When a band like Tellefs drops a track like “Brooklyn Bar,” you are aware you will face a creation that will not settle for being passive atmosphere—it grips you intensely and commands your focus. Fronted by Norwegian music scene veteran Tellef Kvifte, this is untamed, organic, and brilliantly unclassifiable. It’s rock in spirit, folk at heart, and jazz in its fearless execution.
Kvifte’s a multi-instrumentalist powerhouse who’s done everything from folk to jazz to experimental madness, and here he’s wielding the taragot—an Eastern European woodwind that sounds like a saxophone with something to prove. Its tone is smoky, slightly rebellious, and absolutely captivating. It doesn’t only play the melody, but spins you a tale. And man, what a tale. “Brooklyn Bar” isn’t about some physical place. It’s a whole mood. You can almost smell the wood polish and feel that cold glass in your hand.
But a frontman is only as strong as his band, and holy hell, does Tellefs deliver. Magnus Wiik‘s guitar work flows through everything with these smooth, effortless grooves that feel like a master storyteller at work. Åsmund Reistad’s bass is not just thumping away in the background—it’s thoughtful, melodic, totally present. And Knut Kvifte Nesheim‘s drums tie it all together, bringing the pulse and swagger that makes this track move. These aren’t hired guns playing together. They’re a unit. A ridiculously tight one.
Step into “Brooklyn Bar” and you’re instantly transported to this smoky, dimly lit joint where the music’s pumping, the crowd’s buzzing, and every single note means something. It’s got this effortless rock ‘n’ roll swagger—you know, the kind that doesn’t need to flex because it just is. No flashy tricks or ego trips here. Just four killer musicians who’ve found their groove and are riding it like they were born to do exactly this.
Tellef Kvifte has been shaping Norway’s sound for decades—as a performer, producer, and professor—and with “Brooklyn Bar,” he’s showing us he’s nowhere near done. This track hits hard after pulling you into this wild space where genre lines don’t matter and the music does all the talking. So go ahead—play it out loud. Let it fill the room. Tellefs is the real deal, folks.