Double bill: Espen Eriksen Trio and Eva Bjerga Haugen

The Espen Eriksen Trio is a lyrical piano trio with popular appeal. Their music is sublime and especially melodic, easily placeable within the Scandinavian tradition with allusions to folk music, melancholy and deep forests. Tord Gustavsen and Esbjörn Svensson are possible reference points, although the trio distinguish themselves in their relatively concise and elegant compositions and a less-is-more approach to arrangements and performance.
 
The band is joined by Stavanger’s vocal starlet, Eva Bjerga Haugen. With her silky soft and distinctively spellbinding voice, Haugen has studied jazz vocals as part of the jazz studies programme at The University of Stavanger and was described by Jazznytt magazine last year as “a name to watch out for”. This year she was the recipient of Sandnes Sparebank’s music prize and Stavanger town council have bestowed on her the honour of being Stavanger artist of the year.
 
Line-up: Espen Eriksen - piano and compositions, Lars Tormod Jenset - double bass, Jarle Vespestad - drums, Eva Bjerga Haugen - vocals

Translation by Erik Forster