ABOUT

Tord Gustavsen is on a constant search for a fresh and radically stripped-down honest beauty in music. The band works to explore, integrate and serve a holy trinity of emotional intensity, elegance, and mediative musical breathing. Tord has released ten albums under his own name in trio, quartet and quintet formats; the last one October 2024 entitled "Seeing" - listen here. 

Tord works in solo, duo, trio, quartet and extended ensemble formats. His discography as a band leader includes

  • an early trilogy of trio albums with the late bass player Harald Johnsen and drummer Jarle Vespestad;
  • a trilogy of albums with bass player Mats Eilertsen and saxophonist Tore Brunborg (also including singer Kristin Asbjørnsen on one of them)
  • the alternative trio with singer Simin Tander and drummer Jarle Vespestad, with Tord also playing synth-bass and electronics;
  • the 2018 release «The Other Side», re-establishing Tord Gustavsen Trio as a band, with bass player Sigurd Hole alongside Tord and Jarle;
  • the 2022 release «Opening», introducing bass player Steinar Raknes and Jarle Vespestad; and
  • the upcoming 2024 release «Seeing» with Steinar and Jarle.
 

In addition to this body of work, Tord has contributed to around 30 releases with other main artists, such as Solveig Slettahjell, Kristin Asbjørnsen, The Norwegian Girls’ Choir, Mahsa Vahdat, The Oslo Cathedral Choir, and others.

Tord has also been pursuing an academic project on the psychology of improvisation developing a highly original approach to exploring the dilemmas of control vs. surrender; crystallised in his essay «The Dialectical Erotism of Improvisation».