Naken uten Gitar (Naked without a Guitar) 1999
Instrumental and melodious jazz.
The album was assembled in three themes of water, soul, and earth, with three songs to each theme. The music ranges from meditated melancholy to more up-beat compositions. The album received great critiques and is still to be heard on the radio.
Reviews:
Fedrelandsvennen October 1999
Guitar poetry from the west.
Naked without a Guitar is the name of the album, but on its cover is a young guitarist from Hordaland pictured in a guitar and only a guitar. He stands by a waterfall with a violet background looking meloncoly. Gisle Torvik is his name. He has composed most of the songs on the album and plays with Petter Wettre and Sigmund Groven, Frode Berg, Endre Christiansen, Tore Teigland and Torstein Lofthus. Young, new and fresh. Even more experienced guitarists have turned their sights on water these days. Knut Reiersrud finds himself on the cover of his last album called SUB (under water). To judge what we hear on Gisle Torviks debut CD it shouldn’t take long before he himself is an established guitar player. It is a comfortable, beautiful, atmospheric improvisational music we meet. For the most part poetic with sounds from nature, melodious and harmonious, without cliché.
It stays exciting with unexpected solutions and revelations. An album that you can play over and over again only to love it more with time.
Bergens Tidene 03.09.1999
Torvik gives off heat, drive and technical abilities while balancing within simple melodically lines and incredible improvisations.
Torvik, Berg, Lofthus and Christiansen is a well-tuned group; solid and seeking.
Sarpsborg Arbeiderblad 08.10.99
Torvik is able to bring about the closeness in the aura.
He plays incredibly great.
Haugesunds Avis 07.10.99
Torvik amazes with his guitar playing