Known for his lyrical style and command of the instrument, Thomas Nordlund is a Minneapolis-based guitarist, composer and producer. Skope Magazine described him as “a playing talent capable of fleshing out entire landscapes with only a few notes” with compositions that stretch from insular, poetic sensibilities through to more vast, jazz-inflected soundscapes. Nordlund released his second album as a bandleader and producer, “Miles Left Behind,” in 2018 on Shifting Paradigm Records. Previously, he collaborated with singer Maryam Yusefzadeh on arrangements of traditional Persian folk songs and new compositions, independently released as “Migration” in 2018. His debut record “Divide Avenue,” an instrumental eight-song set featuring the electric baritone guitar, was released independently in 2015.
“It is hard for an atmospheric jazz guitarist to make music that is spacious but not aimless. Thomas Nordlund provides the template for it on his new disc, Miles Left Behind, unfurling lines with a steely confidence and stealthy high-ambition while abetted by an attuned rhythm section and a beautifully understated banjo. This CD release celebration will hopefully reprise the quartet’s slowly explosive grandeur.” – Brit Robson, City Pages