AHI NAMA
Expect no less than a firework of salsa rhythms with spicy jazz and funk when Håkon Graf enters the stage with his Cuban, Chilean, Mexican and Norwegian musical friends.
AKI TAKASE
Pianist Aki Takase is once again one of the headliners in Molde. This time a barrier-braking and hilarious - yet still respectful tribute to one of the great stylistic masters of jazz: the pianist, composer and singer Fats Waller.
ANDERS JORMIN ”IN WIND, IN LIGHT”
The new project of bassist Anders Jormin is a unique and rare musical happening. Marilyn Crispell - piano, Karin Nelson – church organ and Raymond Strid - percussion, will give an exciting musical foundation for the vocal phenomenon Lena Willemark.
ANTHONY BRAXTON SEXTET
This jazz veteran and saxophone legend will make his Norwegian debut in Molde. After appearing on the Chicago jazz scene in the 1960’s, Mr. Braxton has been considered one-of-a-kind. Braxton`s three decades worth of recorded output is kaleidoscopic and prolific, and has won and continues to win prestigious awards and critical praise.
ARILD ANDERSEN ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
Famed Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen is the 2005 artist in residence at Moldejazz. The Artist in Residence program will showcase Andersen in four different musical settings. ”Electra” was initially written for the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. There will also be a solo concert at the intimate venue Forum, a Norwegian premiere at the venue Kulturhuset with guitarist Ferenc Snetberger and Paolo Vinaccia on drums. And in the final concert Mr. Andersen will once again join forces with percussionist Nana Vasconclous while starting a new collaboration with Kudsi Erguner, famed for his virtuoso play at the Turkish flute ney.
BOJAN Z
Bojan Z – a Macedonian jazz pianist with great international success. Moldejazz is proud to present this artist in a solo concert, a perfect format to showcase his unique technique and almost unlimited talent as a composer and pianist.
CHARLIE HADEN ”LAND OF THE SUN”
Bassist and a true friend of Moldejazz, Charlie Haden, will present his latest project ”Land of the Sun”. Key players in the project are pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and the two saxophonists Miguel Zenon and Tony Malaby.
DAG ARNESEN TRIO
Simplistic, lyrical and beautiful, yet very forceful. These are the words used to describe the latest recording by Norwegian pianist Dag Arnesen, working with bass player Terje Gewelt and drummer Pål Towsend. The band is open to late night jam sessions at the legendary venue Alexandrakjelleren.
DR LONNIE SMITH TRIO
Dr. Lonnie Smith is known as one of the most influential musicians on the jazz organ and voted by ”Down Beat” magazine as the very best jazz organist on the B3 Hammond organ. This leading musician will bring a super trio to Moldejazz this year.
EGUENE CHADBOURNE
Chadbourne is a musician, composer, author, director of a record company, critic and comedian combining the inspiration from cartoons, European free improvisation and other sources of inspiration found in country, punk, Bach, Dracula and Jimi Hendrix.
FOU RIRE
FOU RIRE (literally translated means convulsive laughter in French!) is the fresh new trio in the stringswing tradition. Inspired by Django Reinhardts and many more, they take their own creative scores and takes on The Beatles, Astor Piazzolla, Django R, Bill Evans as well as their own originally composed material.
GIOVANNI FALZONE QUARTET
Giovanni Falzone (trumpet) strives to compose chamber jazz that despite being composed, still strives to open up for broad improvisations. With his Folk Songs-project he has made homage to Sicily and Sicilian music that is intricate and virtuoso, beautiful and touching.
HALLGEIR PEDERSEN TRIO
Hallgeir Pedersen is a leading jazz guitarist who has found his personal style in the bebop-tradition while continuing the tradition of jazz greats such as Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery and Thorgeir Stubø.
HILDE MARIE KJERSEM, JON EBERSON, BJØRN KJELLEMYR
Guitarist Jon Eberson and vocalist Hilde Marie Kjersem met in the role of master and student at the Norwegian Academy of Music. The result is a musical collaboration that resulted in the CD ”Twelve O’clock Tales”, a musical excavation of the treasures of the jazz standards.
ILMILIEKKI QUARTET
Ilmiliekki Quartet is a refreshing element in the wave of new Finnish jazz. The Quartet was formed in 2002 and won the title Young Nordic Jazz Comets. The band is performing through a broad repertoire ranging form original compositions to their own versions of famed jazz, pop, and rock bands such as Radiohead and Bjørk.
IVAR GRYDELAND OG INGAR ZACH
The guitarist Ivar Grydeland and drummer Ingar Zach are key players on the Norwegian stage of free-improvisation music with new sounds and dynamic and intense musical collaboration.
JARMO SAARI
Jarmo Saari is one of the most innovative guitarists of our time, making sounds and music rarely previously only rarely heard from a guitar. While listening to his music you easily forget that the sounds of seagulls, sirens and helicopters are made by the guitarist in front of you. It is beautiful, rough and never dull…
KRISTIN ASBJØRNSEN & NYMARK COLLECTIVE
This is the first ever collaboration between jazz vocalist Kristin Asbjørnsen and the Nymark Collective. Ambjørnsen has an expressive and rough voice that will be a forceful addition to the soundscape of the Nymark Collective and its repertoire of updated music from New Orleans.
LAURYN HILL
Call Lauryn Hill the mother of hip-hop invention; with her 1998 solo debut The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, the Fugees` most vocal member not only established herself as creative force on her own, but also broke new ground by successfully integrating rap, soul, reggae, and R&B into her own sound. [www.mtv.com]
MARILYN CRISPELL TRIO
For years we have come to know Marilyn Crispell as a highly respected free jazz performer. However, over the last couple of years we have met her as a more lyrical, sonorous and searching pianist with a clarified transparency in her musical expression. At Forum we will be able to enjoy her music with Anders Jormin and Raymond Strid.
MATTHEW BOURNE
The Pianist Matthew Bourne is regarded one of the greatest talents in British jazz, mixing electronica, noise and American 70’s fusion to a very exciting mix.
OLA KVERNBERG TRIO & EBOU SECKO WOLOF EXPERIENCE
Locally grown violin virtuoso Ola Kvernberg has turned to West-Africa for inspiration for this concert. Through the collaboration with nine dancers and musicians from Gambia, new musical concepts and ideas are developed, influenced by folk music and cultural impulses from two continents.
REIDAR LARSEN & THE STORYTELLERS
“The uncrowned king of Norwegian Blues”…”Mr. Blues”… ”Mr. Boogie Woogie”. These and others are the nicknames of Norwegian blues legend Reidar Larsen, who has played with his own band for almost 20 years and released 10 blues records in Norway.
ROY HAYNES ”FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH”
Roy Haynes – one of the grand old men of Jazz - a veteran at the age of 80 that is still one of the leading performers in the world of jazz. Debuting with the late Charlie Parker in the 1940’s he still plays the drums with a intense, swinging beat.
SCORCH TRIO/THE THING
This year the super-tight rhythm duo of Paal Nilssen-Love (drums) and Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (bass) duo is back with two new trios in tow. Making The Thing and Scorch Trio into one power quartet, the stage is set for another powerful night at Moldejazz with Raul Bjørkenheim on guitar and Mats Gustafsson on saxophones.
STÅHLS BLÅ
This Swedish- Norwegian cooperation with vibraphonist Mattias Ståhl has gained noticeable international recognition with this band. It is tough and hard swinging. We guarantee a night of high quality jazz.
TRIO MEDIÆVAL
In 
the sacred space of Molde Cathedral, a musical happening awaits with the vocal quartet Trio Mediæval. Over the last couple of years, the vocal trio has become an international sensation within their field with their unique musical style, and their new, powerful, clear and almost out-of-this-world presentation.
TRONDHEIM JAZZORKESTER PLAYS MARIA KANNEGAARD
Trondheim Jazzorkester has over the last couple of years made a name for itself by performing several exciting musical projects at Moldejazz. This time it is the musical works of pianist Maria Kannegaard that is the focus of their work. The music is arranged and scored by saxophonist Erik Hegdal.
”UNICO”; KIMMO POHJONEN KLUSTER AND KRONOS QUARTET
Kimmo Pohjonen has many labels to his art: “Teknoterrorist”, “the Jimi Hendrix of the accordion”, “the shaman of the 21st century.” In Molde he will be teaming up with the Kronos Quartet, one of the most acclaimed string-ensembles of our time.
ZANUSSI 5
Zanussi Five – is a new creation in the Norwegian jazzscape. Three of the leading, young Norwegian saxophonists – Kjetil Møster, Rolf-Erik Nystrøm and Eirik Hegdal – in addition to bassist Per Zanussi and drummer Per Oddvar Johansen, are performing exciting musing in the crossroads of controlled improvisation and energetic free jazz.
