Morphine Bjørn Berge

• 1 Early To Bed 03:24
• 2 Eleven o'clock 04:58
• 3 French fries with pepper 03:59
• 4 All wrong 03:22
• 5 Potion 03:17
• 6 Top floor, bottom buzzer 04:14
• 7 You look like rain 06:05
• 8 Have a lucky day 03:51
• Total Runtime 33:10

Info for Morphine

Renowned Norwegian guitarist Bjørn Berge pays tribute to the iconic American cult band Morphine on his upcoming album. Known for his powerful acoustic performances, Berge has built a reputation as a unique guitarist and formidable live artist, delivering hard-hitting arrangements that span blues, rock, funk, and ballads.

With over a decade-spanning career, Berge has released 14 albums and earned multiple accolades, including two Spellemann Awards (the Norwegian Grammys) in the Blues category (2001, 2002) and the Notodden Blues Festival Blues Prize.

His new album is dedicated to Morphine, the influential band fronted by the late Mark Sandman, whose music has been a major inspiration to Berge since the 1990s. Morphine’s distinctive sound — driven by baritone saxophone, two-string bass, and a dark, minimalist groove — left a lasting impression on him early in his career.

“Morphine was something completely unique. They had groove, rawness, and soul in a way that struck me immediately — and still inspires me today,” says Berge.

On this tribute release, Berge reinterprets selected songs from Morphine’s catalog, balancing respect for the original material with his own signature, blues-based energy and expression. Swapping the band’s iconic baritone sax for his baritone guitar, Berge successfully channels the unmistakable Morphine vibe while making the songs entirely his own.

The album represents a meeting of two musical worlds, united by atmosphere, intensity, uncompromising musicianship, and deep respect. The first single, “Early to Bed,” written by Mark Sandman, offers a powerful introduction to the project..

Bjørn Berge, vocals, guitars
Arnt Ove Kvernenes, harmonica
Vegard Fossum, drums
Kalle Aasland, vocals

Bjørn Berge
Who would have thought the Man from the North was a highly sensitive soul ?

This is the major revelation from the Norwegian bluesman’s 10th album. Throughout Fretwork, Bjørn Berge reveals a hidden side of his artistic personality that is both intimate and mature. Whereas his guitar remains as quick and forceful as ever, this highly personal set (most of the songs here bear his signature) provides his fans with a fine mix of folk ballads and strong blues tunes.

Fretwork was produced by Bjørn Berge and Kjetil Ulland, with additional help from two Berge compatriots, Oyvind Staveland (violin and alto) and Vidar Johnsen (vocals). The combination of Bjørn¹s playing and Oyvin¹s violin gives some of the compositions on this album an atmospheric feel that will alter lastingly our perception of the Viking guitarist.

Born 40 years ago in a large town on the southwestern coast of Norway, Bjørn has gained notoriety since he started performing at major European festivals, singing cutting edge lyrics in a modern day version of the blues that largely transcends the scope of the genre.

This album contains no booklet.