Tellef’s is a musical playground where the musicians play on the tension between a new musical expression and, at the same time, heed respect to the music of two traditions, each with their distinct character and style. The band approaches the tunes with disrespectful respectfullness (or the other way round), and tunes are never played the same way twice.
The band leader, Tellef Kvifte, has picked up yet another instrument (in addition to the several others he has been playing for years), the taragot, a close relative to the soprano sax. Usually you would find the taragot in traditional music in Eastern Europe, but in this project, Tellef uses the instrument to explore similarities and kinship between Norwegian and Irish music.
Kvifte's taragot trills and tongues. It caresses us with soft melancholic phrases or hurls us onto the dance floor. It's playful, haunting, bluesy and mischievous. (Fiona Talkington, Songlines)