Against the flow with Kristoffer Kompen

Here in Oslo our program is still going strong towards the holidays with a string of booth Norwegian and international concerts, both Christmas related and not. We are rounding off 2023 with Nils Petter Molvær, Arve Henriksen and other greats on the same night, and the grand finale is with Trondheim Jazz Orchestra and Jason Moran. 

 

We are incredibly proud to be able to open 2024 with completely newly written music from trombone player Kristoffer Kompen, Friday 19 January! It is the fourth time Nasjonal Jazzscene, with support from Arts Council Norway, has been allowed to commission new music, the first three concerts were from Ellen Andrea Wang, Stian Westerhus and Mette Rasmussen.

 

With the commission from the Nasjonal Jazzscene, Kristoffer Kompen wanted to completely reset himself, write music he has neither made nor played before. At first, Kristoffer spent time doing research, going back to the time before jazz, swimming up the river. He found ancient recordings of American marching bands and became deeply fascinated. These were not marching bands as we now know them, but ex-military who brought in traditional musicians from the community around them. They played march music mixed with folk music, delta blues, communal music for weddings and funerals. Kompen describes it as living, breathing event music for all occasions, driven by emotions and festivities, often with random instrumentation from people of all walks of life.

 

He has written "Upstream", four longer stretches of music in parallel as a coherent work, from head to tail. Kristoffer has brought in musicians he knew would take ownership and refine the music. The bold flute player Henriette Eilertsen has established her sound in a genre where her instrument is a rare bird, drummer Erik Nylander and vibraphone player Rob Waring form the melodic rhythm section, a harmonious dynamic duo that almost telepathically find each other both harmonically and rhythmically. Bassist Ellen Brekken, known from Hedvig Mollestad's band and her own A tonic for the troops, is the dynamic and driving centerpiece in a quintet who together have shaped the compositions into the band's music.

 

We can promise you beautiful music with both seriousness and humor, an enchanting hour with an exciting band in this world premier!