The Nordic showcase, Nordic Jass Comets, is coming to Copenhagen, where 5 selected bands are playing at Jazzhus Montmartre on February 10 during this year's winter jazz festival in the city.
Nordic Jazz Comets has existed for more than 20 years. First as a music competitien, and since 2021 as a showcase as part of different festivals around Europe and the Nordic countries such as Scope Festival in Berlin, EFG London Jazz Festival and Tampere Jazz Happening. Now the time has finallu come for Nordic Jazz Comets to visit Denmark and Winter Jazz 2022, where the showcase can be experienced at Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen.
The purpose of the showcase is to direct the spotlight towards some of the most talented upcoming Nordic bands, while also being an opportunity for both audience and industry to experience the Nordic talents. The five bands have been selected by a network consisting of 22 Nordic festivals, venues and bookers that was established in 2020 by the organizations behind Nordic Jazz Comets.
Nordic Jazz Comets off-stage program
Part of the program for the participating bands will consist of more than the above mentioned showcase. Besides meeting with a long range of Nordic industry people, the five bands are also introduced to a range of initiatives, with the purpose of inspiring the musicians to work with their music on a sociocultural level. The Nordic jazz comets will meet representatives from AntiDote, The Emergency Relief Orchestra, Impro for Asylum Kids and ImproCamp.
Behind Nordic Jazz Comets are the following organizations: Svensk Jazz, Jazz Finland, Norsk Jazzforum, Tónlistarskóli F.Í.H. and JazzDanmark.
Band descriptions
Adele Sauros Quartet (FIN)
Adele Sauros – tenor sax, Toomas Keski-Säntti/Juho Valjakka – piano, Vesa Ojaniemi – double bass, Tuomas Timonen – drums
Adele Sauros is an active and versatile saxophonist and composer. On multiple occasions, Sauros has performed with own groups, as band leader, and as side woman in other constellations around Europe. Her quartet combines elements from the european and american jazz tradition and the inspiration comes from Adele Sauros' own life experiences and her finnish roots. The result is a melancholic Nordic expression with a hint of overseas inspirations.
Web: https://www.facebook.com/adelesaurosquartet/
Tendra (IS)
Marína Ósk - vokal, Mikael Máni - guitar, Ingibjörg Elsa Turchi/Andri Ólafsson - el-bas, Steingrímur Teague – keys, vokal, Svanhildur Lóa Bergsveinsdóttir - trommer
Tendra blev dannet i 2020 af guitarist Mikael Máni Ásmundsson og vokalist Marína Ósk. Tendras musik er en kombination af singer/songwriter og melodiøs jazz. Bandets udtryk stammer fra medlemmernes forskellige musikalske baggrunde, mens deres fælles passion for jazz ligeledes lader musikken åbne op for det improvisatoriske og uventede.
Web: https://musicbytendra.com/
JUNO (N)
Thea Ellingsen Grant - vocals, Malin Dahl Ødegård - vocals, Mona Krogstad - sax, Georgia Wartel Collins - double bass, Ingvald Vassbø - drums
JUNO is a young band consisting of five musicians who met at the prestigious Jazz Academy in Trondheim, Norway. Their catchy pop tunes combine complex groovy rhythms, rap and experimental improvisation. All of these elements result in an exciting and energetic live performance which during the last three years has been widely appreciated by the Norwegian audience.
Web: https://theaellingsengrant.com/juno/
William Soovik Grand Finale (S)
William Soovik - drums, Signe Lykkebo Dahlgren (DEN) - tenor sax, Malin Wättring - tenor sax, Joel Fabiansson - guitar, Viktor Reuter - double bass
William Soovik Grand Finale is the creation of drummer and composer William Soovik. The band in its current shape, started in mid 2017, initially as an attempt for the band-leader to try and work his way out of an especially boring gig-drought. They released their debut album "Rustik Musik" in mid 2018 and have been going on ever since. In July 2020 the band released their second studio album Major.
William Sooviks music is like a sort of hybrid, influenced by everything from Led Zeppelin and Frank Zappa to Keith Jarret's early quartets, Charles Mingus and Ornette Coleman. It's rockin', melodic, beautiful, outgoing and appealing to a broad audience.
Web: https://www.williamsoovik.com/william-soovik-grand-finale
Little North (DK)
Lasse Jacobsen – drums, Martin Brunbjerg Rasmussen – double bass, Benjamin Nørholm Jacobsen – piano
With their captivating cinematic sound and a warm and intense presence, Little North bonds with their audience from the very first note. The sound of the band is way bigger than their classic piano trio constellation suggests. In a melting pot of modern minimalism and Nordic jazz tradition and with an intensity that draws threads to the jazz scene of New York, Little North has what it takes to add the next exciting chapter to the history of Scandinavian jazz.
Web: https://little-north.com/
Read more at https://www.nordicjazzcomets.com/
