David Härenstam & Peter Knudsen - All in Twilight (2023)

This collaboration started out with an idea of somehow combining the fields of classical contemporary music and contemporary jazz improvisation, creating a bridge between the musical worlds. The resulting album, All in Twilight, is driven by a deep admiration for the original music and its expressive potential. Toru Takemitsu´s guitar suite All in Twilight with its richness and wide musical spectrum, Erland von Koch’s Utanmyra-variationer based on a Swedish folk music tune, the explosive guitar piece Fuoco by French composer Roland Dyens and Thin Places, a new composition written for the duo by Stefan Klaverdal.

"An intimate and fruitful meeting across the genre boundaries. David Härenstam belongs to our country's top classical guitarists, and Peter Knudsen is a highly rated jazz pianist and teacher at Örebros Music Collage. The two have put together a cross-border concert program - a mix of classical, jazz, tango and folk music. The duo played selected movements from the Japanese composer Tōru Takemitsus suite All in Twilight, and Astor Piazzola's fiery Histoire du Tango. In addition, Erland von Koch's 'Utanmyra variations' were interpreted, based on the folk melody now associated with Jan Johansson, as well as a Hector Villa Lobo's guitar concert. As an encore, one of Piazzola's most beautiful melodies, Oblivion, was invited. The compositions were chosen with care: beautiful, virtuoso and rarely heard.' 'The improvised elements did not feel clogged, but worked very well in the context. Sometimes it was even difficult to know what was written and what was improvised. This was a concert night, which once again showed that a meeting between jazz and other musical genres is not only possible, but at best - like here - fruitful." (Orkesterjournalen)

David Härenstam, guitar
Peter Knudsen, piano

Tracklist
01. Takemitsu: All in Twilight – I
02. Takemitsu: All in Twilight – II
03. Takemitsu: All in Twilight – III
04. Takemitsu: All in Twilight – IV
05. Koch: Utanmyra-variationer
06. Klaverdal: Thin Places
07. Dyens: Fuoco
08. Knudsen: Dépaysement
09. Ellington: In a Sentimental Mood