The Faroese bassist, Arnold Ludvig, now resident of Copenhagen is a completely undescribed leaf, until very recently and already after the first listen of his debut album, one quickly feels, that he will not conitinue to be that. The music does not offer revolutionary new tones, but takes the listener on a journey to the artist's homeland and the Nordic landscapes through six pleasurably catchy compositions, a Danish/Faroese project that has brought Ludvig in good company with established musicians in the Danish scene, such as Simon Spang-Hanssen, Mariane Bitran, and Niclas Campagnol.

One significant feature of VOYAGES is already heard on the ablum's introduction, Port of Thor, in quite the Bill Frisell’ish fashion, incorporating the national hymn-like music, in a melodic rubato theme, a move that is repeated in other energetic exuberant, funk-jazzy numbers, where Ludvig simultaneously displays his instrumental skills, with a beautifully carried tone on the fretless bass, as in the intro of the  autobio-graphical, Journey to Copenhagen. You're in good company during the entire journey, and the only thing that irks yours truly, is the short duration of just over half an hour.

Brian Petro

Jazz Special DK

okt - nov issue 2013

Arnold Ludvig has released a Jazz cd.

This is a joy, because once  the jazz drops were closer in between then there are now.

Blue waves blues into the alluring deep.

      The summer has been wet, but dry between the jazz drops, if you consider  Faroese music today, then 10 - 15 years ago.

      Yet there are clear blue skies ahead, because Arnold Ludvig has with his cd, Voyages, released with Arnold Ludvig Sextet, made the day brighter or,

should I say - bluer.

      We won’t  go into details here, but Arnold is known as a bass player in a class by himself. There, now I’ve said it,  as I take a huge leap here to the present day, and the current cd.

      It is a real pleasure to hold a jazz cd

of Faroese origin in my hand. The Faroese Jazz Association and jazz releases in Torshavn flourished in the

70s and 80s, but since then, there has been few and far jazz drops in between.

      Arnold Ludvig Sextet, Voyages has a blue cd cover.  A photo of the sea, in the blue waves, taken by the diver and photographer, Ingi Sørensen, one of the beautiful islands is seen in the background.

      The 6 tunes are designed as a journey, Arnold explains inside the cover, as a young boy, he longed to go out into the world, from the quayside of Tórshavn.

      The music has taken him to live in many places in the world - Iceland, Canada and Denmark.

The cd starts with the departure

from Torshavn, Faroe Islands and ends with the journey to Copenhagen, where Arnold now lives since 2007.

      This is a journey where Arnold is the tour guide and takes us on a beautiful journey from Port Of Thor, a very lovely tune, where you really are taken along, hovering, as a seabird over the blue waves. Where one then lands is uncertain - beautiful and fascinating. Arnold leads us with bass and acoustic guitar, into a journey.

      The voyage is travelled and ends

with, "Journey To Copenhagen".  Fitting,

for it is Arnold's hometown now, after several stopovers, since his departure from Tórshavn (to Iceland).

      He has assembled a strong team of

musicians, who easily carry the strong compositions and have the quality to not overplay.  And they can certainly play, showing strength, each on their own  instrument.

      Arnold shows strength as a bassist, as so often before, but here he also shows that he certainly lifts the task of being the leading man, composer, arranger, and musician.

      And as a bass player, he is not surpassed.

      A beautiful journey with Arnold Ludvig - Voyages, clearly worth the listen. Or, go out and hear it 'live', because Arnold is in Tórshavn these days with his Sextet to perform the release concert.

      Blue waves blue, alluring deep, virtuoso aesthetics, as simple as that.