There is a first time for everyone!
Uhørt means “unheard” in Norwegian, and it is the title of the longest running concert series at Nasjonal jazzscene in Oslo.
Almost every other Wednesday two young bands have all the benefits of our staff, stage and marketing to show a large audience who and what they are. And for several of these bands, that concert can be a springboard for a career. The gig can be a single event or part of a tour, even, sometimes, one of the band’s first concerts! There is free entrance, the atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming and the nights often end up in jam sessions with a mix of professional musicians, students and others.
The programming and selection of artists is quite organic. Some of the bands apply specifically to play at Uhørt, others are targeted by us because we think they will fill the slot perfectly. From time to time we put on international bands that may be completely unknown to an Norwegian audience: fresh and exciting musicians from Belgium, Germany, Sweden and Denmark. Colin Stetson played his first Norwegian gig at an Uhørt! Some concerts are recurring. The second-year class at the jazz academy in Trondheim visit us every year in March; and we co-host and help organise “The future of Norwegian jazz”, an annual tour of four aspiring band. This means that Uhørt is an important contributor when it comes to the spreading and promoting of new and exciting music - in Norway and abroad.
In addition to a variety of great young bands from Norway and surrounding countries, we have for the last few years staged concerts focusing on one country. We’ve had two nights of new British jazz, the Melting Pot project has visited us once and will come back later this year, and Jazz Migration from France was a success visit worth repeating. We also believe the Uhørt series is an ideal setting for the winner of the very first EJN Zenith Award for emerging artists: Trio Heinz Herbert from Zurich will visit Oslo and Uhørt this autumn!
All in all, we’ve found that Uhørt has a great synergy effect: Young bands that introduce themselves to a larger audience, and a young audience who gets to experience new and exciting quality music - for free. For us it represents a great opportunity to showcase our wide taste in - and love for - music, and a wide and welcoming door to our club, our stage and our music!
Follow the link for our webpage and some of the program for Uhørt - https://nasjonaljazzscene.no/?s=uh%C3%B8rt
Here you’ll find some of the bands on the roster this Spring:
Aloft Quartet - False Fetch https://youtu.be/zEFcRMTCxDg
We Float - Follow You (live) https://youtu.be/SjrfJc_-2fY
Get Your Goat - Blues https://youtu.be/B5AEVi-HdFU
Paper Dog - Old Friend https://youtu.be/bT0k4YgpDB8
Silent Fires - Similar Lymphs https://youtu.be/rTPnVP-ZNXo
