Knut Reiersrud // Pretty Ugly // CD

With his new release Knut Reiersrud has finally done what his many fans have been eagerly waiting for – he has made a bona fide 100% blues record. It will be released on 6 August at the Notodden Blues festival.

So now he has made "Pretty Ugly". He's done it all himself, literally, right from the bottom up. He's his own rhythm section, his own pianist, rhythm guitarist, solo guitarist, harmonica player and singer. Why?
When I asked him, he chuckled and said something about wanting to create a musical expression that would be totally representative of him. On "Pretty Ugly" Knut Reiersrud is closer to his musical roots, blues, than he has been in a very long time. Over time, like a number of other masters of their trade, he found he needed to explore new frontiers and expand his horizons.

Knut Borge

In 1974 Norwegian electronics manufacturer Tandberg developed technology enabling sound-on-sound reel recording, this allowed any number of tracks to be recorded on top of previous tracks, which was a godsend for young Reiersrud. Many hours of delivering newspapers and selling hotdogs at the local horse racetrack earned him the money to buy such a machine. Having grown up in a family that had spent three years on Cuba, and having a father with classical piano aspirations, Knut's home was a virtual paradise of or more or less exotic musical instruments. No wonder Knut came to develop and refine the idea of creating his very own band by multi-tacking his own playing. 

His new record, Pretty Ugly, in principle builds on the same concept. A while back, Knut's old friend and collaboration partner of many years, H. P. Gundersen, persuaded Knut to find a musical expression focusing exclusively on his own musical ideas. Reiersrud's roots were always the blues, and on this record you will find his interpretations of some of the songs he grew up with, and some new songs based on the black musical tradition. 

Just ten years old, Knut recorded Miles Davis and Mikael Urbaniak off the air using his sister's cassette recorder. Two years later he and his brother bought guitars after watching Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters on TV. At 18 years of age, Knut amazed the very same Buddy Guy and Otis Rush when they heard him play for the first time, and they enthusiastically invited him to Chicago. For most people, Knut Reiersrud (born 1961) is known as a guitarist. It is now 25 years since he had the honour of playing together with his legendary heroes. Over the years he has given 5000 concerts, recorded 100 records, 5-6 under his own name, and learned to play around ten string instruments. 

Reiersrud's unique talent shines most clearly in his musical diversity. He has created an aura around his musical expression that we can call the genuine Reiersrud sound, whether he's playing African, Indian, Norwegian or American music. 

This album is produced by Knut Reiersrud in collaboration with Reidar Skår.

Media focus in cooperation with Head of Promotion

Track list:

1. Is my living in vain

2. That's all right

3. Too many cooks

4. Rubber and Glue

5. Tiramgoor

6. Strawberry letter 23

7. Worried life blues

8. Don't start me talking

9. You give me the blues

10. You can't judge a book by the cover

11. Sailing for the moon

12. Holy Joe's