The Norwegian jazz guitarist Frode Kjekstad
New Album. "In Essence" with fantastic reviews
- Jazzviews: Reviewed by Chris Baber
- All About Jazz: Reviewed by Friedrich Kunzmann
Listen to Frode Kjekstad on Spotify
Contact: Frode@frodekjektad.com or
THE NEXT STEP IN JAZZ GUITAR?
The internationally recognized and critically acclaimed jazz guitarist Frode Kjekstad from Norway is out with a new CD! This time in the legendary trio format. This time only with original material. And: this time with Norwegian musicians!
After previously having recorded with living jazz legends as Dr. Lonnie Smith, Eric Alexander and Byron Landham in his recordings done in New York, he now has brought his childhood friend and superb bass player Frode Berg, and the amazing drummer Magnus Sefaniassen Eide to a studio in Sandvika, Norway.
The result is the CD “Frode Kjekstad: In Essence”!
This CD is challenging the boundries of “jazz guitar as we know it” in different directions, always without changing genre, and with a crystal clear reference to history! With a charismatic, extrovert and virtuoso style so rare in present day jazz guitar, Frode Kjekstad is reaching towards a broader audience, with strong melodies, chilling rhythms, deep groove and heartfelt love for this music.
The trio is bursting with pure joy of playing together, almost jumping out of the speakers to grab you by the neck, in this magic session.
Joyful energy and musicality, all beautifully dressed up in a modern sound production, reaches beyond the boundries of genre, and schould be of great to joy to any music lover, no matter what musical referances one might have.
Frode Kjekstad was called “A young genious with perfect sense of time and rhythm” by Frank Forte (Just jazz guitar Magazine) and producer Joe Fields called him “the new Pat Martino”!
This CD is another brick in the wall that makes the fundament for Frode Kjekstad as one of our time´s strongest names in jazz guitar.
About Frode Kjekstad
Frode Kjekstad (born 23 November 1974 in Lier, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz guitarist, married to jazz singer Aina Fridén, and known from collaboration and recordings with jazz musicians Lonnie Smith, Eric Alexander, Mike LeDonne, Joe Farnsworth, Byron Landham, Alberto Marsico,Frank Foster, Johnny Griffin, Don Menza, Jim Morrison, Mark Nightingale, Claire Martin, Deborah Brown, and Wendell Brunious.[1][2]
He has performed at clubs like Ronnie Scott´s in London and Smoke in New York.
Kjekstad is known for a virtuoso way of playing the guitar, and has done many projects in the guitar/organ/drums trio concept, but also solo, duo, trio and all kind of combos. His style is influenced by different hornplayers and pianoplayers, exemplified by counterpoint chord melodies, and swinging basslines in his solo and duo work with singers and hornplayers.
His own projects can be seen as “post-bop”, “hard-bop” or “neo-bop”, based in the American Blue Note tradition, but also heavy influenced by Italian and European music. He has also composed and arranged several tunes and “jazz suites” for big band.
Read more about Frode Kjekstad on Wikipedia
