Lovely to Be Belgian in Norway
Among the many topics I am almost completely ignorant about, Belgian piano trios with a bassist residing in Norway hold a near-unique position. Donder has certainly done something to pique my interest.
No Christmas Eve is complete without a Belgian piano trio gracing the home. I assume it’s the same in most well-furnished households – there must be a certain standard, after all!
The big question is: how do such trios find their way to your house or your home? In this case, bassist Stan Callewaert has been living in Oslo, Norway, since 2019, where he spends his time teaching, foraging for mushrooms, learning cross-country skiing, and studying contemporary music at the Norwegian Academy of Music. His education, meanwhile, comes from conservatories in Antwerp and Copenhagen – before the land of giants became his next, and perhaps permanent, destination.
Ten Years
Alongside Callewaert, we find pianist Harrison Steingueldoir and drummer Casper Van De Velde – all three born in 1995, meaning they are still in their 20s.
Donder has existed since 2015 and has released four albums before this one. Despite the young age of the gentlemen, we are dealing with an experienced cohort here.
This is confirmed on this fifth status report from the band. They have an original approach to creating music. What we have here are melodic free-jazz musicians who communicate with each other exceptionally well and in a restrained manner. Everything is collectively conceived, except for two pop songs, including John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Oh My Love.”
This is a far cry from traditional piano trio jazz. Here, melodies are whistled, and songs are sung in Norwegian!!! And here, they playfully craft beautiful and original sections that show us Donder has plenty of exciting things to share.
Perfect Christmas Eve music – and guaranteed for many other days as well.
It’s lovely to be Belgian in Norway!
