Never Ending January

The Espen Eriksen Trio, after worldwide tours that further refined their signature sound, present Never Ending January, their third album. Beautifully recorded and mixed at Propeller Studio in Oslo, the album focuses on typically Scandinavian elements such as folk music, melancholia, and the deep woods. In that respect it's fair to say that they belong to the same tradition as Tord Gustavsen and the late Esbjorn Svensson, even Jan Johansson in some respects, but without really sounding like any of them. But it's also fair to say that the trio's less-is-more approach is in stark contrast to many contemporary piano trios, with shorter tunes and a strong focus on melodic content. Pianist Espen Eriksen's musical background is varied, ranging from pop music to jazz and the church organ. He has played with top Norwegian jazz musicians like Bendik Hofseth, Mats Eilertsen, and Thomas Stronen, and was the pianist, arranger, and composer for singer Christina Bjordal for three years leading up to her international debut, Brighter Days (Universal, 2006). Bassist Lars Tormod Jenset lived and worked as a musician in Copenhagen for seven years before relocating to Norway in 2007. He is also a member of Hot n Spicy (Denmark/Norway), Bendik Giske Kvintett (Norway), and Rodent (Iceland). Andreas Bye is one of Norway's most-requested drummers in jazz and pop. He was a member of Bugge Wesseltoft's New Conception of Jazz and has played with John Scofield, Joshua Redman, John Taylor, Dhafer Youssef, Nils Petter Molvaer, Hakon Kornstad, and many others.