Jazz Melodies

Karl Seglem and his band of musicians

By Suyash Gabriel
The goat horn was originally used by shepherds to herd sheep, but in the hands of Norwegian jazz musician Karl Seglem, it becomes a magical musical instrument. Last week, IIT Delhites were treated to his jazz quartet’s rich variety, ranging from touches of Bossa Nova to songs with electronica influences, weaved into traditional jazz lines.
“It’s a challenge. We usually play acoustic but sometimes, we go electric and it allows us to do more. I love experimenting with new sounds and new ideas. It really helps me explore new possibilities,” said Seglem, adding that that his keyboardist Andreas Ulvo, was behind most of the electronic sounds. “Andreas gives us a lot of interesting ideas. We play acoustic but I think it’s very important to develop those ideas and sound by adding more, which we keep trying to do,” he said.
The stage was small with minimal lighting, and the drums and saxophone were not attached to microphones. Yet the powerful tones and depth of each song engulfed the auditorium, and one could hear the intricacies of each instrument.
While most of the songs were instrumental, Seglem introduced two songs where he used “versing”, wherein the artist sings a syncopated melody over the melody of his own instrument. However, since Seglem was playing the saxophone, he instead matched his vocal melody with bassist Sigurd Hole’s bass melody. The result was a tight performance.
The most interesting factor of the performance lay in the fact that Seglem weaved bits of poetry into his songs.