Horst Rutsch via message
I wanted to share with you my impressions of the Rosedals Garden album because it has been a curious listening experience. What I mean by that is that some of the songs were already more familiar to me, having been pre-released, notably Ruins of Älvsborg, Strandvägen Pier and Rosedals Garden. When I first listened to the whole album, I noticed how the new (still unfamiliar) songs had to compete for my listening attention with those already known and more dynamic songs. Ultimately, I came to understand it felt like an aural landscapes of peaks and valleys, with the more dynamic songs being the peaks and the quieter songs seeming like valleys for me. This, in short, is how my mind rearranged the album into a coherent whole again. Among the valleys, my favourites are the Country Orchard Café, Sunrise in Rimbo and Storanden Nature Reserve, where the quieter arrangements communicate a stillness or – as you write in your liner notes – a silence in nature. Then there are moments in some songs where it feels as if there is a sudden turn and change of vista, as in Skansen Park and in Strandvägen Pier, before returning to the original theme. Overall, my favourites are Ruins of Älvsborg, Strandvägen and especially Öresund Bridge – I love how the tension is building through the ostinato of the piano, and how the solos are soaring above it – offering a complex dynamic that is exhilarating to experience. Then there are songs that lie in between the peaks and valleys, such as Gamla Stan and Gripsholm Castle, which move in mood, like a chiaro-scuro in painting. Altogether, a wonderful musical journey.
A brief word on the musicians accompanying you. Morgan’s playing is so percussive, much more percussion than drumming, which helps carry the music in the different suddenly changing directions. Svante’s playing, especially the cello parts, is a revelation, often soaring over his own bass playing. And as I have come to discover, your piano playing provides both the driving platform and the sparkle in the performances.