Mathias Eick Quartet

Mathias Eick'’s resumé includes work with musicians of many styles, from Chick Corea and the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra to Norwegian psychedelic rock band Motorpsycho. A primary project in the last ten years has been the jazz/progressive rock ten-piece band Jaga Jazzist (JazzFest Berlin ’03): Eick’s multi-instrumentalism has been an important part of that group's sound and on his ECM debut in his own right The Door he is also heard on vibraphone and guitar as well as trumpet – as he puts it, “Whatever needs to be played”. The Door is distinguished by vaulting lyricism and clear-edged melodies, a strong sense of ambient space in the writing, and edge and excitement and openness to improvisation.

The 30-year-old Norwegian cites Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Kenny Wheeler, Tomasz Stanko, Arve Henriksen and Nils Petter Molvaer as influences upon his stylistic evolution as a soloist. However it was his own, meanwhile characteristic, sound that prompted the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) to present him the International Jazz Award for New Talent in 2007.