Sound offers a small but exciting selection of international musicians who are consistently creative and original.
All of these artists welcome working in new and interesting settings and are open to discussing new projects and commissions.
Dhafer
Youssef – oud & voice
(Tunisia)
Sacred Voices
Sacred Voices brings together two universally acclaimed talents, Tunisian
vocalist and Oud player Dhafer Youssef and Estonian choir Vox Clamantis. This
new work focuses on the pure sound of the human voice, drawing on the contrasting
spiritual vocal traditions of Gregorian chant and Sufi but reaching beyond
these to create a magical new choral sound.
Breaking the boundaries of world music and jazz, Dhafer Youssef’s emotive
voice creates a magical sound world where the intense spiritually of the Sufi
tradition is enhanced by the atmospheric electronics of Norwegian jazz.
Groups available:
Duo – Nguyen Lê (guitar)
Quartet – Eivind Aarset (guitar), Audun Erlien (electric bass), Rune
Arnesen (drums)
Sextet –Dhafer Youssef, Jathinder Thakur (tabla) and String Quartet
Superb pianist Bojan Z combines creativity with classic stylish playing. Born in Belgrade and now resident in Paris, his taste ranges from Ravel to Brazilian to jazz and rock.
Bands Available
Solo and Trio
Julien
Lourau
Firey imaginative and funky, saxophonist Julien Lourau leads the French jazz
scene with style and panache.
Groups available:
Quintet plus others
Arve Henriksen - trumpet
(Norway)
Arve Henriksen is without doubt one of Norway’s leading instrumentalists, a master of the trumpet. He is also a searching musician, whose investigations have led him to Japanese music, Balinese sounds, Mongolian overtone singing, Sidsel Endresen's vocal sounds, electronics and instruments such as the koto, the biwa and the shakuhachi. The tonal quality of the shakuhachi flute in particular has long been an inspiration for him, giving him a sense of direction in the development of his own sound.
Arve performed a co-commission for a piece for trumpet and orchestra written by Peter Tornquist and himself, for FUSELeeds ’06 with London Sinfonietta
Groups available:
Solo
Solo with orchestra
Trio – Jan Bang (electronics), Audun Kleive (drums)
Supersilent
Nils
Petter Molvaer - trumpet (Norway)
New album and tour dates available November 2008.
One of the first names to herald the exciting developments in the Norwegian jazz scene, Nils Petter’s captivating breathy trumpet sound and break beats have elevated him to legendary status.
Groups available:
Solo
Band – featuring Sidsel Endresen (voice), Jan Bang (electronics),
DJ Strangefruit (turntables/ samples), Rune Arnesen (drums).
Kimmo
Pohjonen – accordion
(Finland)
Kimmo Pohjonen is one of the most respected and in-demand musicians and performers in Finland. An accordionist of exceptional ability and imagination, Kimmo's musical history goes back more than twenty years in rock, folk, avant-garde, improvisation, classical, dance and theatre music projects. In 1996 he embarked on a solo career with his solo 5-row accordion project, featuring extreme and original compositions, live loops and effects, a dynamic and animated stage performance, orchestrated lights and surround sound.
Groups Available;
Kluster Kimmo Pohjonen - accordion, voice, effects
Samuli Kosminen - accordion samples, voice samples, effects
Animator Solo multi media project
Nils
Økland – hardanger fiddle / violin
(Norway)
Nils Økland has been described as one of the best things to happen in Norwegian folk music in 100 years. He is an innovative violinist and Hardanger fiddle specialist who is committed to creatively expanding the range of the traditional music of his homeland. He is a re-newer of folk music, constantly building bridges between classical, contemporary and improvised music. His playing combines freedom with respect for Norway’s musical heritage. He is concerned both with the preservation of the oral folk music tradition and with the possibilities of the music when it is charged with modern ideas.
Groups Available:
Trio – violin, organ and voice
Quartet – violin, organ, trumpet/guitar and voice
Markus
Stockhausen – trumpet
(Germany)
Trumpeter and composer Markus Stockhausen is one of the most versatile musicians
of our time, as much at home in jazz as in contemporary and classical music. For
about 25 years he collaborated closely with his father, the composer Karlheinz
Stockhausen, who wrote many works for him. As soloist, improviser and composer Markus
Stockhausen is in international demand. He has played in and led various
jazz ensembles and plays contemporary and intuitive music in the duo Moving
Sounds with clarinettist Tara Bouman, amongst others.
Ferenc
Snétberger – guitar
(Hungary / Germany)
Born in 1957 in Salgotarjan, Hungary, Ferenc Snétberger has lived in Berlin, since 1988. Hailing from a Sinti/Roma family in Hungary, he played Gypsy guitar at an early age, learned classical guitar as a teenager, studied jazz guitar later at the Ferenc Liszt Academy, Budapest and adapted Brazilian and Spanish techniques to his playing.
Carrying in his bag the passion of tango, Indian music and the admiration for Egberto Gismonti, Jim Hall and Johann Sebastian Bach, Snétberger has become one of the few truly distinctive voices on contemporary guitar, a border-crossing virtuoso of a rare kind. Usually his unaccompanied solo pieces are elegant bows towards Spain and Latin America featuring Snétberger's improvisational fantasy combined with a perfect classical technique.
BANDS
Iain Ballamy – saxophones; June Tabor – voice; Huw Warren
- piano
Three of the UK’s leading performers, all of whom have brought the
evocative qualities of English and Welsh traditions into the present.
Bringing together jazz and folk mix of words and music encompassing jazz,
folk and traditional songs in contemporary settings.
Iain Ballamy and Stian Carstensen – (UK and Norway)
Iain Ballamy – saxophones; Stian Carstensen - accordion
Exquisite melodies, twisted versions of standards, outstanding musicianship
and captivating performers. This is one of the most delightful duos in
Europe.
Farmers Market – (Norway)
Stian Carstensen – accordionist; Trifon Trifonov – saxophones;
Nils-Olav Johannsen – guitar; Finn Guttormsen – electric bass;
Jarle Vespestad – drums.
Led by one of the most phenomenal performers you’ll ever see – accordionist Stian Carstensen – Farmers are exuberant, astonishingly virtuosic and brilliant entertainers. Mixing up Bulgarian folk, Norwegian jazz and euro pop they create, in their own words ‘speed, Balkan boogie’.
Maria Laurette Friis – vocals & guitar; Henrik Sundh – keyboards & electronics; Gunnar Halle – trumpet, MS-10 & electronics;
Fast emerging from Copenhagen’s eclectic underground scene where jazz, rock and electronic musicians mix freely, Tys Tys have found a powerful and distinctive sound through which to channel the lyrics of their surreal yet tender songs. Improbable influences of 60’s pop, jazz and even psalms appear fleetingly then vanish. Carried by Maria Laurette Friis’ fragile yet commanding voice and a tight-knit band, their original material transfers into captivating live performances.
Solveig Slettahjell Slow Motion Ensemble –
(Norway)
Solveig Slettahjell voice; Sjur Miljeteg – trumpet; Morten Qvenild –
piano; Mats Eilertsen – double bass; Per Oddvar Johansen – drums
A bewitching singer who’s soulful voice is matched by a playfulness and love of words which marks her out as utterly unique.
In her native Norway Solveig Slettahjell has for some time been considered one of their most celebrated jazz singers. Her diverse repertoire - mixing country, jazz standards, with the odd song by Prince or Tom Waits thrown in – is sung in her utterly captivating and voice. Taking inspiration from the distinctive voice of fellow Norwegian Sidsel Endresen, yet strongly influenced by the gospel that filled her youth, Solveig has carved out a unique sound.
Ilmiliekki – (Finland)
Verneri Pohjola - trumpet and melodica; Tuomo Prättälä
- piano; Antti Lötjönen - bass Olavi Louhivuori - drum.
Ilmiliekki somehow manage to sound as classy and powerful as performers
twice their age, yet possess a distinctly modern sound that reflects their
youth. First class writing and playing combined with the influences of
their generation, create one of the most striking young quartet's in Europe.
Versatile influences ranging from the masters of jazz, such as Ornette
Coleman and Kenny Wheeler, to the more challenging representatives of
today’s rock music, such as Björk and Radiohead.
Christian Wallumrød Ensemble – (Norway)
Christian Wallumrød – piano; Arve Henriksen – trumpet;
Nils Økland – violin; Per Oddvar Johansen - drums
Debut UK tour for this atmospheric piano quartet which brings together four
of Norway’s most distinctive and creative musicians. ’As close
to perfection as you’re likely to hear.’ Jazzwise