Nordjazz is an open network for jazz related clubs and organisations in the Nordic countries. The main goal is to have a strong Nordic jazz network, to create cooperation between Nordic clubs, festivals, organisations and musicians. It is also to create one platform for Nordic jazz, so that it is easier for musicians to broaden their concert activities all over the Nordic countries, before they turn towards Europe and the rest of the world. It is the idea to strengthen Nordic jazz by making it a priority among the clubs and festivals and by presenting it regularly to the Nordic audience. Quality music from the North has to be heard and developed in the North as well. In this way we can raise the quality and the ambition of the music as well as sharpen the Nordic Jazz profile towards the rest of the world.


NORDJAZZ TOUR 2010, JANUARY 22 - FEBRUARY 7
The Nordjazz network has chosen a handful of exhilarating constellations of in-demand Nordic musicians to tour the Nordic countries. The tour takes place during the annual Winterjazz Festival. As a venue you can be part of the co-operation by presenting one or more concerts. Travel costs and accommodation are covered by Nordjazz.

TRIPLE TRIO TREAT!
Triple Trio Treat! is this year’s main theme for the NordJazz tours. All three bands consists of musicians, who is in the lead of Nordic jazz trios when it comes to originality and dareness.

The three trios are:

Helge Lien Trio (NO)
Helge Lien (piano), Frode Berg (bass), Knut Aalefjær (drums)
Helge Lien Trio is a vital and highly original modern jazz trio. The repertoire is based on Lien’s compositions as well as some dramatically new interpretations of known ‘standards’. The trio comes out as a unique mix of jazz tradition and avant garde improvisation. The arrangements are often born through open improvisation on the material, and the listeners are witness to existing dialogues between the three musicians. All three members of the trio are on a very high level on their instrument, in addition to having a unique personal style of playing. http://www.helgelientrio.com

PLOP (FIN)
Mikko Innanen (saxophone), Ville Herrala (bass), Joonas Riippa (drums)
Over the last few years Mikko Innanen has played with a number of groups, including several groups with other Finnish jazz musicians such as Nuijamiehet, Gourmet, Mr Fonebone and Mikko Innanen & Innkvisitio as well as Delirium (with Danes Kasper Tranberg, Stefan Pasborg and Jonas Westergaard), Triot (with Pasborg and Nicolai Munch-Hansen), as a featured guest of the French trio Triade (Cedric Piromalli, Sebastian Boisseau and Nicolas Larmignat), The European Jazz Youth Orchestra, drummer Teppo Mäkynen's Teddy Rok 7, Itchy (Jakob Dinesen, Jeppe Skovbakke, Rune Kielsgaard), Ulf Krokors - Iro Haarla Loco Motife, Ibrahim Electric, Espoo Big
Band and the UMO Jazz Orchestra. http://www.myspace.com/plopmusic


Westergaard/Snekkestad/Strid (DK/NO/SE)
Jonas Westergaard (bass), Torben Snekkestad (saxophone), Raymond Strid (drums)
Meet here three strong creative minds representing some of the most daring approaches in Nordic jazz. Danish bass player Jonas Westergaard recently put out his highly impressive and appraised debut cd 'Helgoland' and has already proved himself as a most-wantedsideman in projects such as Blake Tartare, Lovedale and Delirium.  The Norwegian saxophonist, Torben Snekkestad has expressed his distinct voice in Tri O' Trang, Spring and most recently in his own trio with Jonas Westergaard and Jon Balke. Snekkestad has recently joined the Copenhagen based record label society ILK. Third member, Swedish drummer Raymond Strid, is a true free jazz legend and has made vital contributions to the experimental jazz scene through groupings and projects with e.g. Mats Gustafsson, Barry Guy and Axel Dörner.

YNJC - YOUNG NORDIC JAZZ COMETS
NordJazz wishes to strengthen all parts of the Nordic jazz scene including the upcoming scene. Therefore it is natural for NordJazz to present the two winners of this year’s Young Nordic Jazz Comets.

The two winners are:
PELbO (NO)
Ine Kristine Hoem (vocal,electronics), Kristoffer Lo (tuba), Trond Bersu (drums)
A band with an instrumentation that is quite original: vocals, tuba and drums. Sounds special? It is. PELbO moves in between rock, pop, jazz and world music. Uxing live electronics and always playing for real. The band is known for their fantastic live-performances and straight up, in your face-attitude. PELbO is a power-trio like you never heard it before. In 2009, PELbO made it to the finals in the competition ZOOM Urørt, "the search of Norway’s best live-band". Their debut album will be released in March. "PELbO makes the tuba look sexy and has brought jazz to the rock audience; they play with their soul and the potential is great and growing." Zoom Urørt-jury, Trondheim. http://www.myspace.com/pelbomusic

The Ingimar Andersen Quartet (ISL)
Daníel Friðrik Böðvarsson (guitar), Ingimar Andersen (saxophone), Kristján Tryggvi Martinsson (piano), Magnús Trygvason Eliassen (drums)
The members first met in The FÍH School of Music and have been playing together in various settings for a few years. In the summer of 2009, they received a grant from Reykjavík’s Cultural Fund to work on music during the summer. The quartet plays energy-loaded and expressive originals that are difficult to sort into genres.
http://www.myspace.com/reginfirra


SPECIAL PROJECTS
Every year NordJazz wishes to present some of the best projects by Nordic musicians.

This year's special projects are:

Samuel Hällkvist Center (SE)
Samuel Hällkvist (guitar, electronics), Joel Wästberg (saxophone, misc), Johannes Burström (bass, electronics), Knut Finsrud (drums)
Samuel Hällkvist Center plays jazz for the information age, created from equal parts chance and obsession to detail. With understated clockwork precision, the quartet is exploring rhythmic shrubberies and vast improvisations, without fearing the monotonous or melancholic. Rooted in ragtime, heavy metal and early digital electronics, Samuel Hällkvist Center is redefining the classic guitar quartet, creating a modern hybrid music for curious ears. http://www.samuelhallkvist.com/


Hans Ulrik Quintet (DK/NO/SE)
Anders Jormin (SE) (bass), Eivind Aarset (NO) (guitar), Audun Kleive (NO) (drums), Hans Ulrik (DK) (saxophone), Kasper Tranberg (DK) (trumpet)
This new Scandinavian quintet formed by Hans Ulrik is featuring some of the strongest and most unique voices in European jazz today. All the compositions are by Hans Ulrik, and written specifically for this group and the individual forces gathered here. You will hear long, beautiful melodic stretches, “free” passages, use of more exotic flavours such as the hexatonic scale, ragas etc..The sources of inspiration are many – Burt Bacharach meets Carl Nielsen meets John Coltrane meets... The result is distinctly Scandinavian music of our time.

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Contact:

NordJazz - c/o Copenhagen Jazz Festival
Sankt Peders Stræde 28C, 2.
DK–1453 Copenhagen K, Denmark

Project manager: Christian Dalgas - dalgas@jazzfestival.dk
Tour producer: Jakob Drong - jakob@nordjazz.com

Phone: +45 3393 2013