Aileron is a brand-new jazz quartet that will have its premiere concert at Jazzfest in 2025! Espen Berg and Håkon Mjåset Johansen have put together a dream team with Estonian Kertu Aer on bass and British rising star Emma Rawicz on saxophone. 

The music is composed by Espen, who in recent years has delivered commissioned works to Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Moldejazz, Jazzfest, Oslo Jazz Festival and MaiJazz, as well as countless bands and projects. Like his own trio, it sounds fresh and unique, melodious and rhythmically complex, but Aileron is still more rooted in tradition and more direct in expression. The songs primarily facilitate a listening and playful interaction and provide room for individual performances at the highest level. This is an ambitious quartet that is seriously entering the programs among Norwegian and European clubs and festivals. 

Emma Rawicz (22) lives in London and is one of the new stars on the major German record label ACT. She has released two critically acclaimed albums, received the Parliament Jazz Award twice, received the Silver Medal of Excellence from the Royal Academy of Music as the only jazz student ever. She has been a soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra and the German SWR Radio Big Band, and leads her own 20-piece jazz orchestra. 

Pianist and composer Espen Berg (41) lives in Trondheim, has released 15 albums and has toured the world since 2003. With the Espen Berg Trio, he has sold out concert halls in Tokyo, Kyoto, Guangzhou, Athens, and the legendary Ronnie Scotts in London. The trio's music found its way onto the list of the best releases of the year in Downbeat (US) in 2019, and their fifth album is on the way. Espen was appointed an official Steinway artist in 2023 and has made a name for himself with his solo concerts. He has won the soloist prize at the Hoeilaart Int’l Jazz Contest, received Norway’s largest music scholarship “JazZtipendiatet” at Moldejazz in 2016, and was appointed NTNU Ambassador in 2016 together with the Espen Berg Trio. 

Kertu Aer (27) comes from Estonia, lives in Trondheim and is active in a number of bands. In recent years, she has toured extensively in Scandinavia, Estonia and Germany, and played at festivals such as Jazzahead! in Germany and Inntöne in Austria. Kertu received the Young Jazz Talent award at the Estonian Jazz Awards in 2024 and was named Young Jazz Musician of the Year in 2024 as the winner of Jazzintro with the band Lightning Trio. 

Håkon Mjåset Johansen (49) lives in Trondheim and has been a central drummer in Norway since 1998. He has won five Norwegian Grammy awards, played at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival with his own quartet consisting of, among others, Chick Corea, toured the world with the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra & Chick Corea, and is known from bands such as Urban Connection, Come Shine, Motif, Oslo Jazz Ensemble, Arild Andersen Group, Håvard Wiik Trio and John Pål Inderberg Trio. Håkon has also played with Michael Brecker, Jan Garbarek, Mark Turner and Bobby McFerrin, and has over 150 album releases on his resume. 

Håkon Mjåset Johansen – drums
Kertu Aer - double bass
Espen Berg – piano/keys  
Emma Rawicz - saxophone