minotaurus album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Ophelias Arrival / Minotaurus
Third Stream 1993
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Preludes album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Preludes
Post-Fusion Contemporary 1993
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Prelude album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Prelude
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2000
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Early Years album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Early Years
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2000
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjørnstad, Bugge Wesseltoft : S@motność w Sieci album cover 3.00 | 2 ratings
Ketil Bjørnstad, Bugge Wesseltoft : S@motność w Sieci
Jazz Related Soundtracks 2006
KETIL BJØRNSTAD The Rainbow (solo piano - Excerpts from the 3CD set Rainbow Sessions) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Rainbow (solo piano - Excerpts from the 3CD set Rainbow Sessions)
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2009
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Early Piano Music album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Early Piano Music
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2011
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Images / Shimmering album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Images / Shimmering
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2015
KETIL BJØRNSTAD Rainbow Session - New Edition album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Rainbow Session - New Edition
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2019
KETIL BJØRNSTAD The World I Used To Know album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The World I Used To Know
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2019
KETIL BJØRNSTAD The Seventies album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Seventies
Post-Fusion Contemporary 2022

KETIL BJØRNSTAD singles (0)

KETIL BJØRNSTAD movies (DVD, Blu-Ray or VHS)

KETIL BJØRNSTAD Reviews

KETIL BJØRNSTAD La notte

Live album · 2013 · Post-Fusion Contemporary
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
Matt
Commissioned by the Molde International Jazz Festival and Recorded Live in 2010 at the Norway Festival for later release By ECM records has the multi talented Norwegian Ketil Bjørnstad presenting his perception in music on Italian Filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni with his 1961 film sharing the title of this very album from Ketil Bjørnstad “La Notte” ( The night). Ketil Bjørnstad has been around since the late sixties since playing Classical piano in his later teens but in the seventies headed for Jazz and Folk with a distinct Northern European influence of retaining Classical elements within his compositions. He has recorded over fifty albums as well most likely written as many books, hence the multi talented which is often used to describe his artistic output. Although this album was recorded in 2010 ECM did not release it until three years later in 2013 due to most likely the fact they already had an album recorded by Ketil prior, still in the can being “The River”.

The album line up is a Sextet with the majority involved having played with each other in various ensembles and bands with Arild Anderson the bassist having the most extensive experience with Ketil Bjørnstad and just about everyone else in European Jazz. The cellist David Darling who has played with Ketil extensively in the past is not present and has been replaced with the stunning German born Anja Lechner who usually you will find in ECM’s New Series having played with the Rosamunde Quartet, Tarkovsky Quartet, the pianists Vassilis Tsabropoulos and Francois Couturier as well as the great Bandoneon player Dino Saluzzi. Andy Sheppard who is usually in Carla Bley’s ensembles or leading his own these days is on tenor and soprano saxophone, Marilyn Mazur is on percussion and drums having played with Jan Garbarek for one as well as doing her own albums and also included is Eivind Aarset also an artist in his right as well as playing with Andy Sheppard above and who also has many well known productions behind him is playing guitar and providing electronics.

Ketil Bjørnstad has composed eight parts within the album’s structure with “La Notte I” commencing with a slight electronic drone and touches of bass and percussion with the sound picking up as the introduction of piano and cello is added in this mediative opening number. Andy Sheppard’s tenor and Eivind Aarset’s guitar inject two lovely pieces with Ketil’s piano and Marilyn’s percussion as the base in the bolder “La Notte II”. The ensemble delivers a delightful mix within “La Notte III” with Andy Sheppard’s saxophone barely noticeable coming in over Anja Lechner’s cello with a superb middle timed underlay from the rest of the musicians within the piece. It’s a slow tempo for “La Notte IV” primarily comprising piano and more of that beautiful cello from Anja Lechner who I have to say is the star amongst all these musicians within these beautiful compositions from Ketil Bjørnstad. The album continues with more of the stunning mediative input for “La Notte V and VI” with more stunning cello, soprano sax and Marilyn Mazur’s just right percussion comprising the odd chimes, beat etc with the ensemble picking things up again in “La Notte VII” with Arild Anderson’s superb bass opening and Eivind’s fabulous guitar solo. The album comes to an end with another beautiful slow relaxing piece in “VIII”

Leaning towards Classical at times and leaning towards some great Fusion at others in this highly interesting album which after quite a few plays with many in a row, I still have not tired of. One other note although the album states it is Live there is not a whisper of audience sound to be heard.

KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjørnstad, Bugge Wesseltoft : S@motność w Sieci

Boxset / Compilation · 2006 · Jazz Related Soundtracks
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
snobb
Norwegian composer and pianist Ketil Bjornstad is known for his contemporary melodic jazz albums. "S@motność w Sieci" is a bit different - it is a soundtrack to a Polish TV series, based on the book by Janusz Leon Wiśniewski (2001). It is a modern love story published in 2005 that was released in multimedia form and later as a movie and a 4 episode series for Polish TV. The book itself received mixed reviews - some even called it "pornographic".

It's interesting that none of the music on here was written specifically for the movie, instead, the music was chosen from already existing compositions from film director Witold Adamek's favorite musicians - Ketil Bjornstad and Bugge Wesseltoft. I didn't watch the movie itself, but from reviews and this album, I can perfectly expect what it is like. Melodic, but never too sweet, melancholic, but not overly-sensitive, this soundtrack sounds like a great illustration for a modern story about a modern internet-love story (English name of the film is "Loneless In Internet"). Bjornstad's music fits perfectly with such a release - he knows well how to be modern and old-fashioned at the same time. Better than your usual love story soundtrack, this album is not just another "dolce gelati", but on the other hand, don't expect anything new or unusual - everything on here is done according to the genre's rules. The only pleasant surprise and fresh ingredient on this release are the two Bugge Wesseltoft songs. Selected according to the movie's concept, they are still much more advanced and sound more attractive than the rest of the material. "You Might Say" also contains nice female vocals.

Overall this album is possibly most attractive to fans of the movie (or TV series), but it is really a good release for anyone searching for a romantically melancholic soundtrack for their Friday night.

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