Kjetil Mulelid: Piano, Unfolding
Sagene records

Bill Evans is sometimes cited as a reference point when discussing Kjetil Mulelid's playing, and certainly the latter exemplifies some of the former's refinement in his execution and harmonic sensibility. But on his second solo piano outing, the figure he more calls to mind is Keith Jarrett in the way both sometimes surrender to their respective muses and allow themselves to be swept away. At such moments, the considerable technique Mulelid's developed is called upon but less consciously, with the pianist letting the spirit move him and take him where it will. It's a transcendent state musicians aspire to reach, and when it's captured on a recording it's a rare and valuable thing indeed.

Born in 1991 and a 2014 graduate of Trondheim's esteemed Jazz Programme, the Norwegian has steadily established himself as a distinctive pianist whose reputation has spread far beyond his country's borders. Similar to Evans and Jarrett, the lines separating jazz and classical blur in Mulelid's playing, with the folk traditions of his homeland also part of the mix. His involvement in other projects, be it the jazz quartet Wako or his collaboration with vocalist Siril Malmedal Hauge, has deepened the artistry he's brought to his own trio and, of course, his solo piano work.

Interestingly, his 2021 solo piano album carried the prosaic title Piano, while its follow-up's called Piano, Unfolding, a gesture that suggests the one's a continuum of the other but that it also signifies a further stage. Eleven Mulelid originals are performed that seamlessly integrate formal composition and improvisation. Each setting registers as a wholly personal statement born from years of listening, absorbing, and playing, and the authority shown in Mulelid's playing speaks to his many years at the keyboard. By the nature of the solo format these probing meditations are characterized by intimacy and vulnerability, no musician ever more exposed than when recording without accompaniment.

With strains of traditional Norwegian folk seeping into the performance, “Memorable Stories” establishes a high level of pianism at the outset. As the piece advances, his playing grows freer as he gives himself over to free-flowing inspiration. Something similar happens when “Entrance” blossoms from a mood of restrained introspection into a more ecstatic expression before segueing without pause into the flowing lilt and oceanic rumble of “Solskinnet,” one of the more adventurous and classically tinged travelogues on the set. The more the pianist gives himself over to his muse, the more magic materializes in a given performance. Elsewhere, the poetic cascades of “Shards of Light (Krystaller)” exude a crystalline quality one associates with light filtering through the windows of some majestic cathedral. In contrast to the relative control displayed by the piece, “And Now” sees Mulelid giving his jazz chops a tremendous workout.

Supplemental to his playing, the release is also distinguished by pristine acoustics and clarity of presentation. Listening to the takes captured at the Kabuso Art Centre in Øystese by sound engineer Andreas Skår Winther offers its own share of rewards, and the Steinway C grand piano Mulelid played on the summer 2025 sessions also helps bring out the best in the pianist. It's almost impossible to hear a piece such as “You Know, I Know” and not think that he derived as much satisfaction from the simple experience of playing the instrument as anything else. The opportunity clearly helped draw from him performances of an extremely high calibre.

September 2026