Norsk Jazzforum or The Norwegian Jazz Forum (originally established in 1953, and later reappeared on June 8, 1997 in Oslo, when The Norwegian Jazz Federation and Association Norwegian Jazz Musicians fused into The Norwegian Jazz Forum) is a member and interest organization that gathers the Norwegian jazz community, and works to promote the Norwegian jazz in terms of cultural policy and the arts. [1] [2] [3]
The Norwegian Jazz Forum was established in 1997 by the merger of 'Norsk Jazzforbund' (established 1953) and 'Foreningen Norske Jazzmusikere'. A former Norwegian Jazz Forum existed in the 60's, when Karin Krog took an initiative to give the Norwegian jazz community a voice. Today's Jazz Forum organizes jazz clubs, jazz festivals, amateur big band, professional jazz musicians and jazz five regional centers in Norway. [2]
Norwegian Jazz Forum has extensive dissemination. For the 50th anniversary was responsible for the Milestones in Jazz, a tour led by Knut Borge with a band. The continuation of Odin Records (established in 1981) that fused into Curling Legs in 1993, as well as the Buddyprisen that since 1956 has been awarded to the jazz musician of the year. Jazz forum also awards the Jazz Club of the Year («årets jazzklubb») in Norway. Since 1979, they organized "summer courses in jazz improvisation" on Agder Folk High School. With Rikskonsertene and jazz festivals in Norway, it holds the «Jazzintro», a competition that selects the newcomer of the year on the Norwegian jazz scene, «This year's young jazz musicians», awarded during the Moldejazz every second year. [1] [4]
In addition the Norwegian Jazz Forum distributes funds ad hoc, as Frifond, a band or musician scholarship. The Jazz Magazine Jazznytt is published by the Norwegian Jazz Forum. Managing Director in 2005 and 2011 was Tore Flesjø. Starting in 2004, they started to crown a jazz club of the year. Winners were located in Ørsta/Volda (2004), Horten (2005), Stavanger (2006), Sortland (2007), Bergen (2008), Tromsø (2009), Asker (2010), Arendal (2011), Jazz Evidence in Kongsberg (2012), and Barnas Jazzhus in Ski (2013). [5]
Urban Connection is a Norwegian jazz trio who have released three albums. For their first album in 2001, they received a Spellemannprisen.
Frode Alnæs is a Norwegian jazz guitarist and composer, known from cooperation with international artists like Morten Harket, Magne Furuholmen, Arild Andersen, Jon Balke, Ole Edvard Antonsen, Ketil Bjørnstad, Henning Sommerro, Ray Charles, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ian Hunter, Bjørn Alterhaug, Sissel Kyrkjebø, Gustav Lorentzen, and Jan Erik Vold, and appearances in bands like Dance with a Stranger, Masqualero, Jazzpønkensemblet, and Sidsel Endresen Quartet.
Håvard Skarpnes Wiik is a Norwegian jazz pianist and composer, known from a number of recordings with bands like Atomic, and performances with musicians like Petter Wettre, Ola Kvernberg and Stian Carstensen.
Ola Kvernberg is a Norwegian jazz musician known for his virtuosic string swing violin playing and his international performances. He is the son of traditional musicians Liv Rypdal Kvernberg and Torbjørn Kvernberg, and the brother of traditional musicians Kari Kvernberg Dajani and fiddler Jorun Marie Kvernberg, and grandson of the fiddler and traditional music composer Peter L. Rypdal. Kvernberg studied classical violin from the age of nine, and won 3rd prize in a great classical violin competition in Italy when he was fourteen.
Ole Morten Vågan is a Norwegian jazz musician and composer, and the older brother of guitarist Petter Vågan. He is known from several recordings and is currently acting as artistic director for the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra. Vågan is also known from cooperating with some of the most influential musicians and composers internationally and has released eight albums as a leader, recently with the TJO, as well as six albums with his group Motif and one with the group The Deciders.
Puma is an experimental jazz band.
Håkon Mjåset Johansen is a Norwegian jazz drummer and composer, known from playing with the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra featuring Chick Corea at Moldejazz 2000, cooperations with Bugge Wesseltoft's New Conceptions of Jazz, Ole Morten Vågan's Motif, Siri Gjære's Cricket Club and the Ola Kvernberg Trio. He has also contributed to releases with Jon Larsen, the Atle Nymo/Frode Nymo Quartet and Jan Garbarek.
Hallgeir Pedersen is a Norwegian jazz guitarist, well known for his Thorgeir Stubø, Wes Montgomery and Coltrane inspired bop guitar performances and recordings like West Coast Blues (2002) with his own trio.
Buddyprisen is an award, given annually by the Norwegian Jazz Forum to a Norwegian jazz musician that has "been an excellent performer and significantly involved in Norwegian jazz by other means".
Jørn Øien is a Norwegian jazz pianist and keyboard player. He is known from a number of festival performances and record releases, and cooperations with the likes of Thorgeir Stubø, Kjersti Stubø, Ernst-Wiggo Sandbakk, John Pål Inderberg, Tore Brunborg, Knut Værnes, Kjell Karlsen, Terje Gewelt, Roger Johansen, Paal Nilssen-Love, Per Zanussi and Torstein Lofthus.
Frode Nymo, is a Norwegian jazz musician, and older brother of the tenor sax. player Atle Nymo.
Daniel Herskedal is a Norwegian jazz tubist. He is regarded as one of the most talented jazz tubists in Norway.
Albatrosh is a Norwegian jazz duo performing their own musical compositions described as dense and dynamic.
Harald Lassen is a Norwegian jazz musician, songwriter, and bandleader. In addition to being the front man of LASSEN, he has played with several other bands, including DUPLEX, Mopti, Pixel, and No. 4. Early on, he was drawn to the attention of musicians like drummer Jon Christensen and bassist Arild Andersen. He's worked with the following people: Rob Waring, Mathias Eick, Ray Phiri, Mohamed Issa Matona, LABtrio, Corrie Dick, Arthur Kay, Tord Gustavsen, Morten Qvenild, Emilie Stoesen Christensen, Anja Lauvdal, and Bram De Looze.
Christian Meaas Svendsen is a Norwegian jazz bassist. He has worked with Nakama, Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit, Mopti, Momentum, Aksiom, Ayumi Tanaka Trio and Duplex. He runs Nakama Records.
Mopti is a Norwegian experimental jazz band.
Roger Arntzen is a Norwegian jazz bassist, known from playing in bands like In the Country (trio), In the Country with Knut Reiersrud and Solveig Slettahjell, Ballrogg, Chrome Hill, One Small Step, John-Kåre Hansen Northern Concept and previously also with Håvard Stubø Trio and the band Østenfor Sol. Through his projects he has worked with downtown NYC icon Marc Ribot, Bob Hoffnar, Josh Abrams, Toto Alvarez, BJ Cole, Michiyo Yagi, Tamaya Honda, Noritaka Tanaka, Tetuzi Akiyama, Neil Metcalfe, Terry Day, John Russell, Frode Grytten, Susanna Wallumrød, Frida Ånnevik, Tore Brunborg, Stian Carstensen, Bugge Wesseltoft, Mathias Eick, Odd Riisnæs, Lars Klevstrand, Moddi, Thomas Dybdahl, Steinar Ofsdal, Kari Svendsen, Jon Arne Corell, Alf Cranner, Göran Fristorp among others.
The following is a list of notable events and releases of the year 2015 in Norwegian music.
Megalodon Collective is a jazz septet based in Trondheim, with Norwegian and Swedish musicians.
Alf Erling Kjellman was a Norwegian jazz musician, organizer and composer.