Torfinn Strømsmo in the project "Guitar Summit"

At one of such September concerts in Arkhangelsk Torfinn proposed a musical idea, while Tim invented a name – that is how they gave birth to a joint composition “Guitar Summit”. And on February 19, 2011 in a Jazz-workshop club, which is hosted by the Arctic Museum named after A.Borisov they had a first concert out of the series. “Guitar Summit” is a guitar music performed in different ways (jazz, ethno, blues, etc…), played by different guitar players in their personal specific manners.

The first of the musicians who were invited to participate was Torfinn Strømsmo from Vadsø with his amazing 80-year-old instrument bought in the USA having the “voice” of the old blues from the banks of the Mississippi River. The Norwegian guest was able to come thanks to the support from the Barents Secretariat and performed together with the Arkhangelsk band consisting of Tim Dorofeev (guitar), Nikolay Klishin (bass-guitar), Nikolay Kovalev (guitar), Valery Zhuravlev (percussions), Konstantin Sedovin (vocal).

The activity in which Torfinn Strømsmo is involved is employment of people who have been severely injured. Playing the guitar is his hobby, which he has been doing for many years already. His father, house painter by profession, was very fond of guitar and blues. Exactly from his father did he get this reverent attitude towards the music from a faraway country, towards the music which does not leave anybody indifferent. Blues played by Torfinn sounds very pathetical, deep-felt, and really sincere. And this is not only because his guitar has a special sound quality. This musician has his heart in every sound and every accord.

«Torfinn Strømsmo plays on a very high professional level, - marks Tim Dorofeev, producer of the “Jazz-workshop” club, - he knows musical styles perfectly well. He is very good at making sound, and what I would specially emphasize, he is very good at playing as a part of an ensemble, he has a perfect feeling of sound balance».

The Norwegian musician told that he had actually played in different bands for many years. He used to perform together with a famous singer Marit Mathisen from Oslo. And Tim Dorofeev heard Torfinn for the first time at Varanger-festival playing together with the American singer Demi Evans. In 2005 the guitar player participated in the festival “Arkhangelsk - BLUES”.

«In spite of the fact, that he has a good experience in group music-making, - continues Tim Dorofeev, - before the performance Torfinn was very nervous as he knew that he would play with really good-level musicians here in Arkhangelsk. But when everything was over he felt very satisfied. He liked our approach: we do everything in a democratic way at the concerts. We had three performances, and before them we had short rehearsals in a really positive mood. We played in the Exhibition hall of the Arkhangelsk Office of the Russian Union of Artists at the opening of exhibition by Dmitry Trubin. The second concert was in the local café Terra. And the third one – on the 19th of February in the “Jazz-workshop” club. From the point of view of person-to-person communication Torfinn is politeness, culture, and patience itself. One feels really comfortable in his presence».

A series of concerts “Guitar Summit” is going on. Following Torfinn Strømsmo a legendary American guitar player Robert Lighthouse played on the last day of the festival in the “Jazz-workshop” club, and early in March – a famous Russian bluesman Viktor Kolesov from Vologda.

The musicians are planning to develop creative cooperation. Torfinn Strømsmo has already been invited for the festival «Arkhangelsk-BLUES» on May 28-29 this year. Joint performances are also planned for the Norwegian «Varangerfestivalen» (Vadsø) and «Krisfestivalen» (Kjøllefjord).

Text by Irina Korosteleva, photo by Sergey Grishin