Program release no. 3 - 2023

An exclusive collaboration sees the light of day in Molde - or should we say the darkness of the night? Two atmosphere creators meet to put each other to the test, invite them into each other's world and perhaps create a completely new one together with us!

The Canadian-American saxophonist Colin Stetson has built up a bit of a star status both as a solo artist and as a collaborator in various band contexts. Among those who have benefited from his services are greats such as Tom Waits, Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Lou Reed, Bill Laswell and David Gilmour. Stetson has developed an exceptional technique on his instrument with his perfected circulation breathing being perhaps the most prominent. He combines strength with sensitivity and constantly pushes the boundaries of what a saxophonist can be. As a solo artist, he likes to use bass saxophone, but can also use alto, soprano, tenor and baritone sax. He has released a number of albums and in recent years has been recognized for his film music composition, including for last year's "The Menu" with Ralph Fiennes.

Hedvig Mollestad was together with i.a. Stetson soloist on Mats Gustafsson's major piece "HIDROS 9" in autumn 2022. Hedvig says the following: - Colin represents something limitless that is impossible to categorise, and has defined a completely new branch within music created by saxophone. - He is intensely present, and creates images and spaces in a very distinctive way, she says. The meeting last autumn led to the idea of ​​the duo collaboration we will experience in the Storyville venue at 10pm on Tuesday 18 July. Colin Stetson has "visited" Moldejazz several times before, in 2015 he was even on the program with a duo collaboration with the aforementioned Gustafsson who was AIR at the time. That concert was unfortunately cancelled, so it is extra nice to now finally be able to present him at Moldejazz in an exclusive, dynamic and virtuoso duo collaboration where Mollestad and Stetson will obviously explore the outer limits of their instruments both in terms of strength and sensitivity.

Hedvig Mollestad – guitar, Colin Stetson – bass-sax.

The online success "Live from Emmet's Place" is coming to Molde!

At the beginning of the pandemic, then 29-year-old Emmet Cohen established the live stream "Live from Emmet's Place", broadcast from the small living room of his apartment on the sixth floor in Harlem. There he invited musicians from environments he frequents. The broadcast eventually became a huge success, with tens of millions of viewers from all over the world, and is today the world's most visited online jazz show.

Pianist Cohen highlights both established names and relatively unknown musicians, young talents as well as veterans. The music is spontaneous, loose and often moody. The intimate and relaxed atmosphere when the musicians play tunes from jazz's core repertoire will be transferred to the stage at Moldejazz, even though the audience here will not be allowed to sit sprawled out in lounge furniture, like the ten or so listeners there is room for in Emmet's living room.

In an interview with The Guardian, Cohen talks about the importance of the live broadcasts, and says that when he sells out jazz clubs like Birdland, he reaches 250 people. After just one week, the first live broadcast from Emmet's place on 22 March 2020 had reached 40,000:

Now I have a stack of fan mail a foot high, people thanking us for helping them get through the pandemic. I try to answer every email. It's a full-time job. Lots of people were really lonely and depressed during this time. The fact that we're a family, Kyle (Poole) and Russell (Hall – drummer and bassist) and me, showed the brotherhood and what it means to be a band in a time of crisis. I think it really touched and changed people's lives.”

Now the Emmet Cohen trio is in demand around the world. In Molde, it eventually receives a visit from violinist Ola Kvernberg, who has followed many of Cohen's broadcasts. And who knows, maybe there will be more guests?

In 2016, Kris Davis released a record consisting of many improvisations in duo format with a number of prominent musicians in the American jazz scene. On this list, there was also a duo with the critically acclaimed pianist colleague Craig Taborn

Davis describes this musical encounter as unique and special. "From the moment we started playing I felt instantly transported and free within the music, and had the sense we could go anywhere... There was a feeling of deep listening, a dynamic sense of push and pull, and yet it strangely felt like a conversation we'd been having for years».

Later, the collaboration was repeated several times, and a record was also recorded. "Octopus" was released in 2018 based on recordings of several concerts with the duo. The music is described as two pianists in total control of the moment and each other's input, and with the ability to also sound like a unit. They sound like they play with at least eight arms and probably a couple of legs too. Such is the virtuosity and intensity of their interaction.

Moldejazz has also presented piano duos before, and rarely have they been as successful as Vijay Iyer's duo with Craig Taborn in 2017. With two Steinway grand pianos in a central position on the stage in Teateret Vårt, we were presented with both sonorous tones and staccato passages to great happiness.

We are thus following a tradition here, and there is nothing to suggest that this will not be an equally memorable musical meeting in the vein of piano improvisation.

Kris Davis is a Canadian pianist who has lived in New York since 2001 and with his unique voice has contributed to the jazz and improvisation field with his projects.

In 2023, Davis received a Grammy in the jazz category for the record New Standards vol.1 together with Terri Lyne Carrington, Nicolas Payton, Linda May Han Oh, and Matthew Stevens.

Craig Taborn is an American pianist and keyboardist who has made a name for himself as a composer and pianist in several parts of jazz. In addition to a beautiful catalog of solo piano and trio recordings, he has contributed as a sideman for a number of musicians both in Europe and America, best known for his contributions on the piano stool with, among others, Dave Holland, Tomasz Stańko and Chris Potter.

Eight years after her debut on ECM, this autumn Mette Henriette released the long-awaited second record Drifting on the same label. It is therefore extra exciting that this year we have the pleasure of hearing her play in Molde - this time in Storyville

It was a sensation when Mette Henriette released her self-titled double debut on ECM in 2015, as the first artist ever, and to rave reviews. The following year, she visited Teatret Vårt with a quartet and gave a concert characterized by simple but effective use of light and stage space.

In the years that followed, Mette Henriette Martedatter Rølvåg marinated her musical ideas, and she has not become less active or ambitious.

Those who know her from before know that Mette Henriette is a musician with big ideas, crystal clear visions, and the ability to execute. She chooses her collaborators carefully. For the same reason, we don't see her very often at jazz festivals, and likewise, it becomes all the more impressive when her name comes up.

During the last eight years, she has managed to compose commissioned works for the Oslo Philharmonic, the Arctic Philharmonic, and Cikada and collaborated with, among others, Marina Abramović and Helge Sten (Deathprod) to name a few. In addition, she has held a number of residencies, including at Svalbard and at the Munch Museum, where Drifting was also recorded. It hardly comes as a surprise when people say that she distinguished herself early as a gifted musician and composer.

In his review of Drifting in particular, Torkjell Hovland wrote in Jazznytt #265 that "Since the first time I heard her, she has had a particularly sensitive tone, where it seemed that she never makes a sound without it being the most important thing in the world." About the same album, Karl Ackerman wrote in Allaboutjazz "It is an excellent album, timeless, with a circular quality, and best listened to in its entirety."

This is music that takes you by the hand and takes you on a journey past itself and into you. Come and join in!

Mette Henriette - saxophone, Ayumi Tanaka - piano and Judith Hamann - cello

The rapper and songwriter had his breakthrough with the collaboration with Dutty Dior: The hit single "Hallo" was streamed more than 26 million times, and won the song of the year award at P3 Gold in 2019.

He has guested with Karpe on the successful release Sas Plus/Sas Pussy, filled arenas and been on a European tour. With a trophy shelf already approaching overload, this young super talent has been on a fast upward trajectory. He is not on the lazy side and continues to produce songs that reach millions of listeners. This year he has made a big impression as a participant in "Hver Gang Vi Møtes"

Fenomenet Ramón kommer til Moldejazz!

For 24-year-old Ramón, 2022 was a record year. The single "Okay I promise" was living proof of how astonishingly far Ramón has already come, and how die-hard his fans are.

Last year he released his debut album "SÅ KLART DET GJØR VONDT", which the week after went straight to first place on the official album chart. Ramón is constantly setting sensational streaming records, and this year he is nominated in two categories at P3 Gold, both "Artist of the Year" and "Song of the Year" for "ok jeg Lover". Ramón has had a comet career and now fills all the biggest arenas in Norway. We look forward to seeing him at the Romsdalsmusée!

“ All my songs are made to be able to work live, and I think to live in every stage of the production. What I love most about being an artist is playing live" - ​​Ramón

The band TORA is known for its energetic and life-affirming live shows - for its particularly good and close contact with the audience, that Tora himself "communicates beyond the edge of the stage with his exuberant energy, clear presence and playful musicality." She proved that to her advantage on her last visit, which was also an event for herself.

- Of course, it has always been a big dream, but I never thought it would happen. I am insanely grateful that we were allowed to come to Molde, said the then 25-year-old guitar hero in 2021.

Because Tora is popular, you can tell. And its popularity is constantly increasing. She has a large following on social media, and is an important role model for many.

She makes most of her songs herself and is a keen craftsman. In addition, she writes directly and with a naturalness about falling in love with girls and about what it's like to feel different than you appear, about expectations and related violations. About changes and growth. The Torah conveys something recognisable, regardless of whether one identifies as young, as a woman or queer. Things that are also universal.

She has already managed to be nominated for Spellemann for her first album GIRLS (2020), as well as playing with both Frode Alnæs, Paul Gilbert and Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson's guitarist). Together with her band, she has left a big mark on both Steinkjerfestivalen and Notodden Blues Festival. In 2019, Tora was on stage in London's Royal Albert Hall, where she promoted Norwegian blues music together with, among others, Amund Maarud, Knut Reiersrud, Vidar Busk and Stian Carstensen.

Last year she released her second album Seventeen, made in collaboration with producer Benjamin Giørtz (Dagny, Hedda Mae and Chris Holsten). At the same time as she dips her toe into slightly more pop waters, there is still rock and blues in TORA's footsteps. We will both see and hear that on Wednesday night!

She has already built up a reputation as a gifted live artist and has managed to get all the songs she has released listed on P3X, while "More" and "Pussyboy" have also been listed on P3

Moldejazz will help cultivate the new big, and give the audience what they didn't know they wanted.

And Nelly Moar has it all: a wonderful voice, an exceptionally unique expression, and not least a Spellemann-nominated debut EP full of catchy and stylish songs that make you yearn for more. This is steaming hot RnB with touches of soul, pop and jazz. She draws inspiration from favorites such as Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, Kaytranada, Daniel Caesar and Joyce Wrice. Nelly Moar is ready to dominate the R&B scene!

Odin Landbakk was announced as this year's winner of the Union Bluescup during the Notodden Blues Festival in August. The victory means that Odin will tour as Union Bluesband in 2023. It was a unanimous jury that voted for Odin Landbakk (guitar), August Cancino (drums) and Haakon Landbakk (bass) as winners

He became nationally known in 2015 after he went to the top in the TV2 hit Norske Talenter, aged just 13. In the same year, Odin released his first single "Strengedansen", the song he played in Norske Talenter. It went straight in as No. 8 on the iTunes chart. There have since been several TV appearances, including on TV2 Nyhetene, NRK Dagsrevyen, twice on Senkveld, on QuizDan and God Morgen Norge. The videos from the talent show and social media have close to a million streams in addition to the TV broadcasts.

In autumn 2019, Odin released his debut album Speilvendt (yes, he is left-handed), produced by Claudia Scott. "Next generation guitar hero" spent three years writing songs and completing the debut album. In 2021 he released two singles and moved to Kristiansand where he now studies guitar at the University of Agder.

We can't wait to hear him play high quality blues rock in Alexandra Park on July 19th!

Bluesnews wrote in their review of Odin's concert at Veiholmen last summer: "Odin played so fiercely that even well-grown blues fans got wet in the corners of their eyes"

Benjamin Giørtz (Dagny, Hedda Mae and Chris Holsten). At the same time as she dips her toe into slightly more pop waters, there is still rock and blues in TORA's footsteps. We will both see and hear that on Wednesday night!

Tora Dahle Aagård – guitar and vocals, Guri Tranås – choir, Anders Brønstad – guitar, Magnus Galguften – drums, Isak Seltveit – bass