Om utgivelsen
«Steady Bear» is the debut album from the new Norwegian jazz combo Erik Løkra Volunteer Quartet. The featuring saxophonist Erik Løkra is joined by Magnus Soltvedt Wiik, guitar and pedal steel, Fredrik Gundersen, bass, and Audun Lunnan Hjort, drums. The music is inspired by the greats of the american jazz history, combined with a touch of «the nordic sound». The label, Just For The Records, is known for its releases of material that discover the blend of seemingly unfamiliar genres, like jazz and bluegrass, or americana and Norwegian folk music. «Steady Bear» is pure jazz, but with hints of american folk music, and a touch of the middle east.
The album contains all original material, composed by Erik Løkra. The songs on «Steady Bear» tell different stories instigated partly by experiences in real life, but also some that simply origins in play with musical form and structure. The title track refers to the monotonous walk of a bear searching for food. Interpreted through music, this translates to a steady paced mellow jazz ballad. «Al Jazeera» was inspired by the sound of people arguing in an unfamiliar tongue, resulting in a fast paced melody containing eastern impulses. «ABX» plays with themes A and B, interrupted by theme X.
