Jazz Articles about Håvard Wiik

Håvard Wiik: This Is Not a Waltz

by Glenn Astarita
December 7, 2018

Leading-edge Norwegian pianist Håvard Wiik is a widely acclaimed artist via his work in the eminent Scandinavian free bop band, Atomic and collaborations with saxophonists Joe Lovano, Ken Vandermark and many other jazz VIPs. Yet he's equally at home settling into modern jazz frameworks or when venturing into the outside peripheries of jazz. But this release, recorded with his piano trio, delivers a smaller scale and comprehensive synthesis of his advanced technical skills, approach and style. Wiik injects ...

Håvard Wiik Trio: This Is Not a Waltz

by Enrico Bettinello
July 23, 2018

Tra i tanti talenti pianistici che vengono dal nord dell'Europa, quello di Håvard Wiik è tra i più luminosi e imprevedibili. Ben conosciuto con gli Atomic, come pure nel raffinatissimo progetto Free Fall di Ken Vandermark, Wiik è leader di grande intelligenza, come dimostra in questo nuovo lavoro in trio con i collaudati (già costituiscono la ritmica dei Motif) Ole Morten Vågan al contrabbasso e Håkon Mjåset Johansen alla batteria. Otto composizioni che raccontano bene il desiderio ...

Atomic: Retrograde

by Lloyd N. Peterson Jr.
January 9, 2010

Every time I have the opportunity to attend a performance by Atomic, I find myself asking, how does a band this dynamic and creative miss the radar on so many different media and industry levels? If the Miles Davis Quintet with Tony Williams, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Herbie Hancock could have rocked, they would have been the brilliant and ass-kicking Atomic. If they were from New York, my peers would be drooling at the opportunity to discover the arrival ...

Havard Wiik: Reinventing the Piano Jazz Trio in Ukraine

by Alex Martynov
May 16, 2009

Havard Wiik Trio Concert Hall of Tchaikovsky National Academy of Music Kyiv, Ukraine April 18, 2009

Havard Wiik, a pianist known for his own groups as well as for his work in Atomic, Free-Fall, and Motif, is the present and the future of the Norwegian jazz scene. A gifted player and composer, he has already recorded a piano solo album, highly-acclaimed duos with young talented saxophonist Hakon Kornstad, and two albums with his ...

Atomic: Retrograde

by John Kelman
October 28, 2008

Plenty has been written about the intersection--past and present--between members of the Swedish/Norwegian collective Atomic, and Chicago's Ken Vandermark's countless projects. Most telling, perhaps, is this simple fact: were Atomic American-based, there's little doubt it would garner similar accolades from a considerably larger audience unafraid of the kind of fearless experimentation that's been the quintet's signature since convening around the turn of the millennium. Retrograde is the group's fifth release and second three-CD set, following its all-live The Bikini Tapes ...

Havard Wiik Trio: The Arcades Project

by John Kelman
June 8, 2008

Freedom comes in many forms, and while still a relative youngster, Oslo-based pianist Håvard Wiik's already built a career across the broadest possible spectrum of improvisational possibilities, whether it's with Atomic, the Swedish/Norwegian collective where Wiik's name first came to attention on albums including the expansive three-CD The Bikini Tapes (Jazzland, 2005), his ongoing “covers" duo with Jazzland label mate/saxophonist Håkon Kornstad on the inventive The Bad and the Beautiful (Moserobie, 2007), or his sparer solo album Palinode (Moserobie, 2007). ...