Air Play rallies the troops and pays tribute to former band member with new music, and the up-and-coming Finnish saxophonist Linda Fredriksson fronts their new project Juniper with gusto.

The septet in Eirik Hegdal's steaming fresh Eklektisk Samband meet in its genre-less playground - with a world premiere in Trondheim and at Jazzfest.

Friends & Neighbors mixes new and old in their distinctive and outgoing expression, and the duo Leagus visits Jazzfest for the first time with their dreamy soundscapes from Sápmi.

AIR PLAY

A star team reunites!

Air Play is founded on an old musical collaboration that couldn't help but be resurrected! Now they are visiting Jazzfest with brand new music, where all their musical qualities and expressions, from many years as key Norwegian jazz musicians, are presented in beautiful interplay.

The musicians played together in Fair Play for ten years, from 1982 to 1992, then with Trond Kopperud on drums. After Kopperud passed away in 2021, the former members of Fair Play started this new band, as a tribute to Trond.

In the band we find Elin Rosseland, Vigleik Storaas, Tor Yttredal and Johannes Eick. There is a lot of new experience that has been gathered since the last time, but the starting point for the music is the same - the intermediate magic in melody, rhythm, improvisation, timbre and joint expression.

Elin Rosseland – vocals
Tor Yttredal – saxophone
Vigleik Storaas – piano
Johannes Eick – bass

LINDA FREDRIKSSON JUNIPER

Finland's new jazz comet!

This must be experienced! Saxophonist Linda Fredriksson is one of Finland's most successful young jazz artists, who is already touring the world with several projects - and now they are coming to Trondheim for the first time.

With their new solo project Juniper, Fredriksson steps into the light as a composer and bandleader with great weight. The music can be characterized as both lyrical and groovy, but primarily highly personal, where the audience is invited into a musical diary of rhythms, melodies and strong improvisations.

Linda Fredriksson - sax
Mikael Myrskog - keyboards
Mikael Saastamoinen - bass
Olavi Louhivuori - drums

EKLEKTISK SAMBAND

World premiere in Trondheim!

Saxophonist, composer and initiator Eirik Hegdal has assembled a septet of musicians and producers who happily operate in all musical corners.

With a rather extensive instrumentation, the expression undulates imperceptibly from acoustic to electric, or seamlessly in between - in a genre-less playground consisting of new, exciting sound combinations, grooves, textures, curiosity and creative energy.

Thea Grant - vocals, effects
Josefin Runsteen - fiddle, percussion, vocals
Per Texas Johansson - clarinets, tenor sax, flute
Eirik Hegdal - saxophones, clarinet, synth
Håvard Aufles - piano, synth
Ole Morten Vågan - double bass, electric bass
Hans Hulbækmo - drums, harmonica, percussion

FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS

Record release and cookin' improvisation!

Strong melodies, playfulness and dynamics are words that can describe Friends & Neighbors' outgoing playing style. The music ranges from melodious ballads to hard-swinging free-bop and powerful free-jazz blasts, with an interplay that has been allowed to grow together and develop for over 16 years.

At Jazzfest they celebrate record number five - their new release Circles.

The quintet has a distinctive sound that reflects a wide range of jazz history, with references such as Ornette Coleman, Pharoah Sanders and Eric Dolphy. Energetic, catchy and melodic free jazz at its best!

André Roligheten – saxophones/clarinets/flute
Thomas Johansson – trumpet
Oscar Grönberg - piano
Jon Rune Strøm – double bass
Tollef Østvang – drums

LEAGUS

Musical magic from the north!

Leagus is a modern and experimental musical duo from Sápmi. Their music alternates between formal composed parts, open structures and free improvisation - from muted, minimalist, hymn-like pieces to more rock-oriented improvised parts.

The duo was formed in 2013, and they took the name from an expression from Herborg's home region of Kåfjord in North Troms, where "leagus" is Sami slang for asking about something. Over the years, the duo has worked to find varied and atypical interactions between piano and guitar, which has developed into a progressive and unique form of musical unity and a shared exploratory and complex sonic universe.

Herborg Rundberg - piano
Kristian Svalestad Olstad - guitar