bentenlaughing

Jan.s: You're an accomplished pianist/composer Kirk and you have many musical projects running concurrently in a variety of modalities... What and who are your major musical influences? Kirk: I think Duke Ellington summed up my point of view when he said, "There are only two kinds of music: good music and bad music." I can't really describe very well how I decide what's "good" or "bad". I just know that a piece of music will either strike a resonant emotional chord in me or not. And that very discernible effect can change over the years or even from day to day. Today, for instance, jazz/R&B singer, Rachelle Ferrell, has really been speaking to me. And I heard a Peter Kater tune earlier that also just grabbed me. When I listened to him the other day, he wasn't really working for me. So I guess that makes me very fickle! Long-standing influences? Let's say Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Brian Eno, and Pat Metheny for starters...

Jan.s: Norway has produced a number of unique Jazz artists. I first became aware of a number of them during the early 80's. Terje Rypdal, Jan Garbarek and Karin Krog to name a few but there were no doubt countless others. Would you share with us what you feel allowed the Norwegain Jazz scene to develop in such a rich and unique way? Hilde: Your last question is simple and easy, good “jazz-workers”. There lived a person in Norway named Randi Hultin. If it hadn’t been for her the story would have been different I think. She was close friends with all the greatest American jazz musicians and she managed to get them to visit Norway, doing concerts, playing with the Norwegian musicians – and she arranged jam sessions in her own house almost every night. She planted the seed for a lawn for all jazz musicians in Norway to walk on. That’s one of the main reasons. The other one is that every jazz musician in Norway worked with each other no matter age, generation, color or genre ...

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY NEW YEAR! Apologies that I couldn't add 'The Kiss' photo Jessica Gerger sent me...with the New Year my brain is beginning to become slightly...functional! Here 'tis!