Rosendals Garden

Hans-Jürgen Schaal for Fono Forum, October 2026 issue

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FONO FORUM magazine, October 2026 issue, pages 94-96

JAZZ FORUM

Title: Global Jazz Romanticism

Yelena Eckemoff, who now lives in the US, brings together half the jazz world. For her recordings, the pianist also travels to Italy, Norway, and Finland.

For Yelena Eckemoff, improvisation is an integral part of compositional development.

From Hans-Jürgen Schaal

Published in the print edition in October 2026

Reading time approx. 8 minutes

 

A trip to North Carolina in 1991 turned her life upside down. Yelena Eckemoff had set some psalms from the Bible to music and sent her compositions to Baptist churches around the world. When a church in the US got back to her and invited her, she traveled there with her husband—and simply stayed. She hasn’t seen her native Russia since. “I miss the places where I used to live,” she says. “But after 35 years, my adopted country has become my beloved home. My children grew up here, and we’ve put a lot of intense and exhausting work into our lives. This extra work, raising the children, and the struggle to make ends meet with teaching, concerts, and church work have naturally delayed my music career.” It took almost twenty years after emigrating before Yelena Eckemoff released her first jazz recordings. Since then, however, she has—as she puts it—unleashed “an avalanche of albums.”  

Yelena Eckemoff is a classically trained pianist. She studied at the Gnessin Institute in Moscow (with Anna Kantor) and at the Moscow State Conservatory (with Galina Egiazarova). “I was fortunate to receive an outstanding education in the tradition of the famous old Slavic school,” she says. She particularly admires the pianist Arthur Rubinstein and, among younger pianists, Evgeny Kissin—not least because Kissin was also taught by Anna Kantor. Eckemoff also admires Keith Jarrett’s interpretations of Bach and Shostakovich. As a classical pianist, she has her own unique approach to jazz. “I do it my way. In my compositions, I understand improvisation as an integral part of the compositional development. My improvisations at the piano are meant to propel the music forward and sometimes contain just as much important musical material as the through-composed passages. Needless to say, I prepare my improvisations thoroughly!”

 
The Path to Jazz

Even as a teenager in Moscow, Yelena Eckemoff discovered that besides her beloved classical music, there were other interesting genres. Her peers raved about rock bands like Yes, Deep Purple, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. “At first, I rejected that kind of music. But then I realized that this ‘other’ music expressed the same feelings as classical music, just with different means. Many of these bands opened up a different sound world to me, one I hadn’t known existed. The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and the Mahavishnu Orchestra became my favorites. To hear their music, however, I had to get hold of bootleg copies and trade them, because much of it wasn’t officially available in the Soviet Union.” Yelena Eckemoff’s path then led from rock music to a jazz-rock band and on to a Moscow jazz institute. “That was another eye-opening experience, when I discovered the concept of swing and learned to improvise in traditional jazz idioms.”

It wasn’t until 2005 – by then long since settled in North Carolina – that she started playing with her own band again. One of her bandmates was a big fan of the German jazz label ECM, with its very particular jazz sensibility and sonic beauty. He lent Eckemoff some ECM albums, and she was immediately drawn to them. “I was surprised by this music with its sophisticated, classically inspired aesthetic, yet permeated with many jazz elements, with plenty of space and melancholic improvisations. I was amused that ECM’s musical virtues were similar to what I was doing at the time and closely aligned with the direction I was developing in as a composer and pianist.” Eckemoff was particularly fond of some of the ECM musicians, especially bassist Arild Andersen, a pillar of European jazz. A few years later, she contacted the Norwegian musician. They have made six albums together to date – the sixth (“Forgotten Artist”) isn’t scheduled for release until 2028.  

 
The first album

Yelena Eckemoff’s first jazz album came about through a stroke of luck. The pianist discovered on MySpace that jazz bassist Mads Vinding was offering to enhance existing recordings with his bass lines. She sent him some solo piano recordings, and later added Peter Erskine’s drum track. This piecemeal approach resulted in Eckemoff’s 2009 piano trio album, “Cold Sun,” which immediately garnered rave reviews. The tracks, titled “After Blizzard,” “Scents of Christmas,” and “Freezing Point,” are a concept album centered around the theme of “winter.” Bruce Lindsay (All About Jazz) wrote at the time: “Eckemoff plays with a sensitive touch: every note counts, none is wasted. Winter may be the inspiration, but the music on ‘Cold Sun’ is strangely warm and comforting, and equally beautiful.” Eckemoff drew courage from such reviews to go into the studio with renowned names in the jazz industry – with Marilyn Mazur (who once played with Miles Davis), with George Mraz (the former accompanist of Oscar Peterson), with Billy Hart (who can be heard on over six hundred jazz albums) and with her greatest ECM hero, Arild Andersen.

“Of course, I was initially drawn to working with ECM musicians,” says Eckemoff. “The ECM aesthetic had some influence on my composing style in the early years. But my creative independence and my desire to reinvent things have constantly driven me forward—and eventually beyond the ECM sphere into uncharted territory I want to explore. Listening to new jazz albums constantly reveals potential new collaborators. As soon as a project idea takes shape in my mind, I start imagining who could play on it. Even when composing, I often hear the musical ‘voice’ of a particular musician within me. Then I ask the musicians who seem most suitable if they want to join, and in most cases, I get a yes. If not, I keep looking. I usually find the right musicians based on their sound and what I know about them. Sometimes, though, I also rely on recommendations from other musicians and the sound engineer.”

 
Concepts and stories

Yelena Eckemoff is a hands-on artist. She controls every aspect of the process, from the initial idea to the finished CD—with no interference from producers or record labels. The pianist develops the album concept, composes and arranges every track, selects the musicians, and organizes and leads the recording sessions. She also designs the album packaging (often featuring one of her own paintings on the cover) and writes poems for the booklet to accompany each track, or crafts a short narrative to serve as the album’s conceptual framework. Furthermore, she releases her jazz recordings exclusively on her own label, L & H Production—a catalog that has grown to more than twenty albums. It is hardly surprising, then, that she has little time left for anything else. Eckemoff says that since the 1990s, she has played only her own music. “There are a great many fully composed pieces waiting to be recorded. The backlog of new compositions keeps growing. That is why I stopped performing live a few years ago.” Even so, her label’s catalog does include two live recordings: a 2013 piano trio performance at Birdland in New York (with Arild Andersen and Billy Hart) and a 2019 solo concert at the Kito in Bremen.

Some of Eckemoff’s album concepts are deeply personal and private in nature. Her compositions are frequently inspired by memories of her childhood and youth in Russia. Other concepts, however, venture far into the realm of imagination. *Desert* (recorded in 2015, released in 2018) conjures up the Arabian Desert—a subject she had read extensively about at the time. In *Nocturnal Animals* (2018/2019), she uses her music to identify with a range of creatures of the night—the cicada, the fox, the hedgehog. The tracks on *Adventures Of A Wildflower* (2019/2021) and *Lonely Man And His Fish* (2021/2023) each follow the arc of a fairy-tale narrative conceived by Eckemoff herself. (The respective stories can be read in the CD booklets.) The duo album *Colors* (2017/2018) features the most abstract concept, with its fourteen tracks inspired by an equal number of color shades. Here, Eckemoff sets aside the autobiographical and the narrative, surrendering—alongside drummer Manu Katché—to the musical adventure. “He is constantly searching for grooves,” she says. “That was exactly what I wanted—those spirited drums that form a world of their own, rather than simply following the piano.”
 
Between New York and Helsinki

Yelena Eckemoff’s music possesses a unique atmosphere. It often feels melancholic and dreamy, and not necessarily typical of jazz. Many classical and romantic gestures are woven into the sensitive jazz feel. Bach, Chopin, and Tchaikovsky are among her favorite composers. “I’ve even been called the last representative of the romantic Russian school,” Eckemoff says with a twinkle in her eye. Drummer Peter Erskine believes her music is actually a genre all its own, separate from classical and jazz. But Yelena Eckemoff’s music gains its special appeal precisely through the participation of so many outstanding jazz musicians, who interpret and improvise on these distinctive pieces in their own unique ways.

Since 2014, the pianist has almost always included wind players in her studio band – this gives the music additional, often surprising dimensions. Saxophonists like Jukka Perko, Chris Potter, and Mark Turner, and trumpeters like Ralph Alessi, Kirk Knuffke, and Verneri Pohjola are audibly inspired by Eckemoff’s soulful compositions. And they are able to transform these compositions into brilliant jazz.

In her search for the most suitable collaborators for each project, Yelena Eckemoff has traveled extensively. She usually works with American musicians in studios in New York or California. For the album “Blooming Tall Phlox,” however, she traveled to Helsinki in 2013 to meet her Finnish musicians of choice. The album “Everblue,” on the other hand, was recorded in 2014 with Norwegian jazz musicians in Oslo, and the album with Manu Katché in 2017 in France. Two albums with Italian musicians were created in Mantua in 2023, and the following year Yelena Eckemoff met with Swedish musicians in Stockholm. She seems to feel particularly at home in Finland at the moment – ​​not least, as she reveals, because the Finnish landscape reminds her of Russia, the land of her childhood and youth.

 

Original German:

Globale Jazzromantik

Bei der Wahl-Amerikanerin Yelena Eckemoff findet die halbe Jazzwelt zusammen. Für ihre Produktionen fliegt die Pianistin auch nach Italien, Norwegen oder Finnland

Erschienen in der Printausgabe im Oktober 2026     Lesezeit ca. 8 Minuten

Improvisation ist für Yelena Eckemoff integraler Bestandteil der kompositorischen Entwicklung

 

Eine Reise nach North Carolina stellte 1991 ihr Leben auf den Kopf. Yelena Eckemoff hatte einige Psalmen aus der Bibel vertont und ihre Kompositionen an Baptist engemeinden in der ganzen Welt geschickt. Als sich eine Kirche in den USA zurückmeldete und sie einlud, reiste sie mit ihrem Ehemann hin – und blieb einfach dort. Ihre russische Heimat hat sie seitdem nicht wiedergesehen. „Ich vermisse die Orte, wo ich früher gelebt habe“, sagt sie. „Aber nach 35 Jahren ist mein adoptiertes Land zu meiner lieben Heimat geworden. Meine Kinder sind hier aufgewachsen, und wir haben viel intensive und erschöpfende Arbeit in unser Leben gesteckt. Diese zusätzliche Arbeit und das Aufziehen der Kinder und die Mühe, mit Unterrichten, Konzerten und Kirchenarbeit über die Runden zu kommen, haben meine Musikkarriere natürlich verzögert.“ Fast zwanzig Jahre dauerte es nach der Emigration, ehe Yelena Eckemoff ihre ersten Jazzaufnahmen veröffentlicht hat. Seitdem allerdings hat sie – wie sie selbst sagt – „eine Lawine von Alben“ losgetreten. Yelena Eckemoff ist klassisch ausgebildete Pianistin. Sie studierte am Gnessin-Institut in Moskau (bei Anna Kantor) und am dortigen Staatskonservatorium (bei Galina Egiazarova). „Ich hatte das Glück, eine herausragende Ausbildung in der Tradition der berühmten alten slawischen Schule zu erhalten“, sagt sie. Besonders schätzt sie den Pianisten Arthur Rubinstein und unter den Jüngeren Evgeny Kissin – nicht zuletzt, weil auch Kissin von Anna Kantor unterrichtet wurde. Sie bewundere aber auch, sagt Eckemoff, die Bach- und Schostakowitsch-Interpretationen von Keith Jarrett. Zum Jazz wiederum hat sie als klassische Pianistin ihren ganz eigenen Zugang. „Ich mache es auf meine Art. In meinen Kompositionen verstehe ich die Improvisation als integralen Bestandteil der kompositorischen Entwicklung. Meine Improvisationen am Klavier sollen die Musik vorantreiben und enthalten manchmal genauso viel wichtiges musikalisches Material wie die durchkomponierten Stellen. Unnötig zu betonen, dass ich meine Improvisationen gut vorbereite!“ Der Weg zum Jazz sikalisches Material wie die durchkomponierten Stellen. Unnötig zu betonen, dass ich meine Improvisationen gut vorbereite!“

 

Der Weg zum Jazz

Schon als Teenager in Moskau hatte Yelena Eckemoff entdeckt, dass es neben ihrer geliebten klassischen Musik auch andere interessante Musikgenres gibt. Die Gleichaltrigen schwärmten damals von Rockbands wie Yes, Deep Purple oder Emerson Lake & Palmer. „Zuerst habe ich solche Musik abgelehnt. Aber ich begriff dann, dass diese ‚andere‘ Musik dieselben Gefühle ausdrückt wie die klassische Musik, nur eben mit anderen Mitteln. Viele dieser Bands öffneten mir eine andere Klangwelt, von der ich nicht gewusst hatte, dass sie existiert. Die Beatles, Pink Floyd und das Mahavishnu Orchestra wurden damals meine Lieblinge. Um ihre Musik zu hören, musste ich allerdings Bootleg-Kopien ergattern und eintauschen, weil vieles davon in der Sowjetunion offiziell nicht erhältlich war.“ Yelena Eckemoffs Weg führte dann von der Rockmusik über eine Jazzrock-Band hin zu einem Moskauer Jazz-Institut. „Das war eine weitere augenöffnende Erfahrung, als ich das Konzept von Swing entdeckt habe und lernte, in traditionellen Jazz-Idiomen zu improvisieren.“ Erst 2005 – nun längst in North Carolina zu Hause – begann sie wieder mit einer eigenen Band zu spielen. Einer der Mitmusiker war ein großer Fan des deutschen Jazzlabels ECM, dieser ganz besonderen Jazz-Sensibilität und Klangschönheit. Er lieh Eckemoff einige ECM-Alben und rannte bei ihr damit offene Türen ein. „Ich war überrascht von dieser Musik mit ihrer anspruchsvollen, klassisch inspirierten Ästhetik, die aber durchsetzt ist mit vielen Jazzelementen, mit viel Raum und schwermütigen Improvisationen. Es amüsierte mich, dass die musikalischen Tugenden von ECM dem ähnlich waren, was ich damals machte, und der Richtung nahekamen, in die ich mich als Komponistin und Pianistin damals entwickelt habe.“ Einige der ECM-Musiker gefielen Eckemoff ganz besonders, vor allem der Bassist Arild Andersen, ein Urgestein des europäischen Jazz. Einige Jahre später hat sie den Norweger kontaktiert. Sechs Alben haben die beiden bis heute zusammen gemacht – das sechste („Forgotten Artist“) soll erst 2028 erscheinen.

 

Das erste Album

Bei Yelena Eckemoffs erstem Jazzalbum half noch der Zufall mit. Auf MySpace hatte die Pianistin eines Tages entdeckt, dass der Jazzbassist Mads Vinding das Angebot machte, vorhandene Aufnahmen mit seinen Basslinien zu veredeln. Daraufhin schickte sie ihm einige Klaviersoloaufnahmen – und später kam dann noch die Schlagzeugspur von Peter Erskine dazu. So gestückelt entstand 2009 Eckemoffs Pianotrio-Album „Cold Sun“, das aber sofort begeisterte Kritiken erhielt. Die Stücke darauf heißen „After Blizzard“, „Scents Of Christmas“ oder „Freezing Point“ – es ist ein Konzeptalbum rund um das Thema „Winter“. Bruce Lindsay (All About Jazz) schrieb damals: „Eckemoff spielt mit empfindsamem Anschlag: Jeder Ton zählt, keiner ist vergeudet. Der Winter mag die Inspiration sein, aber die Musik auf ‚Cold Sun‘ ist seltsam warm und anheimelnd und ebenso schön.“ Aus solchen Kritiken zog Eckemoff den Mut, von nun an mit klangvollen Namen der Jazzbranche zusammen ins Studio zu gehen – mit Marilyn Mazur (die einst mit Miles Davis gespielt hat), mit George Mraz (dem ehemaligen Begleiter von Oscar Peterson), mit Billy Hart (der auf über sechshundert Jazzalben zu hören ist) und mit ihrem größten ECM-Helden, Arild Andersen. „Natürlich drängte es mich zunächst, mit ECM-Musikern zu arbeiten“, sagt Eckemoff. „Die ECM-Ästhetik hatte in den Anfangsjahren einigen Einfluss auch auf meine Art zu komponieren. Doch meine kreative Eigenständigkeit und meine Lust, Dinge neu zu erfinden, haben mich ständig weitergetrieben – und schließlich auch aus dem ECM-Umkreis hinaus in unbekannte Gebiete, die ich erforschen will. Durch das Hören neuer Jazzalben entdecke ich immer wieder mögliche neue Mitspieler. Sobald eine Projektidee in meinem Kopf Form annimmt, beginne ich mir vorzustellen, wer da mitspielen könnte. Auch beim Komponieren höre ich häufig die musikalische ‚Stimme‘ eines bestimmten Akteurs in mir. Dann frage ich die Musiker, die mir am besten geeignet scheinen, ob sie mitmachen wollen, und in den meisten Fällen erhalte ich ein Ja. Wenn nicht, suche ich weiter. Meistens finde ich die passenden Musiker auf der Basis ihres Sounds und dessen, was ich über sie weiß. Manchmal verlasse ich mich aber auch auf Empfehlungen von anderen Musikern und vom Toningenieur.“

 

Konzepte und Geschichten

Yelena Eckemoff ist eine Macherin. Von der ersten Idee bis zum fertigen CD-Produkt hat sie alles selbst in der Hand. Kein Produzent, kein Label redet ihr rein. Die Pianistin entwirft das Album konzept, komponiert und arrangiert sämtliche Stücke, sucht die Musiker aus, organisiert und leitet die Aufnahme. Sie gestaltet aber auch die Albumverpackung (oft mit einem eigenen Gemälde auf dem Cover), schreibt fürs Booklet Gedichte zu jedem Stück oder dichtet eine kleine Erzählung als Album konzept. Nicht zuletzt veröffentlicht sie ihre Jazzaufnahmen ausschließlich auf ihrem eigenen Label, L & H Production. Mehr als zwanzig Alben sind es inzwischen. Kein Wunder also, dass ihr neben alldem kaum Zeit bleibt für anderes. Seit den 1990er Jahren, sagt Eckemoff, spiele sie nur noch ihre eigene Musik. „Es gibt eine Menge fertig komponierter Stücke, die auf ihre Aufnahme warten. Der Stoß neuer Kompositionen wächst ständig an. Daher habe ich vor einigen Jahren auch aufgehört, Konzerte zu geben.“ Immerhin zwei Live-Aufnahmen finden sich im Katalog ihres Labels: ein Pianotrio-Auftritt von 2013 im New Yorker Birdland (mit Arild Andersen und Billy Hart) und ein Solokonzert von 2019 im Kito in Bremen. Manche von Eckemoffs Album konzepten sind sehr persönlicher, privater Natur. Vor allem ihre Kindheits- und Jugenderinnerungen an ihre russische Heimat inspirieren immer wieder ihre Kompositionen. Andere Album konzepte dagegen greifen weit hinaus in die Fantasie. „Desert“ (aufgenommen 2015, erschienen 2018) imaginiert die arabische Wüste, über die die Pianistin damals viele Bücher gelesen hat. In „Nocturnal Animals“ (2018/2019) fühlt sie sich mit ihrer Musik in eine Reihe von Nachttieren ein – die Zikade, den Fuchs, den Igel. Die Stücke auf „Adventures Of A Wildflower“ (2019/2021) und „Lonely Man And His Fish“ (2021/2023) folgen jeweils dem Gang einer märchenhaften Erzählung, die sich Eckemoff selbst ausgedacht hat. (Die jeweilige Geschichte ist im CD-Booklet nachzulesen.) Das abstrakteste Konzept hat das Duo album „Colors“ (2017/2018), dessen vierzehn Stücken genauso viele Farbtöne als Inspiration zugrunde liegen. Eckemoff blendet hier das Autobiografische und Erzählerische aus, überlässt sich zusammen mit dem Schlagzeuger Manu Katché dem musikalischen Abenteuer. „Er sucht ständig nach Grooves“, sagt sie. „Das war genau, was ich wollte – die würzigen Trommeln, die eine Welt für sich sind und nicht nur dem Klavier folgen.“ Zwischen

 

New York und Helsinki

Yelena Eckemoffs Musik besitzt ganz eigene Stimmungen. Sie wirkt häufig melancholisch und schwärmerisch und nicht unbedingt jazztypisch. Viele klassische und romantische Gesten mischen sich immer wieder ins sensible Jazzfeeling. Bach, Chopin, Tschaikowsky gehören zu ihren Lieblingskomponisten. „Ich wurde schon einmal die letzte Vertreterin der romantischen russischen Schule genannt“, sagt Eckemoff mit einem Augenzwinkern. Der Schlagzeuger Peter Erskine meint, ihre Musik sei eigentlich ein ganz eigenes Genre neben Klassik und Jazz. Doch ihre besondere Spannung gewinnt Yelena Eckemoffs Musik gerade durch die Mitwirkung so vieler hervorragender Jazzmusiker, die diese eigenwilligen Stücke auf ihre Art interpretieren und improvisierend ausgestalten. Seit 2014 hat die Pianistin fast regelmäßig auch Bläser in ihrer Studioband – das gibt der Musik zusätzliche, oft überraschende Konturen. Saxofonisten wie Jukka Perko, Chris Potter und Mark Turner, Trompeter wie Ralph Alessi, Kirk Knuffke und Verneri Pohjola werden von Eckemoffs gefühlvollen Vorlagen hörbar inspiriert. Und sie sind fähig, diese Vorlagen in brillanten Jazz zu verwandeln. Auf der Suche nach den geeignetsten Mitspielern für ihr jeweiliges Projekt ist Yelena Eckemoff inzwischen weit herumgekommen. Mit amerikanischen Musikern geht sie meist in ein Studio in New York oder Kalifornien. Für das Album „Blooming Tall Phlox“ reiste sie 2013 aber zu ihren finnischen Wunschmusikern nach Helsinki. Das Album „Everblue“ wiederum entstand 2014 mit norwegischen Jazzern in Oslo, das Album mit Manu Katché 2017 in Frankreich. Zwei Alben mit italienischem Personal kamen 2023 in Mantua zustande, und im Jahr darauf traf sich Yelena Eckemoff mit schwedischen Akteuren in Stockholm. Besonders wohl scheint sie sich zurzeit in Finnland zu fühlen – nicht zuletzt, wie sie verrät, weil die finnische Landschaft sie an Russland erinnert. An das Land ihrer Kindheit und Jugend.

 

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Carmen Ion for Radio Clasic

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CLASSIC RADIO FM

31.08.2026 | 09:52

Bucharest 17°C

Rosendal’s Garden

MUSIC / 11:42 / Editor: Carmen lon

Rosendals Garden by Yelena Eckemoff was launched on 30.08.2026.

Yelena Eckemoff releases the album “Rosendals Garden”, a musical exploration of her travels through Sweden. Collaborations with exceptional musicians bring emotional depth to the songs, each song being a story in itself.

Rosendals Garden is the 23rd album by pianist and composer Yelena Eckemoff, released on March 28, 2026. The album distills her travels across Sweden into a complex musical experience, exploring themes of history and consciousness.

Her collaborators, Svante Henryson on cello and bass, and Morgan Ågren on drums, contribute to the album’s atmosphere with improvisations that fit perfectly into Eckemoff’s written forms. Songs like “Gamla Stan” and “Ruins of Älvsborg” reflect a deep historical awareness, each song evoking images and emotions related to the places visited.

Other tracks, such as “ABBA Museum” and “Country Orchard Café”, pay homage to his childhood influences and interactions with pop culture, blending jazz elements with personal memories. The album concludes with “Storanden Nature Reserve”, which explores the relationship between man and nature, highlighting its indifference to human presence.

Original Romanian: 

Rosendals Garden de Yelena Eckemoff a fost lansat pe 30.08.2026.

Yelena Eckemoff lansează albumul „Rosendals Garden”, o explorare muzicală a călătoriilor sale prin Suedia.

Colaborările cu muzicieni de excepție aduc o profunzime emoțională pieselor, fiecare melodie fiind o poveste în sine.

Rosendals Garden este al 23-lea album al pianistei și compozitoarei Yelena Eckemoff, lansat pe 28 march 2026. Albumul distilează călătoriile sale prin Suedia într-o experiență muzicală complexă, explorând teme de istorie și conștiință.

Colaboratorii săi, Svante Henryson la violoncel și bas, și Morgan Ågren la tobe, contribuie la atmosfera albumului prin improvizații care se integrează perfect în formele scrise de Eckemoff. Piesele precum „Gamla Stan” și „Ruins of Älvsborg” reflectă o conștiință istorică profundă, fiecare melodie evocând imagini și emoții legate de locurile vizitate.

Alte piese, cum ar fi „ABBA Museum” și „Country Orchard Café” , aduc un omagiu influențelor din copilăria sa șiinteracțiunilor cu cultura pop, îmbinând elemente de jazz cu amintiri personale. Albumul se încheie cu „Storanden Nature Reserve”, care explorează relația dintre om și natură, subliniind indiferența acesteia față de prezența umană.

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Tyran Grillo for All About Jazz

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A garden is one of civilization’s gentlest fictions, a piece of earth coaxed into pattern while still permitted to breathe beyond the gardener’s intentions. That tension between cultivation and freedom animates Rosendals Garden, pianist and composer Yelena Eckemoff’s 23rd album since 2010. The project, animated as always by a vivid personal concept, distills her travels through Sweden into something more elusive than an itinerary. Each destination enters as a physical place and emerges as a chamber of consciousness, steeped in Scandinavian light and the long afterimage of history.

Svante Henryson and Morgan Ågren are ideal companions for this unstable terrain. Henryson alternates between cello and acoustic or electric bass, changing the emotional temperature through shifts in grain. Ågren’s drums and percussion supply momentum while quietly disturbing the ground beneath it. Their improvisations enter Eckemoff’s written forms so naturally that authorship comes into question. All the while, her restrained synthesizer accents send narrow streams of color through the acoustic fabric.

Buried Rooms

Stockholm’s Old Town sharpened Eckemoff’s sense that modern life merely passes over a history still dreaming beneath the cobblestones. “Gamla Stan” turns that intuition into musical form. Distant arpeggios illuminate closed rooms, while Henryson’s bow gives the buried past a body. “Ruins of Älvsborg” descends deeper. The titular fortress stands enclosed within a former sugar mill, its ancient stones sheltered by later walls. Medieval inflections sway inside a rough modern shell, and Eckemoff’s gentle soloing carries a banked fire that Henryson answers with gritty cello. Each era becomes the room in which another wanders at night.

That historical consciousness reaches its stateliest form in “Gripsholm Castle.” Duke Karl’s Chamber held royal prisoners and witnessed children being born; the preserved 18th-century theater harbors another haunting. Eckemoff renders its imagined figures one dance at a time without softening what the rooms have witnessed.

Private Museums

“ABBA Museum” enters through a public attraction before turning inward. Eckemoff’s visit recalled her Moscow youth, when bootleg recordings and an annual television broadcast offered rare access to Western pop. ABBA’s melodic intelligence helped loosen the boundaries of her classical training. Buoyant hooks revisit that early breach in the wall, while Henryson’s arco lines breathe freely over a robust groove.

“Country Orchard Café” discovers an archive inside a stranger. At a village café among apple trees, Eckemoff noticed an elderly woman sitting alone, smiling inwardly at some private happiness. Malleted drums lend delicate playfulness to the scene, and pointillist piano phrases arrange bright details around an unknowable center. The woman’s smile becomes a sealed book that no longer needs to be opened.

Taste serves as curator in “Skansen Park,” where gooseberries and currants carried Eckemoff back to childhood visits with her grandparents. Her displaced left hand creates a breathless equilibrium, while Henryson and Ågren build rhythmic dwellings only to dismantle them. “Sunrise in Rimbo” widens this private archaeology. Eckemoff’s crystalline melody peels layers from the present until the new day reveals the fossil of every morning before it. Even the freshest hour arrives covered in fingerprints.

Cultivated Earth

The title track inhabits nature brought into human syntax. Lush chords unfurl across Henryson’s fluid bass as Ågren’s cymbals scatter radiance. When Eckemoff’s piano takes flight, the rhythm section follows as a second consciousness. Yet the deeper subject may be the bouquet: beauty severed from its source, becoming memory as soon as it is gathered. The music belongs to her precisely because she cannot keep it.

“Storanden Nature Reserve” offers the counterargument, as Eckemoff feels tolerated rather than welcomed within a world complete without her. The arrangement proceeds cautiously, each measure reconsidering its right to advance. Nature retains its sovereign indifference. If Rosendals invites admiration for what human hands have arranged, Storanden questions the assumption that anyone was invited.

Crossings

“Öresund Bridge” transforms a difficult drive into an exhilarating one. The trio seizes the music at the wrist, propelling it from fog into sunlight as rhythm becomes appetite. The bridge connects two shores, though Eckemoff is drawn to the impossible country suspended between them, where the traveler has already left but has not yet arrived.

“Strandvägen Pier” approaches that threshold from stillness. Flowing piano lines emerge from the crowded marina and gather cinematic breadth, carrying Eckemoff’s longing to disappear toward an unknown shore. The pier becomes a sentence ending in an unwritten verb. Departure begins inside the mind before the body moves.

Across Rosendals Garden, places become methods of remembering, and memory becomes a contested form of possession. Cultivation determines what receives light, while every choice creates its patch of darkness. Beneath the flowers lies the old violence of naming, the presumption that a place becomes ours once we give it shape in language. Eckemoff leaves a quieter question: What have we mistaken for our own memory merely because we inherited the room in which it echoes? She places a seed there and permits its roots to interrogate the foundations.

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Cezary Gumiński for Audio

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This Russian émigré, who has been actively working in the United States, has framed her exceptionally rich musical imagination on over twenty of her solo albums. This stemmed largely from her classical piano studies. As a result, all of her projects are characterized by a refined aesthetic.

It’s no surprise then that Yelena Eckemoff has collaborated with a wide range of renowned American and European musicians. Her latest album, “Rosendals Garden,” is a document of her visit to Sweden, where it was written and recorded.

Over the course of eleven elaborate compositions, the pianist expresses her emotions evoked by Scandinavian nature, historic buildings, and the character of cities. As companions to Yelena Eckemoff’s musical reflections , she chose two Swedish musicians: bassist and cellist Svante Henryson and drummer Morgan Agren. The choice of companions proved remarkably apt.

It’s clear the pair had no trouble deciphering the leader’s intentions, and they certainly enriched her wide range of ideas. Besides the beautiful piano playing, Henryson’s unconventional cello performances are fascinating. Despite its utterly contemporary sound, the aura of “Rosendals Garden”  inadvertently transports us back to the bygone days of palace sophistication depicted on the cover.

Original Polish: 

Ta działająca energicznie w Stanach rosyjska emigrantka na swych ponad dwudziestu albumach autorskich nakreśliła ramy swej niezwykle bogatej wyobraźni muzycznej. Wynikło to w dużym stopniu z jej pianistycznych studiów muzyki klasycznej. Dlatego też wszystkie jej projekty charakteryzuje wyszukana estetyka.

Nic też dziwnego, że Yelena Eckemoff współpracowała już z całkiem szerokim gronem renomowanych muzyków amerykańskich i europejskich. Jej najnowszy album – “Rosendals Garden” – jest dokumentem wizyty w Szwecji, gdzie album został napisany i nagrany.

Na przestrzeni jedenastu rozbudowanych kompozycji pianistka wyraża swe emocje, jakie wywołała u niej skandynawska przyroda, zabytkowe budowle i charakter miast. Jako kompanów do wyrażenia swych refleksji muzycznych Yeleny Eckemoff wybrała dwóch szwedzkich muzyków: basistę i wiolonczelistę Svante Henrysona oraz perkusistę Morgana Agrena. Dobór kompanów okazał się być niezwykle celny.

Wyraźnie słychać, że para nie miała żadnych problemów z odczytywaniem intencji liderki, a z pewnością wzbogacili oni szeroką gamę jej pomysłów. Oprócz pięknej gry na fortepianie fascynują niekonwencjonalne popisy Henrysona na wiolonczeli. Aura płyty “Rosendals Garden” mimo absolutnie współczesnego brzmienia mimowolnie przenosi nas w dawne czasy pałacowego wykwintu odmalowanego na okładce.

L& H Productions

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Tom Haugen for Take Effect Reviews

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The pianist and composer Yelena Eckemoff is joined by Svante Henryson and Morgan Ågren for 2 discs of jazz fueled ideas that are never conventional and highly creative.

“ABBA Museum” opens with Eckemoff’s graceful keys alongside strategic drums from both Ågren and Olavi Louhivuori, as Henryson’s emotive stings enter, and the title track follows with a distinct dreaminess that radiates beauty via the unpredictable interaction.

Further into disc 1, “Country Orchard Café” emits hypnotic keys and heartfelt cello amid much ambience, while disc a leads with “Skansen Park”, where the setting is quick, dynamic and melodic thanks to the trio’s playful chemistry.

Landing late, “Storanden Nature Reserve” allows for Eckemoff’s meticulous keys to shine and complement the light drumming and elegant cello, and “Gripsholm Castle” exits with a rich and textured landscape that’s touching and enlightening.

Eckemoff’s themes surround history, man’s everyday struggles and the beauty of the natural world, and the music embraces sweetness, rhythm and timeless jazz qualities that we could never tire of.

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Kev Rowland for Progressor

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This is only the second album I have come across from Russian pianist Yelena Eckemoff, but this is her 23rd since 2010! Born and raised in Russia, Yelena’s mother was a professional pianist and teacher, so she started playing by ear from a very early age. Yelena became a classical concert pianist yet after graduation from the Moscow State Conservatory she kept looking for new styles and played piano in progressive rock and jazz-rock bands. She stopped playing to have a family, and then emigrated to rural North Carolina, and with her children growing up she returned to music.

This album was recorded over two days in Benny Anderson’s (yes, ABBA) studio in Sweden and is co-credited to the other two musicians who were involved, Svante Henryson (cello, double bass, electric basses) and Morgan Ågren (Karmakanic, ex-Devin Townend-live, ex-Magma-live) on drums and percussion. Yelena provided all compositions and arrangements, played all piano and keyboards, and even painted the artwork used on the cover. The last time I heard her I felt it was progressive mixed with classical, and while that is still true with this one, there are also a huge number of jazz influences with Ågren doing far more than just provide rhythm and time as he contributes to the melody and Henryson providing wonderfully warm fretless melody which both contrasts and underpins the piano, while keyboards are used sparingly and generally just to provide backdrop.

It is an album which for the most part is relaxing, and I certainly feel it captures in music the feeling of walking through a large garden and finding different beauty and patches of sunlight as one strays from the path. It is an album which demands attention as it is only then that the hidden layers and nuances really come to light, as otherwise it just becomes background noise, and it deserves far more than that. When Henryson bows the cello it takes on a whole new perspective and Eckemoff allows the other musicians to clearly demonstrate their skills, allowing them into the foreground when the time is right. This is yet another incredibly interesting and fascinating release from Yelena as she continues to seamlessly blend different musical styles. 

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Via Nocturna interview

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Original Portuguese:

Yelena Eckemoff parece viver num estado permanente de criação. Enquanto um álbum chega finalmente às mãos do público, outro está a ser preparado, um terceiro já foi gravado e novas ideias continuam a surgir quase sem interrupção. Rosendals Garden, o seu mais recente trabalho, é mais uma etapa desse percurso incessante: um álbum inspirado pelas paisagens, pela memória e pela atmosfera da Suécia, onde composição rigorosa e improvisação convivem com uma naturalidade rara. Nesta conversa, a pianista e compositora leva-nos aos bastidores do disco através de um retrato esclarecedor de uma artista para quem cada álbum representa um universo próprio, sempre diferente do anterior.

Olá, Yelena, é um verdadeiro prazer falar contigo novamente depois da nossa entrevista anterior. Muita coisa aconteceu desde então. Para começar, como têm sido estes últimos anos para ti, tanto a nível pessoal como criativo, e como te sentes agora que Rosendals Garden foi finalmente lançado?

Trabalho sempre em simultâneo num projeto atual, num projeto futuro e num projeto passado, preparando-os para lançamento. Por isso, é como uma maratona para mim, ou talvez, por outras palavras, é como uma linha de montagem onde vou montando um projeto atual, um projeto futuro e um projeto passado. Gravei Rosendals Garden em 2024 e, desde então, claro, preparei-o e lancei-o em março de 2026. Mas também gravei outro projeto em Itália em setembro de 2025 e, este ano, estou a preparar-me para gravar na Finlândia, na verdade, um projeto duplo. É assim que têm sido os meus últimos anos e acho que me mantenho muito ocupada, sem abrandar.

Rosendals Garden tem uma atmosfera profundamente cinematográfica, quase como um diário de viagem musical pela Suécia. Em que momento percebeste que estas experiências e impressões poderiam tornar-se a base para um álbum?

Às vezes tenho um conceito inicial para um projeto e procuro músicos que se encaixem nele. Mas, neste caso, foi o contrário.  Decidi avançar com um projeto de gravação com o Svante Henryson, com quem há vários anos que pensava em trabalhar, porque gostei muito da ideia de gravar com o seu violoncelo, que é absolutamente maravilhoso. Ele toca violoncelo como mais ninguém e é também um excelente baixista. É simplesmente um grande músico, nada mais. E, finalmente, senti que era altura de lhe pedir para trabalhar comigo. E quando ele disse que sim, pedi ao Svante para me recomendar um baterista sueco. Ele recomendou alguns, mas tinha a certeza de que o Morgan Ågren seria a escolha ideal. Depois de ter perguntado ao Morgan, e ele ter dito que sim, tinha o meu trio. E claro, como nunca tinha gravado na Suécia antes, mas já a tinha visitado algumas vezes, decidi que este projeto a ser gravado na Suécia com músicos suecos deveria ser sobre a Suécia.  Tinha muitas impressões e memórias vívidas das minhas visitas, apesar de terem sido curtas. Foi assim que percebi que ia fazer um álbum sobre a Suécia.

A Suécia desempenha um papel central ao longo do álbum, desde as suas paisagens e arquitetura até à sua ressonância emocional. Mencionaste que o país, de alguma forma, te lembrava a tua terra natal; podes explicar melhor essa ligação e por que é que a Suécia te inspirou tão profundamente?

Não visito o meu país natal desde que emigrámos: por mais anos que passem, nunca poderei voltar. Mas quando estávamos a explorar a Suécia e a Finlândia, de alguma forma os cheiros e a natureza lembraram-me a Rússia, onde cresci. E foi uma sensação muito especial. A Suécia, em particular, parecia-me mais um lar do que os outros países escandinavos, se é que alguma coisa poderia parecer um lar depois de tantos anos a viver num mundo diferente. Mas não transformei essa sensação num tema central do meu álbum; em vez disso, concentrei-me em locais específicos na Suécia de que gostei.

Os próprios títulos do álbum parecem capítulos de um livro: Gamla Stan, Ponte de Öresund, Castelo de Gripsholm, Reserva Natural de Storanden… As músicas foram compostas depois de visitares estes locais, ou algumas peças surgiram mais tarde a partir da memória e da reflexão?

Eu componho muita música. Às vezes durmo e a melodia surge-me durante a noite. Ou, aleatoriamente, ouço alguma música e, de repente, tenho uma ideia. Se conseguir, posso anotar essas ideias; caso contrário, esqueço-as. Mas tenho muitas pastas cheias das minhas melodias e ideias. Por isso, às vezes, reviso algumas delas e decido qual se adequaria ao meu conceito para uma faixa específica do meu projeto. Depois de perceber que queria ter música para os locais que visitei na Suécia, como Gamla Stan, a Ponte de Öresund, o Castelo de Gripsholm e assim por diante, comecei imediatamente a vasculhar as minhas pastas e encontrei algumas peças que correspondiam ao ambiente que queria expressar em algumas faixas. As outras faixas foram compostas de raiz. Mas mesmo que opte por usar o material que pesco das minhas pastas, este sofre uma transformação completa ao ser reimaginado para uma peça musical específica.  Portanto, basicamente, pode dizer-se que a música surge depois da ideia para qualquer faixa que esteja a tentar criar. Acho que não compus nenhuma música imediatamente após visitar os pontos de referência suecos, mas é difícil dizer. Como digo, tenho tantas ocasiões em que apenas rabisco algo, e pode ser que algumas melodias tenham surgido da impressão de certos lugares que encontrámos na Suécia.

O teu álbum anterior contava com um sexteto; Rosendals Garden baseia-se num formato de trio muito mais intimista. O que motivou esta redução no número de músicos? Será que essa formação mais reduzida influenciou o caráter emocional e a dinâmica da música?

Eu sabia que o Svante tocava violoncelo e contrabaixo, e pedi-lhe que tocasse os dois. Por isso, na prática, com o Svante a tocar ambos os instrumentos, já não era um trio, mas sim um quarteto. E não senti que precisasse de mais ninguém para que este projeto fosse mais pessoal, talvez menos vistoso. E o violoncelo é como uma voz humana, um instrumento tão profundo, significativo e dramático. Por isso, senti que iria conferir cores especiais à minha música. Não sou minimalista por definição, mas não gosto de sobrecarregar a música com timbres e instrumentos desnecessários, se puder evitar. Mas, naturalmente, alguns projetos exigem formações maiores. Por exemplo, o meu lançamento do ano passado, Scenes From The Dark Ages, exigiu uma instrumentação mais diversificada. Também tive mais instrumentos nos meus projetos de Salmos bíblicos, Better Than Gold And Silver e I Am A Stranger In This World, porque precisava de instrumentos diferentes para tocar melodias escritas para serem cantadas e de mais cores para espalhar essas melodias e improvisações por salmos por vezes longos, já que os fiz palavra por palavra. Mas se a música não ditar o contrário, na verdade prefiro o formato de trio.

A química entre ti, Svante Henryson e Morgan Ågren soa notavelmente natural, especialmente durante as secções de improvisação mais livres. Como é que esta colaboração se desenvolveu no estúdio?

Ficou evidente desde o início que tínhamos uma química muito boa na gravação, e foi por isso que deixei que os nossos solos livres se prolongassem até chegarem a conclusões naturais; depois, na pós-produção, decidi não os encurtar, pois achei que soavam orgânicos tal como estavam. Senti que todas as nossas improvisações espontâneas em grupo acrescentavam algo muito importante às minhas composições estruturalmente intensas. E sim, achámos fácil e agradável fazer esses trechos livres. Acho que tenho mais improvisações livres em Rosendals Garden do que em qualquer outro álbum que já gravei.

Um dos aspetos fascinantes de Rosendals Garden é a forma como as passagens compostas e a improvisação livre coexistem de forma tão harmoniosa. Como compositora com uma sólida formação clássica, de que forma equilibras a estrutura e a espontaneidade?

Nas minhas estruturas, designo determinados pontos para a improvisação livre em grupo, que estão claramente assinalados nas partituras. Chegávamos a esse ponto e simplesmente tocávamos, alimentando-nos uns dos outros, ouvindo-nos uns aos outros e divertindo-nos imenso. Mas prefiro que estas improvisações livres sejam uma espécie de embelezamento da composição, e não um substituto da composição. Como alguém com formação clássica e alguém que estudou profundamente as formas musicais, considero a estrutura muito importante. Deixem-me fazer um paralelo com a composição na pintura. Quando um artista cria uma pintura, as suas competências podem ser muito detalhadas, como hiper-realistas, ou talvez impressionistas e melancólicas, ou talvez modernas e vanguardistas. Mas o mais importante, na minha opinião, não é o estilo ou a competência, é a composição. É isso que faz com que a pintura funcione ou não: como é composta, como é concebida. E penso que o mesmo se aplica à música. Uma peça musical com uma composição forte, uma estrutura bem concebida, como uma casa confortável, proporciona um espaço de vida adequado para as melodias, harmonias e improvisações. Noutro paralelo, a estrutura é um esqueleto que sustenta tudo o resto, sejam músculos, tecidos e até roupas e joias que possam embelezar a superfície.

A faixa de abertura, ABBA Museum, salta logo à vista, não só pela óbvia referência cultural, mas também porque os ABBA aparentemente desempenharam um papel importante na tua curiosidade musical inicial, para além da música clássica. De que forma a descoberta dos ABBA influenciou o teu desenvolvimento artístico?

O meu desenvolvimento artístico começou muito cedo. Ouvi a minha mãe a tocar piano enquanto ainda estava no seu ventre. Ela era uma pianista profissional que ensinava piano na escola de música estatal, e os seus alunos vinham frequentemente a nossa casa para terem aulas, por isso, continuei a ouvir muita música desde o dia em que nasci. Tudo o que ouvi me influenciou. Lembro-me, em particular, de ter ficado profundamente impressionada com a pequena peça de Schumann do seu álbum para os Jovens, Happy Farmer. Aos meus ouvidos de criança, soava tão perfeitamente harmoniosa que ainda me lembro da exuberância que senti quando ouvi esta peça simples pela primeira vez. Isto continuou ao longo de toda a minha infância: de vez em quando, simplesmente fazia estas “grandes descobertas”. Mas depois, quando comecei a aventurar-me em estilos diferentes na minha adolescência, a primeira grande influência foi provavelmente os Beatles, e depois o conjunto de outros grupos de rock, pop, fusion e jazz que se foram acumulando. Os ABBA destacavam-se pelas suas melodias fortes. As suas canções, cheias de emoção e glamour, também apresentavam estruturas lacónicas. Apreciava estes pontos fortes da sua música poderosa, apesar de não ser o meu grupo favorito. Gostava mais dos Pink Floyd. Gostava muito dos Mahavishnu Orchestra, especialmente do álbum Apocalypse. Os ABBA pareciam-me mais simples. Mas não podia negar a riqueza do poço melódico das suas canções. E, claro, toda a sua atuação, a forma como se apresentavam, era realmente impressionante e memorável. Obviamente, no álbum sobre os marcos da Suécia, tive de prestar homenagem ao maior supergrupo sueco de que me lembrava vividamente desde a minha juventude.

Gravar no RMV Studio (um local ligado a Benny Andersson e construído com tanto cuidado e visão) deve ter acrescentado mais uma camada de inspiração às sessões. O ambiente físico e a atmosfera de um estúdio foram importantes para o vosso processo criativo?

Na verdade, conheci o estúdio de Benny Andersson em Estocolmo há muito tempo, na nossa primeira visita à Suécia em 2011. Depois de gravarmos em Copenhaga, tirámos umas pequenas férias; num carro alugado, fizemos um circuito da Dinamarca à Suécia e de volta. Quando vamos a lugares diferentes, procuramos sempre bons estúdios. E visitámos aquele estúdio, o RMV, e conhecemos a Linn Fijal, uma jovem a quem Benny Andersson delegou a tarefa de projetar e supervisionar a construção do estúdio num antigo celeiro. Gostámos da localização numa das ilhas de Estocolmo e o estúdio tinha uma boa vibração. Por isso, desde essa altura, tinha aquele estúdio no fundo da minha mente. Quando comecei a organizar uma gravação com o Svante, pensei imediatamente em resolver esta questão pendente e ir gravar no RMV com a Linn Fijal. E foi o que fiz. O facto de haver alguns objetos no estúdio, como o sintetizador branco que os ABBA usavam nas suas produções, não me inspirou de forma especial, porque não estava a gravar música diretamente relacionada com os ABBA. Mas havia algo mais especial: o piano. Quando visitámos o estúdio pela primeira vez, era um Steinway, e agora gravei num Fazioli especificamente escolhido e comprado pelo Benny para gravar as suas próprias versões para piano das canções do ABBA (álbum Piano lançado em 2017). Quando toquei o mesmo piano, senti uma certa ligação com o Benny.

Por fim, com um álbum tão vívido e emocionalmente rico agora concluído, há planos para levar o Rosendals Garden ao palco através de atuações ao vivo ou mesmo uma digressão pela Europa?

Infelizmente, não. Durante alguns anos, atuei e levei a minha música a alguns clubes de jazz agradáveis e locais onde foi recebida com calor. Mas já não procuro esses locais. Sinto apenas que tenho de dedicar todo o meu tempo e energia a gravar tantos projetos quanto possível, porque tenho mais projetos, mais ideias, mais música que gostaria de gravar do que aquela que conseguiria encaixar na vida que me resta. Certamente, seria muito divertido apresentar os meus projetos ao público com os músicos que neles tocaram. Mas não se pode ter tudo, certo? Fiz as minhas escolhas há muito tempo, decidindo não ser uma música que faz digressões. Sinto que é mais importante para mim criar mais música e mais projetos do que tocar ao vivo. Espero conseguir deixar para trás mais alguns «filhos musicais» que as pessoas venham a apreciar.

Para terminar, obrigada mais uma vez pelo teu tempo. Há alguma coisa que gostasses de dizer aos ouvintes que estão a descobrir este novo capítulo da tua música?

Espero que os meus fãs portugueses gostem de Rosendals Garden, o meu novo álbum. Mas também, se me permitem, sugeriria que explorassem a fundo o meu catálogo. Tal como as crianças humanas, que, apesar de parecerem parentes, acabam por ser pessoas muito diferentes, com personalidades e traços únicos, os meus álbuns, os meus «filhos musicais», são todos diferentes e não há dois iguais. Na verdade, faço questão de não me repetir, pois estou sempre à procura de novas formas de expressão. E obrigada, Pedro, pelo teu interesse e apoio e um sincero agradecimento a todos os que ouvem a minha música.

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Patrick Španko for SK Jazz

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She began studying jazz when she was 20 years old and recorded her first jazz album in 2008 with Peter Erskine. She even played in an experimental jazz-rock band. In an exclusive interview from 2019, she presented us with her musical development and experiences during her youth in her homeland and gave us her unique insight into her world of musical expression and composition. Pianist of Russian origin Yelena Eckemoff emigrated to the USA, where she is among the most interesting and prominent personalities. In her music, she combines her experience with classical music and jazz. Her music is full of lyricism and emotion, with the compositions often illustrating a story. Her style could also be described as jazz impressionism. So far, she has recorded 21 albums and our skjazz.sk editors have reviewed the following: Yelena Eckemoff Quartet – Leaving Everything Behind (L&H Production, 2016), Yelena Eckemoff Quartet – Desert   (L&H Production, 2018), Yelena Eckemoff – Nocturnal Animals (L&H Production, 2020), 2CD Yelena Eckemoff – Adventures of the Wildflower (L&H Production, 2021), 2CD Yelena Eckemoff – I Am a Stranger in this World (L&H Production, 2022), Yelena Eckemoff – Lonely Man and His Fish (L&H Production, 2023) and Yelena Eckemoff – Romance of the Moon  (L&H Production, 2024). The eighth album we presented was  Yelena Eckemoff – Scenes from the Dark Ages  (L&H Production, 2025), about which  Yelena says: “I dreamed of being born in the Middle Ages” and continues: “This project is so different from my others because it has a prog-rock feel to it.”.” And the most recent effort so far is a double album called Yelena Eckemoff – Rosendals Garden ((L&H Production, 2026), about which Yelena says: “…What distinguishes Rosendals Garden is its ability to be accessible and intellectually engaging”. Eckemoff is known for bringing tonal richness and a classical improvisational style to all her compositions for piano trio, and this recording is no exception. The pianist is now exploring the beauty, history and people of Sweden. During her frequent travels through the Scandinavian country, she is repeatedly captivated by the touching charm of the landscape, the untouched nature and at the same time the orderly bustle of its urban metropolises – which are, after all, quite manageable due to their size. Yelena thus incorporates everything she considers typically Swedish into her perspective, and expresses her emotions and reflections acoustically in compositions and improvisations. She is joined by two Swedish instrumentalists: Svante Henryson – cello, double bass and bass guitar and Morgan Agren – drums and percussion, who accompany her on these musical journeys in a wonderfully harmonious way. In addition to the places and locations described in eleven songs written by Yelena herself, this trio finds a happy connection between Scandinavian folklore influences, Yelena’s piano playing influenced by late romanticism and impressionism, and her melodically and rhythmically experimental improvisations. In the almost ninety minutes of the double album Rosendals Garden develops music that captivates with its melodic simplicity, but also touches the listener with its complexity. Minimalist characters and themes go hand in hand with technically demanding liveliness. The album, which contains many aspects, is strong and lyrical, enthusiastic and breathtaking. Simply as always – breathtaking and otherworldly!

Performed by:
Yelena Eckemoff – piano and keyboards
Svante Henryson – cello, double bass and bass
Morgan Ågren – drums and percussion

Original Slovak:

Jazz začala študovať keď mala 20 rokov a prvý jazzový album nahrala v roku 2008 s Peter Erskinom. Dokonca pôsobila v experimentálnej jazz-rockovej skupine. V exkluzívnom rozhovore z roku 2019 nám predostrela svoj hudobný vývoj a zážitky počas mladosti v domovine a priblížila nám svoj jedinečný náhľad do jej sveta hudobného výrazu a kompozície. Klaviristka ruského pôvodu Yelena Eckemoff emigrovala do USA, kde patrí medzi veľmi zaujímavé a popredné osobnosti. Vo svojej hudbe kombinuje svoje skúsenosti s klasickou hudbou a jazzom. Jej hudba je plná lyrizmu a emócií, pričom skladby často dokresľujú nejaký príbeh. Jej štýl by sa dal opísať aj ako jazzový impresionizmus. Doteraz nahrala 21 albumov a naša redakcia skjazz.sk recenzovala tieto: Yelena Eckemoff Quartet – Leaving Everything Behind (L&H Production, 2016), Yelena Eckemoff Quartet – Desert  (L&H Production, 2018), Yelena Eckemoff – Nocturnal Animals (L&H Production, 2020), 2CD Yelena Eckemoff – Adventures of the Wildflower (L&H Production, 2021), 2CD Yelena Eckemoff – I Am a Stranger in this World (L&H Production, 2022), Yelena Eckemoff – Lonely Man and His Fish (L&H Production, 2023) a Yelena Eckemoff – Romance of the Moon (L&H Production, 2024). Albumom číslo osem, ktorý sme predstavili bol Yelena Eckemoff – Scenes from the Dark Ages (L&H Production, 2025), pričom o ňom Yelena hovorí: „Snívala som o tom, že sa narodím v stredoveku” a pokračuje: „Tento projekt sa od mojich ostatných tak líši, pretože má prog-rockový nádych.” No a doteraz najčerstvejším počinom je dvoj-album s názvom Yelena Eckemoff – Rosendals Garden ((L&H Production, 2026), o ktorom Yelena hovorí: “…To, čo odlišuje Rosendals Garden, je jeho schopnosť byť prístupný a intelektuálne pútavý”. Eckemoff je známa tým, že do všetkých svojich kompozícií určených pre klavírne trio vnáša tonálnu bohatosť a klasický improvizačný štýl a táto nahrávka nie je výnimkou. Klaviristka teraz skúma krásu, históriu a obyvateľov Švédska. Počas svojich častých ciest po škandinávskej krajine ju opakovane uchvacuje dojímavé čaro krajiny, nedotknutá príroda a zároveň usporiadaný ruch v jej mestských metropolách – ktoré sú napokon svojou rozlohou celkom zvládnuteľné. Yelena tak do svojej perspektívy začleňuje všetko, čo považuje za typicky švédske, a svoje emócie a reflexie vyjadruje akusticky v kompozíciách a improvizáciách. Pridávajú sa k nej dvaja švédski inštrumentalisti: Svante Henryson – violoncello, kontrabas a basgitara a Morgan Agren – bicie a perkusie, ktorí ju na týchto hudobných cestách sprevádzajú úžasne harmonickým spôsobom. Okrem miest a lokalít opísaných v jedenástich skladbách z pera samotnej Yeleny, toto trio nachádza šťastné spojenie medzi škandinávskymi folklórnymi vplyvmi, Yeleninou hrou na klavíri ovplyvnenou neskorým romantizmom a impresionizmom a jej melodicky a rytmicky experimentálnymi improvizáciami. V takmer deväťdesiatich minútach dvoj-albumu Rosendals Garden rozvíja hudbu, ktorá zaujme svojou melodickou jednoduchosťou, ale zároveň sa poslucháča dotkne aj svojou komplexnosťou. Minimalistické postavy a témy idú ruka v ruke s technicky náročnou živosťou. Album, ktorý obsahuje mnoho aspektov, je silný a lyrický, nadšený a dychberúci. Prosto tak ako vždy doteraz – dychberúci a nadpozemský!

Hrajú:
Yelena Eckemoff – klavír a klávesové nástroje
Svante Henryson – violoncello, kontrabas a basgitara
Morgan Ågren – bicie nástroje a perkusie

 

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Aloi for Concerto

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Next to Rosendals Palace in Stockholm is a botanical garden. While tributes are usually paid to individuals, this one is dedicated to a place. On her new album, Moscow-born pianist Yelena Eckemoff—accompanied by a trio—embarks on a journey to discover the attractions of Rosendal and other places in Stockholm. Part of the park also houses the ABBA Museum. “ABBA Museum” is, fittingly, the title of the first track on the double CD. The gardens and the surrounding nature, with their quiet magic, are further explored in the following ten tracks. For this, Eckemoff has chosen two renowned Swedish musicians: cellist and bassist Svante Henryson and drummer Morgan Ägren. Each composition is a standalone short story, conveying emotional impressions that range from tranquility to vibrancy. Svante Henryson’s delicate, lyrical cello playing complements this perfectly, as do Morgan Ägren’s alluring percussive textures. The shifting moods of these contrasting pieces bring the respective locations to life. “Öresund Bridge,” for example, is given an exciting, almost eerie accompaniment, in contrast to the elegant tranquility of “Skansen Park.” The album concludes with “Gripsholm Castle,” in which the trio masterfully highlights the grandeur of this medieval castle with restrained yet haunting tones. The comprehensive booklet provides detailed descriptions of the various sights around Rosendal and almost replaces the guidebook for your next visit to Stockholm.

Original German:

Neben dem Schloss Rosendal in Stockholm befindet Sich ein botaniScher Garten. Wenn Sonst Hommagen an Personen gerichtet Sind, 50 gilt Sie hier einem Ort. Die in Moskau geborene Pianistin Yelena Eckemoff begibt Sich im neuen Album, in auf ein Trio reduzierter BeSetzung, auf die Suche nach den Attraktionen in Rosendal und anderen Plätzen Stockholms. In einem Teil des Parks ist auch das ABBA Museum untergebracht. „ABBA Museum“ heißt folgerichtig das erste Stück auf der Doppel-CD. Die Gärten und die Natur mit ihrer Stillen Magie rundherum werden in den folgenden zehn Tracks weiter erkundet. Dafür hat Sich Eckemoff zwei renommierte Schwedische Musiker ausgesucht: den Cellisten und Bassisten Svante Henryson Sowie den Schlagzeuger Morgan Ägren. Jede Komposition ist eine eigenständige Kurzgeschichte und vermittelt emotionale Eindrücke zwischen Ruhe und Lebendigkeit. Dazu passt das zarte, Iyrische Cellospiel Svante Henrysons ebenso wie die verführerischen Percussion farben von Morgan Ägren. Die wechselnden Stimmungen der kontrastreichen Stücke lassen die jeweiligen Orte lebendig werden. Die „Öresund Bridge“ zum Beispiel erhält eine Spannende, fast unheimliche Untermalung, im GegenSatz zur eleganten Friedlichkeit im „Skansen Park“. Das Album endet mit „Gripsholm Castle“, in dem das Trio die Erhabenheit dieser mittelalterlichen Burg mit zurückhaltenden, aber eindringlichen Tönen sehr gut hervorzuheben weiß. Im umfangreichen Booklet sind die jeweiligen Sehenswürdigkeiten rund um Rosendal ausführlich beschrieben und ergetzen beinahe den Reiseführer für den nächsten Stockholm Besuch.

Von Claus Volke for Hören und Fühlen

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Moscow-born pianist and composer Yelena Eckemoff, a truly wonderful artist, presents her very personal tribute to Sweden on her 23rd album with her trio. Each of the 11 songs tells its own little story, and it should come as no surprise that the album opens with a track titled “ABBA Museum”—a nod to these pop giants.

Original German:

Die in Moskau geborene wunderbar Pianistin und Komponistin Yelena Eckemoff präsentiert mit ihren Trio auf ihrem nunmehr bereits 23. Album ihre ganz persönliche Hommage an Schweden. Jeder der 11 Song erzählt dabei eine eigene kleine Geschichte und es dürfte keinen wundern, dass das Album mit dem Titel: ABBA Museum beginnt, einer Verneigung vor diesen Pop-Giganten.

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