With his new solo piano album “TIME“, due for release in early 2027, Swedish pianist Martin Tingvall continues his highly personal musical journey – moving even further towards a contemporary neoclassical style.
As one of Europe’s best-known jazz pianists, Tingvall has, over many years, built up an international following that extends far beyond traditional genre boundaries. Rooted in an unmistakably Scandinavian sound full of melody, atmosphere and expansiveness, he has been described by critics as ‘the Edvard Grieg of jazz’. He performs with equal ease in intimate jazz clubs, churches and large concert halls – an expression of a musical language that follows less a specific genre than an unmistakable sound and a particular emotional depth.
The music on TIME is stripped back to the essentials: simple harmonies, gentle movements and subtle emotional shifts, without ever seeming simplistic. The album captures those rare moments of stillness that can arise at certain times of day – as in the atmosphere of “Very Early” or “Very Late”.
At the same time, the album carries subtle echoes of the great European piano tradition and, in places, touches on contrapuntal and fugue-like forms, yet always remains unmistakably Tingvall – in both sound and sensibility. Interestingly, it is precisely this neoclassical approach that often appeals to people who otherwise listen to little classical music.
Yet TIME is not merely an album about tranquillity and contemplation. It is also an album shaped by our present day. In pieces such as ‘Orphans’, dedicated to children who have lost their families due to wars around the world, Tingvall reflects on the fragility and uncertainty of our political times.
With TIME, Martin Tingvall creates a musical space for reflection – a tranquil yet emotionally powerful concert experience for an audience seeking depth, intimacy and resonance in turbulent times
Here you can purchase tickets for the Martin Tingvall Solo Concerts on Reservix
“The Swedish pianist, who also lives in Hamburg from time to time, has established his Tingvall Trio as one of the most significant piano trios in contemporary jazz. When he now takes to the piano as a soloist, he picks up exactly where he left off: fluid and groovy, with ears wide open to the musical spaces. And above all: in touch with himself. It is a stroke of luck for jazz that he is able to convey this inner process to the listener as well.”
Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Album of the Week
“The comparisons with the great Romantics of jazz piano – Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea – cannot be dismissed. As usual, Martin Tingvall wanders through the folkloric melodic worlds of his Nordic homeland, combining them with American jazz patterns and elements from European art music. Bach meets Edvard Grieg meets Thelonious Monk. The difference: he pauses for a moment the story of the ever-rhythmically forward-pressing Keith Jarrett or the funky piano of Chick Corea: deceleration is his motto.”
Radio Bremen
“[…] each of these beautiful little pieces on ‘Distance’ has its own character. And the way Martin Tingvall manages to pull this off is truly impressive.”
Deutschlandradio Kultur
“As leader of the Tingvall Trio, he combines the poetry of Scandinavian piano jazz with a love of improvisation and groove to great effect. As a solo artist, however, his music almost sounds like neo-classical. Thus, ‘Distance’ is once again an introspective, almost impressionistic album, on which the Swedish pianist, who lives in Hamburg, dabs delicate melodies onto the sonic canvas.”
Stern
“Martin Tingvall has brought the vastness and tranquillity of Iceland into his music, and you can sense his own contentment as he imbues the notes on the piano with the sound of sparkling ice water or pale blue light, or as the small melodic fragments between the pauses appear like islands reflected in the water.”
MDR Figaro
“One of the most successful bands on the German scene is the trio led by Swedish pianist Martin Tingvall. On their new album ‘Cirklar’, too, his band thrives on the catchiness of the compositions and a dynamic interplay.”
ARD Radiofestival
