CD Review: Jon Faukstad
Norske Drag
Jon Faukstad - chromatic free-bass accordion and one-row diatonic accordion
Per Saemund Bjorkum, violin
Ann-Cathrin Tessnes, soprano
Hanne Kjersti Yndestad, folk singer

Program:

Four Springleiker from Gudbrandsdal
Three Norwegian Folk Songs
Viken Suite
Five Dances
The Church
Three Religious Folk Songs
Bridal March, Springleik and Halling
Three folk dances from Al in Hallingdal

total time: 62:22
released: 1993
review date: November 2001

Label: Heilo
Order from: Jon Faukstad
Email: jf@nmh.no

Review by Henry Doktorski

Jon Faukstad may be familiar to our readers from a review of his Classical Accordeon CD published elsewhere on these pages. His credentials are impressive: he was the first student of Mogens Ellegaard at the Royal Conservatory, and since 1972 Faukstad has been professor and departmental head of the accordion division at the Norwegian State Academy of Music on Oslo. Not only are his credentials impressive, so is his playing.

This CD features Faukstad playing a Russian "Jupiter" free-bass bayan as well as a 1890 one-row diatonic accordion (Three Folk Dances from Al in Hallingdal). Although Faukstad is a master of the classical accordion, he is also a genuine folk musician. As a teenager he often played at local dances near his home of Gudbrandsdal and in 1970 began playing with a folk violinist. His doctorate thesis was published as a book in 1978: The Diatonic Accordion in Norwegian Folk Music.

This CD is as artistic as all of Faukstad's endeavors; not surprisingly, he wrote most of the arrangements. Four Springleiker, Viken Suite and Bridal March, Springleik and Halling feature the Jupiter free-bass bayan. Three Norwegian Folk Songs feature the soprano Ann-Cathrin Tessnes, The Church and Three Religious Folk Songs features the folk singer Hanne Kjersti Yndestad, and Five Dances features the violinist Per Saemund Bjorkum. Three Folk Dances from Al in Hallingdal feature a historic 1890 diatonic buttonbox.

Truly a beautiful sophisticated presentation of Norwegian folk music. CD booklet notes are written in Norwegian. Biographical sections are translated into English, French, Spanish and German.