The Song Poetry of Torhild Ostad and Kazzrie Jaxen

While many singers interpret songs, few elevate them into song poetry—a fusion of lyricism and phrasing that transcends genre. This rare quality emerges when voice, words, and musical interplay coalesce into something greater than the sum of their parts. It is a phenomenon found in the recent albums by Norwegian vocalist Torhild Ostad and pianist-singer Kazzrie Jaxen, each supported by bassists who intuitively tune into the emotional and structural nuances of the music.

Torhild Ostad / Carsten Dahl / Arild Andersen
Lyset fra mørket
Nye Nor
2025

Ostad previously collaborated with Danish pianist Carsten Dahl on Jeg roper til deg (NORCD, 2017), a masterful work that honored the legacy of Radka Toneff. Eight years later, Lyset fra mørket continues that artistic dialogue, widening its emotional and poetic reach.

The connection between the two albums is explicit. The title track, originally a wordless improvisation by Dahl on Jeg Roper Til Deg, reappears here with newly written lyrics by Ostad: "Sagte kommer lyset frem igjen / som stilhed etter en storm som raste" (Slowly the light breaks through / like silence after a raging storm).

Her delivery—part sung, part recited—sets the tone for an album that unfolds like a self-contained world. It is a world of subtle light and shadow, where beauty coexists with sorrow, and where the blues are not merely a genre but a state of being.

On "Blått" (Blue), Dahl's harmonic twists stretch the blues form into new territory, while Ostad challenges binary notions of melancholy. "Blått," in her rendering, becomes the invisible messenger of the soul—neither good nor bad, but inevitable.

While the interplay between Ostad and Dahl is as strong as ever, the addition of Arild Andersen adds to the album's impact. His bass playing is both grounding and expressive. On "Usikkert barn" (Insecure child), his woody tone gives rhythmic buoyancy, while on "Vesla skuggen min" (Vesla my shadow), his subtle phrasing and punctuation adds just what is needed, without unnecessary ornamentation.

The closing track, "Alle har sitt" (Everyone Has Something), acknowledges the burdens we all carry. Yet the music offers solace, suggesting that while sorrow may be personal, it is not isolating. This is poetic communication at its finest—an album where each member of the trio speaks with a distinct voice, yet together they trace a shared path through darkness and light.

Kazzrie Jaxen / Don Messina
The Dance
New Artists
2025

If Andersen's bass provides a resonant undercurrent on Ostad's album, bassist Don Messina's role on The Dance is even more central. This live 2019 duo recording with Jaxen captures a spontaneous, intuitive musical exchange.

Messina, no stranger to the duo format, previously released Blues for Peter with guitarist Rich Peare (New Artists, 2024). Here, he and Jaxen explore a set they modestly describe as "8 tracks, 7 vocal tunes including one Charlie Parker line; a Lee Konitz composition; two sung songs made popular by Nina Simone and Richie Havens, and one original." The description belies the album's depth and originality.

Jaxen's interpretation of Parker's "Confirmation" is a standout. While rooted in bebop tradition, her phrasing and tonal shifts make the piece unmistakably her own. At one point, she veers into a passage that evokes ghost horses with ringing bells.

Though often associated with the Lennie Tristano school, Jaxen's artistry defies easy categorization. On "The Mirror Calls," she leans closer to Joni Mitchell than Tristano, beginning with a lyrical soliloquy that evolves into a thunderous, free-form landscape before returning to quiet introspection. It is more than a ballad—it is a journey.

Throughout the album, Messina's agile lines recall the natural virtuosity of Scott LaFaro, weaving patterns that challenge Jaxen's crystalline chords. The music swings, sings and breaks free of form, while remaining grounded in tradition. It is a fiery, poetic dance—an instant classic in Jaxen's discography and a definitive statement from an artist who has always followed her own path.

Tracks and Personnel

Lyset fra mørket

Tracks: Lyset fra mørket; Vesle skuggen min; Blått; Farget glass; Usikkert barn; Stille sorg; Poeten (Til Olav H. Hauge); Vakker (God natt Molde); Hjerte av bly; Alle har sitt.

Personnel: Torhild Ostad: voice; Carsten Dahl: piano; Arild Andersen: acoustic bass.

The Dance

Tracks: My Melancholy Baby; What Is This Thing Called Love?; Follow; You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To; Will I Find My Love Today; Confirmation; The Mirror Calls; Kary's Trance.

Personnel: Kazzrie Jaxen: piano, vocals; Don Messina: acoustic bass.

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