Night Song

Norwegian pianist Ketil Bjørnstad started out as a classical player, but went on to play with rock and jazz musicians, including the guitarist Terje Rypdal. He’s also a writer who has published more than two-dozen books of fiction, poetry, and biography. Svante Henryson has played bass in the Oslo Philharmonic and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, and has worked with artists as diverse as Marilyn Mazur, Elvis Costello, and Stevie Wonder. (He’s also played hard rock with Yngwie Malmsteen!) Bjørnstad, whose music has been used in several films by Jean-Luc Godard, composed 12 of the tracks on *Night Song*, in collaboration with Henryson. Bjørnstad’s compositions here are influenced by Schubert, a composer he has been taken with since he was a teenager. These works move at a slow, deliberate pace, remain within a limited dynamic range, and are often infused with a sense of melancholy. Henryson contributed four works, including “Fall,” which features gently rippling piano and a gorgeous melody. The album is nicely book-ended by two versions of the title track, with the “Morning Version” serving as a reflective closer.