Bill Risby Trio

• Bill Risby - piano
• Gary Holgate - bass
• Roger Johansen - drums

Norwegian festivals often present jazz musicians from either the USA or Europe in Norway at the festivals, but the international jazz world is far larger than that. In connection with Norwegian Ponca Jazz Records releasing the recording LOOKING UP, by and with one of Australia's foremost jazz pianists, Bill Risby, Norwegian jazz friends are hereby invited to a concert meeting with a musician they have never heard before ... - or heard of, at Belleville. Exciting!
With him at concerts in Norway and Iceland, he has brought his regular Australian bassist Gary Holgate with him, and invited the Norwegian drummer Roger Johansen into the trio.

Bill Risby is one of Australia's foremost jazz pianists. He has released six critically acclaimed CDs in his own name and participated in a number of others as a performer, arranger and producer in jazz, pop, R&B, Country and gospel. He is also widely used as a composer and has written music for TV commercials, drama series, movies, as well as for his own bands and projects both live and in the studio. As a "sideman" he has worked with international jazz greats such as Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, Bobby Shew, William Gallison, Kitty Margolis, James Morrison, Tina Arena, Rob McConnell (Boss Brass), the Velotti Batiste Jazz Ensemble (Italy), Andre Crouch, and Doug Cameron, to name a few.

Gary Holgate (Double Bass) has been one of Australia's leading jazz bassists for the past 20 years. He has played with the leading Australian jazz musicians both live and on record and worked with international jazz legends such as Randy Brecker, Lee Konitz, Larry Adler and Red Rodney, to name a few. Holgate is easily recognizable with his melodic approach to the double bass role, and he has been Bill Risby's first choice as a trio bassist for a number of years.

Roger Johansen drums
For the European visit, Bill Risby has invited drummer Roger Johansen into the trio. Johansen is not unfamiliar with composing visiting musicians in Norway; He has toured and worked with greats such as Bob Mintzer, George Garzone, Hal Galper, Slide Hampton, John Surman, John Taylor, Putte Wickman, Marie Bergman, Cæcilie Norbye, Anders Jormin, Lars Jansson and others. and is one of Norway's most versatile and experienced jazz drummers in the younger generation.
The music

With reference to Norwegian jazz pianists, one might say that Risby mixes Håvard Wiik's profits and technical brilliance, Tord Gustavsen's sensitivity, with Vigleik Storaas' compositional talent and melodic universe. Here the audience gets to meet three musicians who through the acoustic classical piano trio format challenge each other through Risby's songs.