Norwegian pianist and composer Helge Iberg says listening to the Beatles in his childhood and early youth left lasting impressions, and those impressions can be heard on his new album, The Black On White Album.
Helge Iberg on what the Beatles mean to him and how he chose the songs for The Black On White Album:
“Listening to the Beatles in my childhood and early youth left lasting impressions. Their style of melody and harmony were as fresh and challenging as their attitude and concepts. No doubt they revealed groundbreaking ideas in the field of popular music. The Beatles’ songbook has been loved by three generations now. They have formed the best part of western popular culture and left traces in peoples’ hearts. After deciding upon the project, I sat down at the piano trying to recall Beatles songs that I love. I also chose some famous songs that are a bit ‘corny’, to see if I could ‘re-frame’ them in a new direction. I did not ‘compose’ my interpretations, but formed them improvising at the piano.”