Bugge Wesseltoft: Am Are

Jens Christian Bugge Wesseltoft was born in Porsgrunn, Norway, in February 1964 , the son of Erik, a guitarist. Thankfully, he was soon just known as Bugge and people learned that his first name is pronounced "Boogie" not "Bug" or "Bugga... " Having flirted with a punk band that he did not enjoy much, Wesseltoft moved towards jazz, in particular to the style identified as "future jazz" or nu jazz.

In 1995, Wesseltoft formed his own five-member band, called New Conception of Jazz; their first album won an award in 1996, the year it was released. As well as playing piano, organ, electronics, horn and vocals, Wesseltoft composed most of the album's music, recorded and mixed it. After the success of the 1996 album, further releases followed, New Conception of Jazz: Sharing in 1998, New Conception of Jazz: Moving in 2001, New Conception of Jazz: Live in 2003... Wesseltoft had well and truly arrived.

Fast forward to 2025 and we have the album Am Are credited solely to Wesseltoft but with a line-up which could be labelled Who is in Scandinavian music. Of the album's ten tracks, which vary in duration from 3' 56" to 9' 05, totalling sixty-five minutes, the opener, "How?" is a Wesseltoft piano and synth solo, followed by "ReiN" a duo with Wesseltoft on piano and Elias Tafjord on drums. The other eight tracks are all trios, but not all piano-bass-drums trios: for instance, "Is Anyone Listening?" combines piano, Martin Myhre Olsen's saxophone and Rohay Taalah's voice very effectively, while the closing track, "Think aHeaD" is a trio which comprises Wesseltoft on piano and organ, Oddrun Lilja on guitar, and Sanskriti Shrestha on tablas and harp.

The remaining six tracks feature three piano trios playing two tracks each, with Wesseltoft playing piano in all six tracks. In his sleeve notes, Wesseltoft writes effusively about the bass and drums pair of Sveinung Hovensjo on electric bass and Jon Christensen on the drums, with whom he had worked ten years before, for a day's session. He says, " They had not played together in decades, but mutual admiration shone through the conversation... The album features more incredible artists I'm so happy to be able to work with." Yes, Bugge Wesselltoft is still in top form, as good to listen to as ever. Am Are is proof.

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