Icelandic bass player/composer Tomas R. Einarsson (1953) studied in Reykjavik and Copenhagen 1980-84. Since then he has been one of the most active jazz musicians in Iceland, performing both with own groups, and visiting soloists (a.o. the late Chet Baker and Kenny Drew). He has recorded 14 records with his own music and performed at several European jazz festivals, such as The Kongsberg Jazz Festival, Berliner JazzFest and the Glasgow Jazz Festival. In 2006 his Latin group performed at Moscows main jazz venue, Le Club, and in the historical Casa de la Amistad in Havana. His first Latin jazz record was Kubanska, recorded in 2002. American critics had praise for the music: “Its a funny thing, all of this Latin Jazz coming from such remote places. But when its played that well, who cares?” (C. Michael Bailey: All About Jazz). In 2003 he recorded the CD Havana in Cuba, and it won two prizes at the Icelandic Music Awards. Samuel J. Samuelssons arrangements of Einarssons music were performed at The Reykjavik Art Festival in 2004, and a live recording ("Dance, you idiot!) won three prizes at the IMA. Romm Tomm Tomm was recorded in 2006 in Reykjavik and in Havanas EGREM studios, with 14 Icelandic and Cuban musicians. These three Latin Jazz records have already sold 8000 copies in Iceland, which is exceptional for jazz records in a country of only 300,000 inhabitants.
"Three fine CDs" (Nelson Rodríguez, Latin Beat Magazine, Ocober 2007)
Blánótt Records released two CD's in 2009: LIVE!, a CD with Einarsson Latin Band, recorded live in Reykjavik, Moscow and Havana, and a 4CD collection (Kúbanska, Havana, Romm Tomm Tomm and LIVE!).
TRÚNÓ was released in October 2008. It features two of Icelands most popular singers, Ragnheidur Gröndal and Mugison, who sing the tunes Einarsson wrote to poems by Icelandic poets (Ingibjörg Haraldsdóttir, Halldór Laxness, Kristín Svava Tómasdóttir, Steinn Steinarr, Sveinbjörn I. Baldvinsson, Vilborg Dagbjartsdóttir), concentrating on lyrics that tell of love, lonlieness and hangovers! In a review of the Reykjavik Jazz Festival 2008, German journalist/critic Christoph Giese called the TRÚNÓ music "Eine bizarre, aber wunderbar funktionierende Mischung."
All the 16 records with the music of Tómas R. Einarsson, from Thessi ofetis jazz (1985) to LIVE! (2009), can now be bought (downloads) at tonlist.is or icelandicmusic.com, see links:
The albums ROMM TOMM TOMM, HAVANA, KUBANSKA, LIVE! and ROMMTOMMTECHNO are available on i-tunes, E-music, Icelandicmusic.com, Gogoyoko.com, UOL Megastore (Brazil) and Tune Tribe. Nine titles of Einarsson's music can be ordered from www.Smekkleysa.net (Iceland), ROMM TOMM TOMM and HAVANA can also be bought from www.Descarga.com (USA) and www.Diskunion.net (Japan), and at Jazzkælderen (www.adlib.dk), Copenhagen, Denmark, several titles of Einarsson's music are available.
Einarsson's Latin tunes can now be bought at El Watusi:
http://blog.elwatusi.com/2010/11/tomas-einarsson-and-the-blanott-label/
Label Blanott
http://www.elwatusi.com/search/?label_id=1744
Kubanska
http://www.elwatusi.com/search/release.php?release_id=35415
Havana
http://www.elwatusi.com/search/release.php?release_id=35416
RommTommTomm
http://www.elwatusi.com/search/release.php?release_id=35417
RommTommTechno
http://www.elwatusi.com/search/release.php?release_id=35418
Live!
http://www.elwatusi.com/search/release.php?release_id=35419
Trúnó
http://www.elwatusi.com/search/release.php?release_id=35420
"Rumdrum" (from HAVANA) is included in the compilation PUTUMAYO PRESENTS LATIN JAZZ, which was released in June 2007. Einarsson is the only European in a company of people like Tito Puente, Machito, Ray Barretto and Poncho Sanchez.
"Rumdrum" was one of the 15 songs selected for the PUTUMAYO WORLD MUSIC SAMPLER - 15 years of the best music from around the world - a 15 years anniversary sampler that Putumayo released in 2008.
"Jam" (from RTT) is included in the compilation "Solar Latin Club Vol. 1", produced by the Columbian DJ "El Chino" ("Listen to the percussive funk of "Descarga" - Tómas Einarssons relentless club-ready dance track. Play that one loud" - Bruce Polin, www.descarga.com, September 11th 2007).
ROMMTOMMTECHNO, a CD with remixes of Einarssons Latin Jazz was released in November 2007, with participants from Iceland, Britain, Germany, France and USA; Moonbootica, Mark Brydon (Moloko), MD Hemstock, Thor, Tom Pooks, Jack Schidt, Electric Screwdriver, Namito, GusGus and Trabant. It can be ordered (download + CD) from www.smekkleysa.net and also from i-tunes and Beatport (downloads).
Linda Loeskows brilliant design of ROMMTOMMTECHNO was chosen the BEST cover design of Icelandic records and books in 2007, by the jury of the Icelandic Graphic Designers Society (FÍT). Bravo Linda!
