Eivind Opsvik blends a daring variety of progressive rock, jazz, classical, ambient and electronic influences—from Neil Young and Pink Floyd to Brian Eno—in creating Overseas III, the third and most compelling and thematically focused project to date by his ensemble Overseas.

The third release on Loyal label, Overseas III is a collection of seven highly moody and colorful tracks featuring the ensembling of Opsvik with tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby, drummer/percussionist Kenny Wollesen, keyboardist Jacob Sacks (who plays piano, farfisa organ, Wurlitzer, Fender Rhodes and celeste) and vibraphonist Jeff Davis. Adding a unique organic edginess to their vibe is guest pedal steel guitarist Larry Campbell, who has played for years with the legendary Bob Dylan. Overseas III was recorded and mixed completely analog to tape by engineer Henry Hirsch, whose credits include Lenny Kravitz, Madonna and Mick Jagger.

Over the past five years, Overseas has become a mainstay in NYC’s progressive jazz scene, performing regular gigs at spots like 55Bar, Barbès, Nublu and Zebulon. Playing with Overseas and in many other adventurous ensembles, Opsvik has received widespread critical acclaim from some of the country’s top jazz critics. Ben Ratliff from the New York Times wrote, “Eivind Opsvik has an unusual gift for writing small, poignant pieces of music. The color and mood of his music, along with its rhythmic patterns, bleed over into pop, and the sound has a sheer, weightless quality.” Nate Chinen of Jazz Times added, “Norwegian bassist Eivind Opsvik made the most imaginative trilogy of 2005,” while David Dupont from All Music Guide made note that “Opsviks’s own bass has an aching sound, with his lines plumbing the depths to find almost folk-song like melodies.”

1. Neil
2. Everseas
3. Silver
4. Ginger Rogers
5. Breath of Bark
6. Whiff of Wood
7. Lull of Lumber

All compositions by Eivind Opsvik

Jacob Sacks - piano, farfisa organ, celeste, wurlitzer
Tony Malaby - tenor saxophone
Kenny Wollesen - drums, cymbals, gongs, timpani
Larry Campbell - pedal steel guitar
Jeff Davis - vibraphone, xylophone
Eivind Opsvik - upright bass, tack piano

Produced by Eivind Opsvik

Analog Recording at Edison Studio, Manhattan, NYC, April 5 - 7, 2007
Engineer: Henry Hirsch

Mixed by Henry Hirsch and Eivind Opsvik at Edison Studio, NYC, April 8 -10, 2007

Mastered by Nathan James at Jigsaw Sound, NYC, May 30, 2007

Cover design by Adam Cruickshank
Photography by Michelle Arcila

Press:

MilkFactory.com:
"One of the landmark jazz records of the year."

Jazz Review (UK) Andy Hamilton:
"It's also a remarkable achievement which I've been playing frequently since it arrived a month ago, and enjoying immensely. Firstly, the musicianship is superb. All the players are superb soloists and their empathy is unmistakable.  Second is the originality of the conception, and quality of the compositions, arrangements and programming.  ...Overall, this is album of the year material."

Adequacy.net:
"Opsvik’s compositions, so densely layered with texture and peppered with a sweeping range of influences, are a stunning force all their own. It’s Aphex Twin without the white noise, Pink Floyd without the egos, Neil Young without the lyrics, and Brian Eno without the manifesto."

Bullz-eye.com:
"For those who just love music in a most unique sense, Eivind Opsvik’s Overseas III may very well be your favorite release of 2008 "

All About Jazz (Budd Kopman):
"Creating a stunning musical journey in slowly building sections, this piece ties together all of the emotions and sounds of the album.."

Foxy Digitalis:
"It's definitely unique"

Time Out NY (Hank Shteamer):
"The cd design's cryptic vistas bring to mind releases by avant-rock groups like Animal Collective and Battles. While cover-art analysis might seem superficial, Opsvik's music resists pigeonholing in similar ways."

The Deli Magazine:
"Hopefully this Norwegian bassistt-composer will be discovered for his unique sound long before his creative tracks are sampled for rap songs - not that that's a bad thing."

Kevchino.com:
"Opsvik’s newest album has an uncanny sense of pace and timing. It feels like an old jazz record, never becoming too clever or too much for its own good. It’s just a lot of good songwriting.. remaining poignant, never needing to prove itself smarter or artier than the next guy."

Acousticmusic.com:
"It's so nice to hear different fusion being made. Bassist Opsvik has a taste for the refinedly offbeat in this collection sliding perfectly between traditional modes and very sneakily revolutionary atmospheres "

All About Jazz NY(newspaper):
"Much of Overseas III has an almost cinematic emphasis on mood and the melancholy wistfulness of “Lull of Lumber” feels like end credits for a David Lynch film."

Pluginmusic.com:
"The songs on Norwegian expatriate Eivind Opsvik’s “Overseas III” are each like a seed. What starts small and as what outwardly appears as little will slowly and persistently grow into something much more"

Musicreviewer.com:
"Eivind Opsvik carries on his own idiosyncratic musical path. That’s not to say it’s weird, per se, it’s just different, the man has a compositional style that sets him apart. The basic sound might best be describes as jazz, but he takes it places far and wide."

Slugmagazine.com:
"Eivind Opsvik expects us to accept the pedal steel into jazz? Well, alright. Throughout Overseas III, said instrument slathers these otherwise NYC Downtown-flavored ballads with sustained prairie colors, juxtaposing the guitar’s usual alliance over the top of even the more Coltrane/Sanders-esque saxuality ("Breath of Bark"). Jarring? Opsvik and company make this genre-hopping seem natural"

Free Jazz BlogSpot :
"Sure, this is progressive music, but with a sentimentality that is rare in the genre, an emotional honesty that is genuine and authentic and which transpires through every note being played"

All About Jazz (Troy Collins):
"Introspective, yet robust and forward-thinking, Overseas III erases genre barriers to incorporate popular music tenets with advanced improvisation to help define a burgeoning new zeitgeist."

Subba-Cultcha.com:
“Sadly, I am no jazz expert but I know this is worth listening to"

NeuFutur Magazine:
"“Overseas III” works on so many levels, regardless of individuals’ experience with different musical genres or personal tastes."

Aftenposten(Norway):
"The Calm is based in a genuine openess, and it feels good to be a tad unsure of what comes next."

Bergens Tidende(Norway):
"He writes all the music himself - interesting and well shaped tunes with mysterious development. the compositions are full of references - americana and ambient as well as classical and rock. Despite of this the tunes are remarkably original, with a strong sense of melody"

Nordlys(Norway):
"Strong evidence of Eivind's free flowing imagination and daring inventiveness”

Dagbladet (Norway):
"A mix of Neil Young country-rock, modern jazz, big ambient pop landscapes, garage jazz, contemporary music and more, but it still sounds more like a language than duelling dialects "

Puls.no(Norway):
"Eivind Opsvik has on Overseas III done what a lot of jazz musicians don't have in them, holding back"