About the release
Most of the music on this record was written during the spring of 2022, a period where Europe stood still for a moment, shocked by the reality that Ukraine had been invaded and was suddenly at war. We did not really believe what we were seeing and hearing on the news. A couple of years before all of this, I had visited Kiev as a tourist and really enjoyed the city, and now suddenly, the city was undergoing bombardments destroying the streets and making it a place where people now had to live in constant fear for their own lives and for their families.
During this time, I was teaching a young trumpet player named Roman in improvisation at «Landslinje for jazz» in Molde. Through our conversations, it became clear that he had family and relatives back in Ukraine, and this meant a constant feeling of chaos for him. All this while trying to live a normal life and attending school. This made an impact on me and inspired me to write the song «For Roman».
Songs for Roman was inspired by talking to Roman about these topics in March 2022. Writing some of these compositions became my musical response. I hope they can be meaningful in some way.
Arne Torvik, Molde, July 2023
Musicians
Arne Torvik - piano/komponist
Bjørnar Kaldefoss Tveite - double bass
Øystein Aarnes Vik - trommer
