Bugge Wesseltoft is no stranger to the pages of The Ear. His prodigious talent and ability to command a wide range of musical styles is unique, at its best his keyboard playing is mesmerising and those who discover as much become fans for life. Wesseltoft’s phrasing and sound can easily be recognised be it used in psych, funk, jazz-rock, European ethnic interpretations or Indian and African themes. His classical side, which is just as ingenious and appealing, has not been revealed quite so often however.
It’s still snowing on my piano live is his at least 40th album*, it’s a salute of sorts to JS Bach via soulful tender and intimate interpretations of well known (in most of Europe) Christmas hymns. He does so in a style that merges the Bach with traces of blues and even a nod to Dave Brubeck, making his interpretations all the more merry, even when played before or after Christmas.
ACT Music founder Siggi Loch encouraged Wesseltoft to produce an album like this for many years. A live performance of this music under almost the same title was recorded at Kalkmølla, an intimate hall in a cultural centre outside Oslo, and released by in 1997 under the title It’s Snowing On My Piano. It was also inspired by the joy of sharing such music with his then very young daughter while she is sat in his arms. This new, live version of the album was recorded during five concerts held in different cultural centres and churches in Norway.
The astonishing range of abilities has been demonstrated in his collaborations with a diverse range of musicians that include Billy Cobham and John Scofield is in evidence here. The graceful presentation of music that has become a staple of western and northern European culture is nothing short of breath-taking.
ACT provided a 48/24 sample for the reviews, the piano sound is glorious but marred slightly by an echo that is unusual and doesn’t quite capture the natural sound of a piano in space. The recording will suit a warmish system rather than a brutally open one. Stretching to just over 52 minutes, It’s still snowing on my piano live is a long’ish affair, but contains not a single iota or a hint of pretention, an attempt to impress yet is never dull.
*The task of counting all of Wesseltoft album difficult. Various different sources credit him with slightly different numbers of albums. It is safe to say that his output is prodigious with around 40 albums that appear to be credited to him (be they solo albums or collaborations with other musicians) and a far longer list of another 60 plus additional albums that list him in the credits.
Reuben Klein