Jacob Karlzon

A deeply evocative collection of seasonal soundscapes infused with equal parts atmospheric beauty and reflective contemplation, Winter Stories is heralded by “The Night Is Dark (Så mörk är natten i midvintertid),” available now. Composed by Carl Bertil Agnestig, the song is a standard in the Malmo-based Karlzon’s native Sweden where it is traditionally performed on St. Lucy’s Day, December 13, commemorating the beginning of Christmastide and the onset of the long winter season. 

Produced by Jacob Karlzon & Lars Nilsson (‍‍‍Avishai Cohen, Bohuslän Big Band) and mixed in Dolby Atmos at Sweden’s renowned Studio Nilento just south of Gothenburg, Winter Stories sees Karlzon masterfully conjuring the stark chill of Scandinavian winter via only his imagination and the Steinway D Grand piano, his resolute naturalist approach and striking dynamic range brilliantly capturing an emotional time of year fraught with isolation, meditation, and melancholy. 
The album showcases his renditions of songs both associated with winter and the holiday season – including 
“Silent Night” and Bulgaria’s “Bel Veter Due” – as well as music that evokes similar sensations, with highlights including Karlzon’s original composition, “Winterballad,” the traditional English carol, “The First Noël,” and Taylor Swift’s pensive ballad, “Evermore,” all joined by bracing visuals streaming now at Karlzon’s official YouTube channel HERE. 

“I wanted to find a balance on this album where it is not a conventional Christmas album but more of a seasonal one,” says Jacob Karlzon.  “It was important for me to have my take on these songs, to add a little bit more grit somehow. What I would like to do with this album is to have created something that is more about embracing a kind of pause from certain things, from everyday struggle or maybe a pause from the stress around Christmas. it could be anything from trying to gather gifts or bring family together, or to have something to eat and a roof over your head. My approach to the whole thing was just the fact that there are so many different traditions, all the different food and all the different points of view, but for many people, it's a time of year related to the fact that they perhaps can't afford certain things or maybe don't have anyone to share the holidays with. I wanted the album to focus more on that, on showing empathy, love, and solidarity, to create a place where people could contemplate a bit in between whatever else is going on in their lives.” 

Hailed by The Guardian for his “captivating musicality,” Jacob Karlzon has earned worldwide acclaim for both his technical brilliance as well as his distinctly modern approach to the piano, fusing a stunning array of influences – spanning jazz and classical to Scandinavian folk, future funk, and doom metal – to create an inventive, virtuoso voice all his own. The recipient of multiple international honors and accolades since making his debut in 1992, Karlzon’s multi-faceted, constantly evolving body of work takes in an equal amount of artistic adventure, including solo piano collections, collaborations with vocalists like Viktoria Tolstoy, and multiple trio albums like 2022’s acclaimed Wanderlust. 

PRESS

“With this recording he takes his rightful place at the top of the European jazz piano elite” 
- Jazz Special 

“World Class Piano Jazz” 
- Lira Musikmagasin 

“He has now arrived in the Olympus of European Jazz-pianists”
- Jazzpodium

“Captivating musicality”
- The Guardian

 “Homogenous Sound” **** 
- AUDIO 

“Phenomenal” 
- FAZ 

 “Like hardly any other jazz pianist, Karlzon masters the balancing act between simplicity and complexity.” 
- WDR3 –Album of the week 

“Speaks through the keys of his Grand Piano like a philosopher” 
- Aachener Zeitung 

 “Truly an alternative jazz musician – an adventure” 
- Kulturzeit

“Karlzon creates musical free spaces” 
- Süddeutsche Zeitung 

PRESSTEXT