Bugge Wesseltoft - OK World (2014)

After three solo albums ('IM', 'Playing' and 'Songs') and several remarkable (and utterly different) duo albums (including 'Duo' with electronic producer Henrik Schwarz), Norwegian pianist/composer Bugge Wesseltoft has formed his first band since his legendary New Conception of Jazz: Bugge Wesseltoft's OK World!

'OK World' features the exceptional talents of flamenco guitarist Josemi Carmona (Spain), multi-instrumentalist Shrikant Shriram (India/UK), percussionists Vivek Rajagopalan (India), Khaled Yassine (Lebanon), and Amadeu Cossa (Mozambique), and guest vocalists Martam Saleh (Egypt) and Georges Nehme (Lebanon), all musicians Bugge has met during his travels and tours around the world.

The album opens with "Moving Mountains", and immediately the diverse ingredients become apparent. Bugge's jazz-inflected piano becomes enmeshed in an intricate weaves of melody and percussion, and exquisite vocals. Other tracks include "Sharanagatiwav" which begins with a percussive build-up, steadily augmented by drones, and then breaking into a carefully chiselled groove, infectious, bursting with a liveliness and energy that beckons the listener to dance. "My World is OK" is a flagship track, managing to be infectious, cheeky, whimsical, celebratory, slightly ironic, and brimming with the kind of energy that much of today's pop music fails to achieve in its cynical composition-by-committee approach.

The album is peppered with both micro-solos and extended solos, none of which overstay their welcome, each being part of the whole. The simple joy of participation and collaboration is abundantly obvious throughout, and the pleasures created are passed freely to the listener.

Tracklist:

1. Moving Mountains
2. Josemi
3. Always Hopeful
4. Sharanagati
5. Mawwal
6. My World is OK
7. Mamullah
8. 3 Reasons
9. Ntwananu
10. 130 Steps

Personnel:

Bugge Wesseltoft – piano (Norway)
Shri Sriram – bass/ flute (India/UK)
Vivek Rajgopalan – percussion (India)
Khaled Yassine – percussion (Lebanon)
Amade Cossa – percussion (Mozambique)
Josemi Carmona – Guitar (Spain)