DAGAR KOMA
Valdimar Guðmundsson: Vocals and trombone
Jóel Pálsson: Tenor and soprano saxophones
Eyþór Gunnarsson: Piano, Rhodes piano, harmonium etc.
Einar Scheving: Drums
Valdimar Kolbeinn Sigurjónsson: Double bass
The album contains eight songs written by saxophonist Jóel Pálsson to poems by renowned contemporary Icelandic poets. The featured poets are: Gyrðir Elíasson, Þórarinn Eldjárn, Gerður Kristný, Sigurbjörg Þrastardóttir and Bragi Ólafsson.
Released 2018.
Jóel Pálsson / The Reykjavik Big Band: INNRI
All compositions by Jóel Pálsson, big band arrangements by Kjartan Valdemarsson.
Directed by Kjartan Valdemarsson
Ívar Guðmundsson: Trumpet & Flugelhorn
Kjartan Hákonarson: Trumpet & Flugelhorn
Snorri Sigurðarson: Trumpet & Flugelhorn
Ari Bragi Kárason: Trumpet & Flugelhorn
Sigurður Flosason: Alto & soprano saxophones, flute, alto flute, bass clarinet
Haukur Gröndal: Alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Jóel Pálsson: Tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, Kalimba
Ólafur Jónsson: Tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Stefán S. Stefánsson: Baritone saxophone, alto flute
Einar Jónsson: Trombone
Stefán Ómar Jakobsson: Trombone
Samúel Jón Samúelsson: Trombone
David Bobroff: Bass trombone
Eyþór Gunnarsson: Piano, Rhodes piano
Davíð Þór Jónsson: Hammond organ
Eðvarð Lárusson: Guitar
Gunnar Hrafnsson: Acoustic & electric bass
Jóhann Hjörleifsson: Drums & percussion
Einar Scheving: Drums & percussion, vibraphone
Kjartan Valdemarsson: Accordion, vibraphone
Recorded and released 2015.
Winner of "Jazz Album of the Year" at the Icelandic Music Awards.
”…it's gratifying to know that not only is there a big band in Reykjavik, Iceland, but that the ensemble is worthy of the label "world-class" as well.”
READ: All About Jazz review ****
Click to listen to the title piece "Innri" on YouTube
HORN
Jóel Pálsson: Tenor saxophone and contrabass clarinet
Ari Bragi Kárason: Trumpet and flügelhorn
Eyþór Gunnarsson: Piano, Rhodes piano and Minimoog
Davíð Þór Jónsson: Hammond organ, Minimoog, bariton saxophone and electric bass
Einar Scheving: Drums
All tracks by Jóel Pálsson.
Recorded and released in 2010.
Winner of "Jazz Album of the Year" at the Icelandic Music Awards.
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REVIEWS:
***** "Horn, Pálsson's fifth recording as a leader, mixes hard-edged jazz-rock fusion, ECM-ish modal jazz, and complicated-but-humorous Zappa-esque progressive rock. Despite their polished surfaces and crafty melodies, Pálsson's compositions are deceptive—they never quite go where anticipated. (...)
Despite—or maybe because of—its unusual provenance Horn is an exceptionally impressive recording, full of fascinating compositions, first-rate musicianship, and inspired interactions. "
- All About Jazz, USA
READ the AAJ review
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***** “Fandenivoldsk islænding begår en af årets store plader”
- Politiken, Denmark
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***** "... This is an unbelievably good CD, and it doesn’t say anything to award it five stars, when all kind of mediocre works are awarded with five stars…..everything is melted into the Jóel-ish style , that has already influenced many of our younger saxophone players….Horn is Jóel’s primary work until now. Where he goes from here will be exciting to hear.”
- Morgunbladid, Iceland
VARP
Jóel Pálsson: Tenor saxophone, clarinet and contrabass clarinet
Davíð Þór Jónsson: Hammond organ, piano and Minimoog
Hilmar Jensson: Electric and acoustic guitar
Valdimar Kolbeinn Sigurjónsson: Acoustic and electric bass
Matthías Hemstock: Drums, percussion and drum machine
All tracks by Jóel Pálsson.
Recorded in 2006.
Winner of "Jazz Album of the Year" at the Icelandic Music Awards.
REVIEWS:
***** "The recording combines many music influences—popular, world music, and electronica—into a distinctive mix that is equal parts musicianship and atmosphere. Pálsson and his quartet are clearly up to something (...)
Don't let the CD cover of the saxophonist wearing a gas mask intimidate you; there's nothing toxic about Varp. It's a breath of fresh air."
- All About Jazz, USA
READ the AAJ review
“Dramatic Beauty…Joel’s fantastic sound on the tenor is one of the greatest on this side of the Atlantic ocean.”
- Morgunbladid, Iceland
Jóel Pálsson: Tenor saxophone and bass clarinet
Greg Hopkins: Trumpet and flügelhorn
Sigurður Flosason: bariton and alto saxophones, bass clarinet, alto and piccolo flutes
Eyþór Gunnarsson: Hammond organ, Würlitzer, accordeon and synthesizers
Valdimar Kolbeinn Sigurjónsson: Contrabass
Einar Scheving: Drums and "jarmdolla" (a can that goes 'moo')
Helgi Svavar Helgason: Percussion, sampler and scat singing
All tracks by Jóel Pálsson.
Recorded in 2002.
Winner of "Jazz Album of the Year" at the Icelandic Music Awards..
REVIEWS:
***** "Septett has its share of fine solo spots for saxophone and trumpet, but the ensemble work is its strong point—spirited and swirling reed/brass conversations doing their give and take in front of a solid but quirky (in the best possible sense of the word) rhythm section.
A marvelous ensemble recording by Iceland's sax man, an effort that should should earn him an audience far beyond his North Atlantic homeland."
Dan McClenaghan All About Jazz
READ the AAJ review
“Septett can be framed as a 21st Century Birth of the Cool…..The results are a very modern Cool Jazz. The compositions, all Pálsson’s, are brilliantly convoluted and complex, rigidly composed and effortlessly performed. This is music with unexpected and potently sensuous contours…..The predominantly acoustic recording makes this writer hope for more of the same from this talented Icelander and his merry band of islanders and expatriates.”
C.Michael Bailey, ALL About Jazz
READ the AAJ review
KLIF
Jóel Pálsson: Tenor and soprano saxophone and contrabass clarinet
Hilmar Jensson: guitar
Skúli Sverrisson: Electric bass
Matthías Hemstock: Drums and percussion
All tracks by Jóel Pálsson - except Interlude by Jóel, Hilmar, Skúli and Matthías, and Serenity by Hilmar.
Recorded in 2000.
Winner of "Jazz Album of the Year" at the Icelandic Music Awards..
REVIEWS:
“..No other Icelandic jazz CD until now has so successfully managed combine modern thinking and the jazz tradition. The compositions are substantial, the improvisation inventive and the rhythm section down to earth. Pálsson has diciplined his tone even more than ever and his command over the tenor saxophone is almost complete. “
- Morgunbladid, Iceland
PRÍM
Jóel Pálsson: Tenor & soprano saxophone
Hilmar Jensson: Guitar
Eythor Gunnarsson: Piano
Gulli Gudmundsson: Bass
Einar Scheving: Drums
All tracks by Jóel Pálsson
Recorded in 1998
REVIEWS:
"Pladen kommer som en åbenbaring, takket være dens hovedperson, tenor- og sopransaxofonisten Jóel Pálsson. Alene denne utrolig udtryksfulde tone, som i sin rigdom af afskygninger ikke kan undgå at tage én om hjertet. Dertil kommer en fraserings evne af en sjælden smidighed og snert, og et vidtspændende kompositorisk talent, der i numre som "Urgur" og "Gisp!" udløser en uimodståelig rytmisk energi, mens det i "Bakþankar" og i Pálssons bearbejdelse af en folkevise fremmaner et univers, der har sit udspring i den islanske natur."
- Politiken, Denmark
"Jóel Pálsson and his companions certenly sound like they're having a good time making music on this program of Pálsson's orginals....I definiteley look forward to the next installment to see where Pálsson goes from here."
- Cadence, USA
"...overordentligt kompetent efleveret, især af Hilmar Jensson og Pálsson selv, som spiller både robust og lyrisk i et repertoire af ham selv. Gode iørefaldende melodier....Prím i stilisk henseende er meget homogen."
Jazz Special, Denmark
Jóel Pálsson and Eyþór Gunnarsson: SKUGGSJÁ
Jóel Pálsson: Tenor- and soprano saxophones, kontrabass clarinet
Eyþór Gunnarsson: Piano
"Saxophone and piano can hardly be considered the typical instrumentation, except for composed romantic chamber music. When used together, one is tempted to think that the composer is trying to pull the sax out of a musical hybrid that has fostered this conic bastard of wind instruments throughout the twentieth century: jazz."
The songs on the CD are "typical icelandic popular tunes dating back forty plus years. The selection process went through three rounds as Jóel Pálsson and Eyþór Gunnarsson played through a bunch of songs and weeded out, not only the resulting compilation, but also any doubts as to whether they were playing the songs right or only sketching the outlines from memory. Finally they were rearranged individually by Jóel and Eyþór, so the process demanded they be played at least three times - something a stripped down pop song can be very proud to survive." - Pétur Grétarsson
The songs are: Sveitin milli sanda - Söngurinn um Dimmalimm - Hættu að gráta hringaná - Svefn-g-englar - Leyndarmál - Vísur Vatnsenda-Rósu - Venus as a Boy - Samferða - Stál og hnífur - Þú og ég - Spiladósalagið - Tvær stjörnur