The Good Story Wako

• 1Jakob03:14
• 2Düsseldorf02:29
• 3October05:29
• 4Obscure and Relentless01:48
• 5The Lizard, The Snake and the Panther05:45
• 6Blazing Madness00:33
• 7Inequity04:37
• 8Current Affairs01:21
• 9Little Sister04:56
• 10Düsseldorf Take 202:32
• 11Seven Years05:18
• Total Runtime38:02

Info for The Good Story

Wako is a Norwegian, Trondheim-based group, featuring four young musicians – sax player Martin Myhre Olsen (who also plays in the Megalodon Collective), pianist Kjetil André Mulelid (who plays in the Fieldfare quartet with vocalist Siril Malmedal Hauge), bass player Bárður Reinert Poulsen (who also plays in the Fieldfare quartet, originally from the Faroe Islands) and drummer Simon Olderskog Albertsen (he and Poulsen collaborate as the rhythm section in pianist Espen Berg Trio). The quartet began to play together in 2013, toured Europe and after testing its compositions in many live settings recorded its debut album, «The Good Story».

The quartet describes its aesthetics as bridging between the ECM chamber-jazz school of Christian Wallumrød Ensemble and the much more intense and fiery jazz of the Swedish-Norwegian quintet Atomic. There is a sense of warmth, intimacy and openness in Olsen and Mulelid song-like compositions, in a much more concise manner than in Wallumrød compositions. But most of these well-crafted pieces, except of «Little Sister», still lack the driving energy that characterizes Atomic repertoire, .

Wako music opts for a reserved and subtle mode of delivery, highlighting the tight and emphatic interplay and a strong melodic sense. Olsen and Mulelid know how to develop patiently and beautifully the emotional core of their compositions, leaving enough space for personal interpretations of the themes. Both enjoy the solid support of Poulsen and Albertsen. The most moving piece is the balladic «Seven Years» where Olsen and Mulelid voices sound as extending each other, tastefully punctuated by the subtle pulse of Poulsen and Albertsen. Promising debut.

Martin Myhre Olsen, saxophone
Kjetil André Mulelid, piano
Bárður Reinert Poulsen, bass
Simon Olderskog Albertsen, drums

Kjetil A. Mulelid
has distinguished himself as an inventive artist, blending jazz, psalms, and improvised music. He grew up in the small village Hurdal, Akershus, and started playing classical piano at an early age. In 2010 he graduated from Jessheim high school where he had some really inspiring piano teachers who had introduced him to jazz etc: Ulrika Magdalena Lind, Morten Reppesgård and Jan Terje Augestad. Then he did one year at "Høgskolen i Staffeldstgate" in Oslo before he went to do a bachelor's degree in jazz performance at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim (NTNU, Jazzlinja). Here he really learned to use the piano as his own language with the great teachers Erling Aksdal, Vigleik Storaas, Espen Berg and Eyolf Dale. Later he has also graduated from the master's program at Rytmisk Musikkonservatorium in Copenhagen (DK) where he was guided by great musicians such as Kresten Osgood and Kasper Tranberg.

Mulelid has played concerts and frequently touring in Japan, the USA, and most of Europe, and he has played and worked/collaborated with many great musicians such as Arve Henriksen, Jason Moran, Barry Guy, Trygve Seim, Mats Eilertsen, Audun Kleive, Kirsti Huke, Ola Kvernberg, Eirik Hegdal, Sissel Vera Pettersen, Rob Waring, and Petter Vågan. Since 2015 he has been working as a freelance musician and a music educator.

This album contains no booklet.