Caprice Records CAP 21799
Olga Konkova
Improvisational four
In the dead of the night, in an empty concert hall, a woman, a grand piano and a few microphones. Suddenly, the room explodes with melodies, sounds and rhythms. The result? The fourth volume of Caprice’s innovative series Improvisational.
The Norwegian-Russian pianist Olga Konkova is featured on Improvisational IV, improvising on some of Joni Mitchell’s songs, among them Big yellow taxi, Woodstock and California. The conditions are the same as for the previous albums in the Improvisational-series: the recording is made at night in the concert hall at Nybrokajen 11 in Stockholm, on the same Steinway D-grand.
Olga Konkova is quite incognito and could be described as one of the Scandinavian jazz scene’s biggest secrets even with the long list of albums and concerts she has behind her. On Improvisational IV she has created, despite her explosive and passionate style, a very intimate and heartfelt interpretation of Joni Mitchell’s material. In a completely unpredictable way, the music shifts between sudden impulses and tone cascades to contemplative melody and harmony but is held together by Olga’s headstrong personality. Musical references not only include American and Scandinavian jazz, but also classical music of which Olga Konkova’s fantastic technique is a reminder.
Olga Konkova was born in Russian and studied at the Russian Academy of Music in Moscow as well as at Berklee College of Music in USA. In 1994, she moved to Norway and started her professional career. She has played with musicians like Adam Nussbaum, Gary Husband, Jojo Mayer, Ralph Peterson, Jon Christensen, Audun Kleive, Marilyn Mazur, Bobby Shew and Bill Bruford, only to name a few.
Olga Konkova has released five albums in her own name: “Going with the Flow” (Curling Legs), “Her Point of View” (Candid Records), “Northern Crossings” (Candid Records), “Some Things from Home” (Candid Records) and “Unbound” (Alessa Records). She also plays with the big band Ensemble Denada and was awarded a working grant from the Norwegian State in 2007.
Distribution:
Naxos Sweden ab, Kryptongatan 6, 703 74 Örebro, Phone: +46- (0)19-20 68 60 // fax: +46- (0)19-20 68 65 // e-mail: kundtjanst@naxos.se
Production: Caprice Records, Box 163 44, 103 26 Stockholm Phone: +46-(0)8-407 16 00 // e-mail: info@capricerecords.se
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