Ellen Brekken

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Ellen Brekken
Ellen Brekken 2025-1.jpg
With Hedvig Mollestad Trio, 2025
Background information
Born (1985-06-20) 20 June 1985 (age 40)
Tynset, Hedmark, Norway
Genres Jazz, pop, rock, folk
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
Instrument(s)Double bass, bass guitar, tuba, backing vocals
Years active2000–present
Labels Rune Grammofon, ta:lik
Ellen Brekken performing in 2019 Ellen Brekken Oslo Jazzfestival 2019 (202751).jpg
Ellen Brekken performing in 2019

Ellen Brekken (born 1985) is a Norwegian jazz musician who plays upright bass, bass guitar, and the tuba. She is also a composer.

Contents

Biography

Brekken was born in Tynset Municipality, Norway. She attended the Toneheim Folk High School in 2005, and completed a bachelor's degree in Improvised Music on the jazz program at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo from 2006 to 2010, including a period of exchange studies in Cape Town, South Africa. [1]

Brekken is a member of the Hedvig Mollestad Trio including Ivar Loe Bjørnstad. For the albums "All of them witches" (2013) and "Ding dong. You're dead." (2021) they were nominated to the Norwegian version of a Grammy award, Spellemannprisen, in the rock category. [2] [3] [4]

In 2021, she released the first album under her own name, Ambush, with her quartet A tonic for the troops. Alongside Brekken, the band consists of Espen Berg (piano), Magnus Bakken (saxophones), and Magnus Sefaniassen Eide (drums). [5] They released their second album, Realm of Opportunities, in 2023.

Ellen Brekken Quartet, including Dag-Filip Roaldsnes (piano), Eskil Sæter (guitar) and Jon Audun Baar (drums), did several gigs during the 2010s. [6] [7] Her band Du og jeg og vi 2 - 3 - 4 plays music for kids.

With the band MAAR she plays Norwegian folk music. They were nominated for Folkelarmprisen for their album "Vrangsvevd". She and Lars Jakop Rudjord are leading a 7-mans folk/jazz big band called Gruvar. The band plays newly composed music by Brekken and Rudjord, aiming to build bridges between folk- and jazz music.

She has been working regularly for Concerts Norway, different theatres in Norway (Nationaltheatret, Folketeatret, Oslo Nye Teater, Trøndelag Teater), in addition to playing with musicians such as Tord Gustavsen, Espen Rud, Staffan William-Olsson, Ketil Bjørnstad, Karl Seglem, Frode Nymo, Bugge Wesseltoft, Frode Alnæs, Jens Wendelboe, Aasmund Nordstoga, and Ine Hoem. [8] [9] She has also been a member of Caledonia jazzband.

Discography

With A tonic for the troops

Source: [10]

Within Hedvig Mollestad Trio including with Ivar Loe Bjørnstad

With Du og jeg og vi 2 - 3 - 4

Within MAAR

Other

References

  1. ↑ "Biografi Ellen Brekken". ellenbrekken (in Norwegian). Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 Mosnes, Terje (15 September 2011). "Skuddklar med debutplate: Hedvig Mollestad Thomassens powertrioalbum "Shoot!" vil overraske mange". Music Reviews (in Norwegian). Dagbladet . Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  3. 1 2 Kelman, John (18 May 2013). "Hedvig Mollestad Trio: All of Them Witches (2013) Review". Music Reviews. All About Jazz . Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  4. 1 2 Furu, Svein Magnus (14 March 2013). "Enveisbillett til Bloksberg" (in Norwegian). Morgenbladet . Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  5. ↑ "Bass | Oslo, Norge | Ellen Brekken | A tonic for the troops". ellenbrekken (in Norwegian). Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  6. ↑ "Ellen Brekken Kvartett på Herr Nilsen" (in Norwegian). OsloJazzforum.no. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  7. ↑ "Ellen Brekken Kvartett". Jazz i Norge (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  8. ↑ "Bass | Oslo, Norge | Ellen Brekken Diskografi". ellenbrekken (in Norwegian). Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  9. ↑ "Ellen Brekken". Discogs. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  10. ↑ "A Tonic For The Troops". Discogs. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
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