Above : Jennifer Eriksson plays the electric viola da gamba. Featured image: Jan Gunnar Hoff at the piano. Photos: Shane Rozario.
The current performance visit Down Under by pianist/arranger/composer Jan Gunnar Hoff shows we can’t pigeon-hole contemporary artists in our landscape or globally. Or classical ones either.
Invited to Sydney for the first time by longtime musical friend and collaborator Jennifer Eriksson, viola da gambist, driving force behind the Marais Project and versatile performer, comfortable on the 17th century acoustic instrument and the unique instrument crafted for her-the amplified electric gamba.
Eriksson has a swag of albums for her ongoing Marais Project. She also plays electric viola da gamba and releases albums with the band Elysian Fields, a group that also championed vocal and instrumental tracks including Erikssons arrangement of the exquisite Meditatus (the Kyrie from a Catholic Mass setting) by the Norwegian composer-pianist on its 2020 album release, FIKA.
This band will star with the eclectic, versatile pianist in a special upcoming concert at The Lounge, Chatswood Concourse on October 9 at 7.30 pm.
An initial, ecstatically-received concert featuring just the pianist and some duos with Eriksson on electric gamba was a long-weekend event at Sydney Opera House’s Utzon Room.
At the piano, the Steinway artist began with playing and fluidity of filigree suggesting influences along the lines of Brahms, Mendelssohn, Ravel and Debussy. This facility and confident pianism from the set’s beginning presented his performance to be way past a ‘jazz-pianist’ persona.
His crossover excellence included arrangements and improvisations on popular Norwegian song, a version of Danny Boy and even balladic treatment of a Beach Boys tune.
When Jan Gunnar Hoff and Jennifer Eriksson concluded their concert of contemporary, genre-busting soundscapes, of their original works in new arrangement and some encores, their innate sensitivity and gentle, effective ornamentation were rewarded with several standing ovations.
And something similar is expected when Jan Gunnar Hoff joins forces with Elysian Fields this coming Friday. His fine communication-with colourisation, expert pacing and huge range of shifting texture plus nuance are set to unite with this band with unique results.
The legendary, super-productive pianist will combine his engaging voice with Susie Bishop’s violin lines and vocals, Loretta Palmeiro on saxophone, bassist Jacques Emery, drummer Rease Cameron as well as more inimitable, rare and attractively-voiced electric viola da gamba work from the versatile bow of Jan Gannar Hoff Down-Under ‘Early Music +’ Antipodean creative, Jennifer Eriksson.
A special treat at The Lounge concert in Chatswood will be performances of Jan Gunnar Hoff songs by his daughter, the successful Norwegian artist MAUD (Kristine Hoff).
This line-up, blurring the lines between so many genres, between cultures that are literally poles apart, then blissfully blending then in clear, touching landscapes has wide appeal. It is not to be missed.
Northern Lights-Southern Cross takes place at The Lounge, Chatswood Concourse on Fri Oct 9, 7.30pm
https://www.theconcourse.com.au/event/northern-lights-southern-cross-elysian-fields-jan-gunnar-hoff/
