# Carsten Dahl

Carsten Dahl (born 3 October 1967) is a Danish pianist.

## Early life

Dahl was born in Copenhagen on 3 October 1967. His first instrument was the drums, which he began playing at the age of nine. He taught himself both drums and piano, then studied both at Det Rytmiske Musikkonservatorium in Copenhagen. Dahl said that, "As a pianist, I am greatly influenced by Jørgen Nielsen and later, Butch Lacy who had a significant impact on my musical identity both as a mentor, icon and spiritual teacher."

## Later life and career

Dahl turned professional in 1982. He was part of tenor saxophonist Thomas Agergaard's quartet from 1991 and drummer Ed Thigpen's Rhythm Features band from 1998. Dahl also led the rhythmic department of the West Jutland Academy of Music, Esbjerg, from 1992 to 1996 and taught at Det Rytmiske Musikkonservatorium for the following two years, and again for five years from 2011. He taught piano at the Danish Rhythmic Conservatory between 2012 and 2015, but said that he resigned because his "spiritual and highly religious approach to understanding what art really is caused certain conflicts with the general idea of the schools programmes".
By 2022, Dahl had played on approximately 300 albums. He is also a painter. He said in 2020: "My pictures vary from the almost golden age of painting yet set in a modern context to specifically complex abstractions."

## Discography
### As leader/co-leader

| Year recorded | Title | Label | Notes |
| 1996 | Will You Make My Soup Hot & Silver | Storyville | Trio, with Lennart Ginman (bass), Frands Rifbjerg (drums, percussion) |
| 1996–2003 | Solo Piano | Stunt | Solo piano |
| 1998 | Message from Bud | Storyville | Trio, with Lennart Ginman (bass), Frands Rifbjerg (drums) |
| 1999 | The Butterfly Dream | Storyville | Solo piano |
| 2000? | Lys På Himlen | Dacapo | Duo, co-led with Christina Dahl (soprano sax) |
| 2000 | Jazzpar 2000 Quintet | Storyville | Quintet, with Jörg Huke (trombone), Tony Coe (tenor sax, clarinet), Lars Danielsson (bass), Aage Tanggaard (drums); in concert |
| 2002 | The Sign | Stunt | with Arild Andersen, Patrice Heral |
| 2003 | Moon Water | Stunt | Trio, with Arild Andersen (bass), Patrice Heral (drums) |
| 2003? | The Library Bar Concerts | Verve | with Lennart Ginman, Thomas Blachman |
| 2004 | Copenhagen-Aarhus | Edge | Solo piano |
| 2004? | Blue Train | Marshmallow | Trio, with Lennart Ginman, Frands Rifbjerg |
| 2005? | Ginman/Blachman/Dahl! | Universal | with Lennart Ginman, Thomas Blachman |
| 2005–2007 | In Your Own Sweet Way | Storyville | Trio, co-led with Mads Vinding (bass), Alex Riel (drums) |
| 2006? | God Bless the Child | Marshmallow | with Lennart Ginman, Frands Rifbjerg, Bob Rockwell |
| 2006? | Charlie Butterfly | Stunt | Duo, with Allan Vegenfeldt |
| 2006? | Det gyldne landskab | Private | with Christina Dahl |
| 2006? | Short Fairytales | EmArcy | with Arild Andersen, Jon Christensen |
| 2006? | Tribute to Night Train | Ploug Partnership | |
| 2007 | A Good Time | Storyville | Trio, with Lennart Ginman (bass), Frands Rifbjerg (drums); in concert |
| 2007? | Bebopish Rubbish Rabbit | Marshmallow | Trio, with Lennart Ginman, Frands Rifbjerg |
| 2008? | Minor Meeting | Grave News | Trio, with Jesper Lundgaard, Alex Riel |
| 2008 | Humilitas | Storyville | Quartet, with Jesper Zeuthen (alto sax), Nils Davidsen (bass), Stefan Pasborg (drums) |
| 2010 | Effata | Storyville | Solo piano |
| 2011? | Synesthesia & Metropolis | Exlibris | With Ensemble MidtVest |
| 2011 | Metamorphosis | Storyville | Quartet, with Jesper Zeuthen (alto sax), Nils Davidsen (bass, percussion, flute), Stefan Pasborg (drums, percussion) |
| 2011 | Live at Montmartre | Storyville | Duo, co-led with Eddie Gómez (bass); in concert |
| 2011 | Space Is the Place | Storyville | Trio, with Arild Andersen (bass), Jon Christensen (drums) |
| 2012 | Live at SMK | ILK | Duo, co-led with Stefan Pasborg (drums); in concert |
| 2012 | Dreamchild | Storyville | Solo piano |
| 2012 | Soliluquy | Exlibris | With Ensemble MidtVest; in concert |
| 2013 | Under the Rainbow | Storyville | Trio, with Arild Andersen (bass), Jon Christensen (drums) |
| 2013 | Reverentia | Storyville | Quartet, with Jesper Zeuthen (alto sax), Nils Davidsen (bass), Stefan Pasborg (drums) |
| 2013? | Papillon | Tiger | Solo piano |
| 2014? | Bach – The Goldberg Variations for Prepared Piano | Tiger | Solo piano |
| 2014 | The Myth & the Moth | Tiger | Solo piano |
| 2015? | Grace | Tiger | Solo piano |
| 2016 | Caleidoscopia | Storyville | Quartet, with Jesper Zeuthen (alto sax), Nils Davidsen (bass), Stefan Pasborg (drums) |
| 2016 | The Jester | Exlibris | Solo harpsichord |
| 2016 | Live | Storyville | Quartet, with Jesper Zeuthen (alto sax), Nils Davidsen (bass), Stefan Pasborg (drums); in concert |
| 2016 | Simplicity | Storyville | Trio, with Lennart Ginman (bass), Frands Rifbjerg (drums) |
| 2019 | Painting Music | ACT | Trio, with Nils Bo Davidsen (bass), Stefan Pasborg (drums) |
| 2019 | The Solo Songs of Keith Jarrett | Storyville | With Palle Mikkelborg (trumpet), Fredrik Lundin (sax), Nils Bo Davidsen (bass), Stefan Pasborg (drums), Ana Feitosa and Matthew Jones (violin), Sanna Ripatti (viola), Jonathan Slaatto (cello); in concert |
| 2019 | Mirrors Within | Storyville | Trio, with Nils Bosse Davidsen (bass), Stefan Pasborg (drums) |
| 2021? | Sagn | Storyville | Solo piano |
| 2021 | A Beautiful Blue Moment | Storyville | Quartet, with Tim Hagans (trumpet), Johnny Åman (bass), Jukkis Uotila (drums); in concert |

### As sideman

| Year recorded | Leader | Title | Label |
| 1994–95 | Lars Møller | Cross Current | Stunt |
| 1996–98 | Richard Boone | A Tribute to Love | Stunt |
| 1998 | Ed Thigpen | It's Entertaintment | Stunt |
| 1999 | Mads Vinding | Six Hands, Three Minds, One Heart | Stunt |
| 2001 | Ed Thigpen | The Element of Swing | Stunt |
| 2002 | Cæcilie Norby | First Conversation | Blue Note |
| 2002 | Ed Thigpen | Live at Tivoli Copenhagen | Stunt |
| 2003 | Ulf Wakenius | Forever You | Stunt |
| 2017 | Mads Vinding | Standards | Storyville |