Album Review: Two Hands To Tango from Hakon Skogstad

Album:  Two Hands To Tango
Artist:  Hakon Skogstad
Label:  Avantango Records
Website:  www.hmskogstad.net

The dramatic lines and multi-textured progressions performed by pianist Hakon Skogstad on his latest recording Two Hands To Tango vacillate between the frolicking stride of “Milonga Impromptu” and the intense tone of “Tango Del Angel.”  A promising Beethoven, Chopin, Bartók, Hakon Skogstad puts his entire being into his improvisations, playing the piano with a level of passion and lyricism that bards like Shakespeare and Moliere put into their storytelling.

The jostling action in the notes creates an oscillating motion through “Sur,” producing an agile mixture with lots of swerving and swiveling.  Conversely, the even keel in the carriage of “Norte” harvests a stream of warm sensations, performing a variation of the tango rhythm.  One hand plays notes that form perforating dings while the other hand moves in smooth, cruising lines across “Tristezas de un Dobles.”  The swells crest and ebb in a state of flux, taking the audience through a course that is malleable.  The fluctuations in the tone, speed, and palpitation of the keys change sporadically, creating dynamics that form a script, a message that is open to interpretation by the audience.

Operatic at times and orchestral sounding at other times, Skogstad’s use of the piano keys to narrate stories, paint striking landscapes, and conjure up chef cuisines that illustrate his skills as a prolific artist.  Astute in the language of improvisation, Skogstad works his way around the twinkling ivories like a maestro.

Musicians:
Hakon Skogstad - piano