Haftor Medboe Group - In Pepetuity - Side 2 Website

We've become used to Norwegian jazz musicians getting on a plane to New York, Boston, Copenhagen and God knows where but as far as I know Edinburgh hasn't been a place our jazz musicians have chosen - until now at least. Haftor Medbøe has done just this and is now Jazz Musician in Residence at the City's Napier University.

After a quick phone around to those who have the reputation of being reasonably well informed, knowledge of Haftor Medbøe is next to nothing amongst the Norwegian jazz police. So he obviously hasn't made his mark here before he took the trip over the North Sea but while he's been away he has definitely created himself a unique voice - especially as composer.

"In Perpetuity" is the band's second CD and the first with string quartet - Edinburgh Quartet. Along side Medbøe's acoustic and electric guitars is Australian Chris Greive on trombone, Icelandic Signy Jakobsdottir on percussion and British Susan McKenzie on soprano saxophone and melodica. In the bass-less landscape Medbøe has created original music that takes inspiration from jazz, classical and folk music.

Medbøe has elegantly incorporated the string quartet into the music.- this is not jazz quartet plus strings. The four musicians in Medbøe's group each have their own voice that combine to become an untraditional and fascinating wholeness. I would have liked to get to know more about Haftor Medbøe as guitarist - he could advantageously have left himself more room.