Tord Gustavsen and Steinar Raknes

I sat on the front row behind Tord Gustavsen and it was amazing seeing him play the piano so deftly and imaginatively. The music was entrancing. He, the singer Simin Tander and percussionist Jarle Vespestad, are just extraordinary human beings! The sounds they produce are wonderful. I liked the complete transformation of Lutheran hymns into spontaneous, emotionally resonant intricate improvisations. The Sufi prayers were also entrancing and exquisite. The trio (with their fourth member - the sound person) encapsulated a sense of ethereal beauty and freedom I search for in my work and life. I wanted to listen to the concert all over again as soon as the last piece had been played.