Einsteins Piano: Bugge Wesseltoft

In the organizer's words:

Our Einstein Piano series features a man who is considered a pioneer in Scandinavia when it comes to merging classical jazz and electronics: Bugge Wesseltoft. However, the Norwegian is now leaving his synths at home to play music from his fifth purely acoustic solo piano album. On it, he shows himself to be a typical representative of Nordic jazz: there is always a certain underlying melancholy in his pieces, which also sound steeped in mystery, shrouded in myth and full of meaning.

Nevertheless, the music on AM ARE 2025 contains far more than influences from the region in which Wesseltoft is at home.

Bugge Wesseltoft has influenced entire generations in Norway and beyond with his ideas, sounds and stylistic fusions. He has released some of the musicians from his circle of influence on his own label Jazzland, which has long since become an international brand. He has earned his legendary status with projects such as New Conception of Jazz, as one third of the trio Rymden and as a musical partner of Mari Boine, Sidsel Endresen, Jan Garbarek and Eivind Aarset.