The Norwegian trumpeter Mathias Eick is a jack-of-all-trades. Now in his thirties, he is a member of the progressive pop group Jaga Jazzist in his day-to-day life, and doesn't only play the trumpet, but also the guitar, bass and vibraphone. When it comes to musical influences, he isn't a purist either. Eick grew up listening to the music of icons like Chet Baker and Dizzy Gillespie, but he just as easily uses other musical sources. Sting, Elton John and Joni Mitchell are equally important to him and this can be heard on his albums. His recordings do not appear very often, which can be explained by his way of working that is unusual on the jazz scene. Where many artists record albums in three days, give or take, Eick will tinker with arrangements and recordings for weeks. In the mean time, he has definitely passed the point of being merely a Norwegian talent.
