Jacob Karlzon

Acclaimed pianist Jacob Karlzon has shared his stark solo rendition of Taylor Swift’s meditative ballad, “Evermore,” available now via Warner Music. An equally striking official music video, filmed on location in Norrland, Sweden, premieres today at YouTube.

“You can always find elements that inspire you in good music”, Jacob Karlzon says, “and when you put an artist into a new context, that is always very interesting. What drew my attention to this song, it is a journey within the lyrics – how you experience things, how you deal with it, and how you come out. It’s also, quite simply, a beautiful song in itself.”

“Evermore” marks the latest chapter in the Malmo, Sweden-based Karlzon’s ongoing Winter Stories project, including “Winterballad” and “The First Noël,” both joined by bracing visuals streaming now at YouTube. 

“Christmas is, for good and bad, so many different things for different people,” says Jacob Karlzon. “There's a lot of people who are not privileged to celebrate a Christmas in the way that other people do. I'm not a religious person, I don't celebrate Christmas for the reason why Christmas exists in the first place, but I believe that it is a very good period of the year to think a little bit about your own place in this world and other people's place in the world as well.”

Now, with his current Winter Stories project, Karlzon is crafting a series of pensive and beautiful soundscapes, laden with cool reflection and atmospheric melancholy. Produced by Lars Nilsson (‍‍‍Avishai Cohen, Bohuslän Big Band) and mixed in Dolby Atmos at Sweden’s renowned Studio Nilento just south of Gothenburg, Karlzon masterfully conjures the crisp physical and emotional chill of Scandinavian winter via only his imagination and the Steinway D Grand piano, his gritty, naturalist approach and dynamic range magnificently capturing an interior landscape fraught with loneliness, contemplation, and empathy for those who struggle in the coldest and darkest months of the year. 

Karlzon will partner with d&b and its immersive d&b Soundscape for a season of groundbreaking concerts throughout 2024/2025, allowing him an opportunity to explore new spatial dimensions in solo piano performance. 

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.

What the media says about jacob karlzon

“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