Carsten Dahl b. 1967 in Copenhagen
Professor emeritus, musician, composer and painter
Carsten Dahl began playing the drums at the age of nine. When he was 12 years old, he was already a professional drummer and studio musician. When he was 19 years old – he entered the Rhythmic Music Conservatory.
After two years of being taught by legendary jazz drummers Ed Thigpen and Alex Riel, he put the drums aside in favour of the piano (an instrument he had never been taught in) and applied again for the conservatory – now as a pianist greatly influenced by pianoplayer Jørgen Nielsen and later his mentor and friend pianist and composer Edward Randolph Lacy ( Butch), who later had a significant influence on Carstens musical and personal identity both as a player, composer and spiritual teacher.
He studied for 2 years but had to stop the education due to too much teaching and concert activities.
It was in the early 90’s that he began to play as a pianist together with the danish freejazz band “Embla” , which also included bassist Niels Præstholm, tenorplayer Thomas Agergaard, drummer Anders Hentze and the swedish trumpetplayer Staffan Svensson.
Their first and only CD “EMBLA” 1989 ( Contemporary Danish Jazz/ Olufsen Records) was a high point in Danish jazz and displays his abstrakt early freeplaying strongly – something that he later would put aside for some years to go deep into the Stride piano, Be Bop and Hard Bob tradition of pianoplaying.
During this time of busy collaboration, Carsten started to develop his unique style, and met (via saxophonist Agergaard) drummer Thomas Blachman and bassist Lennart Ginman. Dahl appears in various of Thomas Blachman’s jazz / hip hop projects during the 90’s, as well as records from the trio he formed with Ginman and drummer Frands Rifbjerg. Significant are the worldwide highly acclaimed two trio albums “Will you make my soup hot and silver” and “Message from Bud” released on Storyville Records. This trio also later recorded ” A GOOD TIME” and
“SIMPLICITY” and went on to record a series of albums also for the japanese label Marshmallow – “Blue Train and Be Boppish Rubbish Rabbit”. They also recorded one quartet CD with tenorplayer Bob Rockwell titled “A child is born”.
Later together with Alex Riel and Mads Vinding he made two higly critic claimed CD s. “Three Minds, Six Hands, One Heart” ( STUNT) and “In Our Own Sweet Way” ( STORYVILLE). They both were on the top ten most sold and played in Japan.
Along with Thomas Blachman and Lennart Ginman he achieved tremendous success in the trio GinmanBlachmanDahl, earning a reputation for fiery live performances and released two LP’ s in the distinguissed label VERVE in New York. Later a CD and LP for the danish speaker company DALI titled
“The Velvet Blues” which became a major streaming succes with over a million streams. Somehow he found the time to reunite with his old teacher and drum mentor Ed Thigpen and his trio, including Jesper Bodilsen and Joe Lovano. They made three recordings together on STUNT RECORDS. From the 90’s and up to today, Carsten played and recorded with a great range of homely and international artists and in a significant variation of styles and expressions:
Eddie Gomez, Didier Lockwood, Miroslav Vitous, Johnny Griffin, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Philippe Cathrine, Benny Golson, Ray Brown, Joe Henderson, Bent Jædig, George Garzone, Barbara Hendricks, Slide Hampton, Alex Riel, Finn Ziegler, Poul Olsen, Wandy Tworek, Karsten Fundal, Poul Ehlers, Niklas Siveløv, Jonathan Slaatho, Henrik Bolberg, Thomas Fryland, Henrik Sveidahl GinmanBlachmanDahl, Mads Vinding, Svend Asmussen, Doug Raney, Peter Wettre, Guffi Pallesen, Jesper Lundgaard, Thomas Agergård, Niels Præstholm, Staffan Svensson, Christina Dahl, Tomas Franck, Daniel Franck, Håkon Broström, Richard Boone, Charlie Mariano, Billy Harper, Jerry Bergonzi, Ludz Büchner, Zoltan Csörsz, Aye Solomon, Drums Across, Tore Brunborg, Anders Kjellberg, Michael Brecker, Ed Neumeister, Anders Bergcrantz, Anders Jormin, The Danish Radio Symphony, Odense Symfoniorkester, Singapore Philharmonic, The Very BIGBAND, Storstrøms Ensemble, Swingstyrke 7, Københavns Drengekor, Herning Pigekor, Athelas Sinfonietta, The Orchestra, Ensemble Midtvest, ALPHA, Per Jørgensen, Tangoorkesteret, Peter Brem BIGBAND, Bolette Roed, Reuben Rodgers, Gregory Hutchinson, Elliot Zigmund, Bob Rockwell, Arild Andersen, Steve Coleman, Jon Christensen, Daniel Humair, WDR BIGBAND, Poul Høxbro, Palle Mikkelborg, Henrik Sveidahl, Ture Larsen, Helen Davies, Michala Petri, Aage Tanggaard, Goran Kajfes, Ulf Walkenius, Tobias Wicklund, Annisette, Walter Booker, Jimmy Cobb, Butch Lacy, Marc Bernstein, Fredrik Lundin, Jimmy Knepper, Paulo Vinnacia, Tommy Smith, Morten Lund, Jesper Bodilsen, Olly Wallace, Thomas Ovesen, Jonas Johansen, Niclas Campagnol, Thomas Fonnesbæk, Always in Action / Keith and Eye, Josephine Cronholm, Aviaja Lumholt, Calixto Oviedi, Johnny Åman, Scott Colley, Jeppe Tuxen, Louis Hjulmand, Katrine Madsen, Morten Zeuthen, Niklas Siveløv, Yasohito Mori, Jan Lundgren, NHØP, Hanne Boel, John Thicai, Lars Danielsen, Putte Wickman, Arne Domneus, Jørgen Svarre, Hans Ulrik, Claus Waidtløv, Kristian Jørgensen, Jacob Fischer, Hugo Rasmussen, Daniel Franck, Torolf Mølgaard, Kresten Osgood, Fredrik Lundin, Winard Harper, Klaus Menzer, Jon Bruland, Lars Danielson, Kasper Tranberg, Nils Bo Davidsen, Stefan Pasborg, Marylin Mazur, Mikkel Nordsø, Benjamin Koppel, Anders Koppel, Safri Duo, Henrik Dam Thomsen, Jason Marsalis, Tlale Makhele, Kris Funn, Majid Bekkas, Ulysses Owens, Eivør Palsdottir, Claus Hempler, Remee, Al Agami, Cæcilie Norby, Xavier Desandré, Patrice Heral, Charlie Mariano, Trygve Seim, Warren Wolf, James Moody, Terry Lyn Carrington, Tony Coe, Jörg Huke, Barbara Hendricks, Ed Thigpen, Søren Christensen, Carmen Lundy, Randy Brecker, Emmanuel Abdul Rachim, Nariman Hodjati, Luther Thomas, Pete Yellin, Stephen Riley, Nils Petter Molvær, Adam Nussbaum, Phil Wilson, Jukkis Outila, Ted Curson, Tim Hagans, Rodney Green, Nisse Sandström, Andy Sheppard, Cæcilie Norby, Mads Vinding, Horace Parlan, Jesper Riis, Mads Hyhne Pedersen, Christina von Bülow, Kæv Gliemann, Lars Greve, Tomas Franck, Jens Winther, Greg Osby, Ole Theil, Lars Møller, Phil Wilson, Jim Snidero, Tom Kirkpatrick, Anna Lisa Kirby, Nisse Landgren, Sture Nordin, Petrù Østlund, Billy Peterson, Ole Rømer, Laura Toxværd, Kasper Tranberg, Morten Carlsen, Ole Streenberg, Thomas Hass, Thomas Fonnesbæk, Niclas Knudsen, Verneri Pohjola, Martin Andersen, Niels Ryde, Trine-Lise Væring, Peter Danemo, Johannes Lundberg, Bernt Rosengren, Raymond Strid, Richard Boone, Alex Riel, Billy Hart, Svante Turesson, Allan Vegenfeldt, Lone Kellermann, Ove Ingmarsson, Frederik Ljungquist, Håkon Broström, Bo Stief, Joachim Milder, Svend Erik Nørregård, Herlin Riley, Hanne Boel, T.S. Høgh, Wynton Marsalis, Jesper Lundgaard, Søren Kristiansen, Frands Rifbjerg, Jakob Dinesen, Boogie Woogie Christian, Lange Svend, Karl – Martin Almqvist, Asger Rosenberg, Jan Schiöpffe, Jan Lundgren, Finn Ziegler, Fritz von Bülow, Ole Stolle, Theis Jensen, Jens Søndergaard, Thomas Ovesen, Tanja Zapolsky, Etienne Boudrault, Tina Kiberg, Lise Lotte Nielsen, Kristian Borup, Henrik Metz, Jens Søndergaard, Kristian Jørgensen, Todd Coleman, Ed Soph, Jesper Thilo, Per Goldschmidt, Klaus Rifbjerg, Peter Poulsen, Suzanne Brøgger, Chili Turéll, Claus Bech Nielsen, and many many more.
He appears on more than 350 CD’s. In 2007, Carsten Dahl associated with the classic Ensemble Midvest in the city of Herning as an artistic consultant, transforming the ensemble to work with free improvisation forms and composing projects. Among the many projects they worked on together was music for Fritz Lang’s classic silent film “METROPOLIS” featured by the operasinger Tina Kiberg. Donald Fairbanks “The Son of Zorro” and Charlie Chaplin’s CITY LIGHTS. He has recorded three CD s with the Ensemble on the Storyville Records based underlabel EXLIBRIS.
Carsten Dahl worked for several years with Bach’s Goldberg Variations, arranged for prepared piano released in October 2014 and nominated for a Music Award in 2015. Aongside he is still working with the Well-Tempered Piano by J.S. Bach ( teil 1) and an original work: 26 Chromatic Inventions – dedicated to Glenn Gould. ( both never released jet ) He also recorded a strange but very original CD on Harpsichord called “The Jester”. It was all recorded as one long take.
In spring 2013 Carsten premiered his work The Fifth Dimension for the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra (dedicated to the danish composer Per Nørgaard), with the DR vocal ensemble and The Copenhagen Boys Choir – conducted by his friend Michael Schønwandt.
On 31st October he premiered his first piano concerto, played by Odense Symphony Orchestra with Marianna Shiviyuan as the soloist. The concert was dedicated to her and the Armenian culture. A concert in three movements.
Besides this, he also composed a Requiem for choir and orchestra in 2019 for his brother who tragically died in a falling accident in 2017. ( never played)
He now works on a concert for orchestra and two pianos to friends Søren Rastogi and Martin Quist Hansen and many chambermusic pieces. Amongst them – Light of circles for 7 pianos, THE BUTTERFLY DANCES – 7 pieces for piano dedicated to the pianist Tanja Zapolski, THE ZOO for piano and basoon, THE FACE OF A CLOWN – 12 pieces for piano, Three string quartets and a Piano Quintet in 7 movements. Recently in 2018 ans 2020 he also made a new LP in strictly duo improvisation format with the cellist Jonathan Slaatto and also one with his friend and college – professor Niklas Siveløv for two pianos. Released in oct 2021 on Naxos.
From 1992 – 1997, Carsten taught as a tenured professor and leader for the rythmic faculty on Esbjerg Conservatory. He was only 25 years old at the time. He raised a generation of new pianists and students and setting a new standard for practical didactic and transforming teaching models of rhythm in music which became a significant benchmark within education in solo and combo classes. Amongst his students professional today you find most of them having their own careers: Olivier Antunes, Henrik Gunde, Jacob Anderscou, Martin Schack, Peter Rosendal, Kasper Villaume, Søren Kjærgaard, Rasmus Medin, Anders Rose, Michael Olsen, Anders Medin, Daniel Franck, Morten Lund a.s.f.
1998 – 2000 he was hired by the former headmaster Erik Moseholm as an associated professor at RMC in combo classes and piano. Finally in 2011 he was appointed to a 5-year term position as a leading professor at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen in new innovative musicforms and transformative teaching. Through the years he worked as an organizer and teacher doing masterclasses in the conservatories in Denmark, Cologne, Stockholm, Malmø, Oslo, Tokio and Capetown/ South Africa.
He also works as an ambassador for Mental Health Fund, based on his own personal experiences with depressions and anxiety and regularly he gives talks and lectures about Aspergers syndrome, anxiety and depressions coupled with solo piano concerts and live painting acts in the health departements around Denmark. He is very occupied by the idea of how to transform mental illness into artistic expressions and art therapy in local health communities.
The art of solo piano is very important to Carsten Dahl. A field of challenge where he finds the greatest potential to work with space and time, to create music that relates to the moment. It’s for his two solo albums that he’s received the DMA Jazz Prize for Best Recording 2004 and 2011. Here he takes inspiration from both classical composers like Bach, Copeland and Messian and jazz improvisators like KeithJarrett, Bill Evans, Cecil Taylor – cultivating improvisation in extreme situations. There are also clear inspirations from contemporary music and different world regions and folk music. He is considered one of the very few people that are able to bring together many global inspirations into one comprehensive personal expression with a clear artistic signature and today he is considered one of the most innovative and important pianoplayers in Europe. Carsten Dahl’s career has in recent years been divided between solo piano and the trio Carsten Dahl Trinity.
With an uncompromising approach to jazz, he has created music that transcends boundaries and explores new territories. In 2011 Carsten Dahl even returned to his drumming roots with The Crazy Constellation Trio, with Hugo Rasmussen on bass and Søren Kristiansen on piano.
Prizes:
Ben Webster Award 1997, Rodovre Music Prize 1997, Jaza Prize 2002, honoured by the Danish Music Council in 2003 for ‘Moonwater’ and in 2013 for ‘DreamChild’, DMA Jazz in 2004 for the piece ‘Solo Piano’ ( jazz record of the year ), Django D’orPrize in 2006 ‘Master of Jazz’, DMA Jazz ( jazz record of the year ) in 2011 for the piece ‘Effata’, and Jazz Specials Prize for album of the year 2011 ‘Metamorphosis’. His new solo CD “Papillon” won the Carl Nielsen Prize in 2014. He has also been nominated for the Robert Music Prize for ‘Charlie Butterfly’, and received the prize of honor EWH with NHOP and Premie for ‘DreamChild’. ‘DreamChild’ was also nominated for a Grammy in 2013 and Goldberg Variations nominated for record of the year in 2015.
