Lyrical, rhythmic modern jazz with a deep sense of collective energy. Award-winning Norwegian trumpeter Mathias Eick – one of the country’s most influential jazz voices since the early 2000s – brings together a stellar quartet to explore an acoustic soundscape he’s long wanted to dive into: stripped-down yet full, gentle yet charged with intensity.
With Lullaby, Eick seeks to express his compassion for those affected by the unrest that has shaped the Middle East for as long as he can remember.
“I remember watching the news at my grandmother’s house every Thursday when I was little – and there was always war somewhere in the Middle East,” he says. The album was recorded at Rainbow Studio in Oslo in January 2024, while the war between Israel and Palestine once again unfolded – a conflict that left a clear imprint on the music.
Yet warmth and intimacy run through the album too – declarations of love, moments of pause, reflections from the heart. Estonian pianist Kristjan Randalu, bassist Ole Morten Vågan, and drummer Hans Hulbækmo move alongside Eick in intuitive interplay, each musician carrying their own voice while shaping a cohesive whole.
Lineup
Mathias Eick – trumpet, keys, vocals
Kristjan Randalu – piano
Ole Morten Vågan – bass
Hans Hulbækmo – drums
