Tómas R. Einarsson, bassist and composer, will address how he started composing jazz tunes in the 1980‘s when the few existing jazz musicians played only American standards. He will talk about the challenge of being a jazz musician in Iceland: In the early nineties I said to myself: You are Icelandic, living in Iceland. Where is Iceland in your music? Then I started to write music to poems. He will as well described how he live by Icelandic music and focused on Icelandic films.
Tomas R. Einarsson has released more than twenty records with his own music; Latin jazz, straight-ahead jazz, Nordic balls, Jazz & Poetry and collaborations with singers. His music has been arranged for big-band and choirs and also remixed. A documentary of his musical life, Latin farmer Tómas R./Latin Viking, was released in 2015 and his autobiography, Walking bass, was published in 2023. His most recent records are Shade of Blue featuring Chet Baker and Bolero with saxophone player Óskar Guðjónsson.