Pat Metheny, Ron Carter, Cory Henry and others to Molde!

Pat Metheny / Ron Carter

The last time Pat Metheny played duo with contra bass was when Charlie Haden was behind the bass, and they released the album "Beyond the Missouri Sky" which immediately became a bestseller that reached beyond hardcore jazz fans. When the duo visited MoldeJazz in 2001, they performed in front a full auditorium at the sports hall twice. After Haden's death in 2014, many considered that the time for guitar / bass duo was over for Metheny. Luckily it wasn't.

Now he has teamed up with Ron Carter, a bass player who for more than fifty years has been a musical icon collaborating with the likes of Miles Davis, Cannonball, Herbie Hancock and a lot of other stars - all of whom wanted to play with Carter.

The duo concert with Pat Metheny and Ron Carter may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Molde Jazz veteran Petter Pettersson designates this evening in Bjørnsonhuset July 19, which host sold-out Chick Corea concert, as a "historic Molde Jazz night."

Cory Henry - The Revival

Organ phenomenon Cory Henry is known from Snarky Puppy, the band that got its Norway debut at MoldeJazz in 2014. But he also has other projects going, and he is coming to Molde with one of these, The Revival. Cory's first organ album "First Steps" which was recorded in 2014, climbed immediately on top of iTunes' jazz charts. Henry combines jazz and gospel on a Hammond B3 organ like no one else has ever done before. We meet a playful, extrovert and virtuoso musician who uses organ to talk, laugh, cry and moan. A concert with organist Cory Henry is a riveting experience in dynamics and emotions - vastly different from everything you've ever heard before. A new jazz star is in the making, and MoldeJazz is proud to be the first to present him to Norwegian Jazz scene.

Wadada Leo Smith - Golden Quartet

Trumpeter, composer and bandleader Wadada Leo Smith is an icon of modern American jazz. He is among a handful of jazz composers who have been nominated for the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in music (2013). Despite being a well-recognized star among a dedicated audience as well as among critics, he is somewhat less known in these latitudes. One of the reasons may be that he has rarely played in concerts in the northern parts of Europe. When he finally comes to Norway and MoldeJazz, it will hopefully not only lead to a memorable concert experience, but also a renewed interest in Leo Smith and his unique music, and a prospect for more concerts with him in the near future.

Golden Quartet, the band Leo Smith brings with him to MoldeJazz, is among the trumpeter's longest running projects. The pianist Anthony Davis has been a constant companion and bassist John Lindberg has also worked together with Leo Smith for several years. Behind the drums we find brilliant Pheeroan AkLaff. The music of Golden Quartet is often inspired by people and events from the Civil Rights Movement's in the United States, with captivating music performed in intricate interplay among four musicians of the very highest level. Molde Jazz is proud to be the first in Scandinavia to introduce them.

Lalaland feat Django Bates

The pianist Django Bates must be regarded as one of the most distinctive musical icon of the archipelago to the west in the past 20 years. In Norway, he is best known for collaborating with Sidsel Endresen, on her amazing ECM albums. He also led the big band Delightful Precipe through several critically acclaimed recordings and has inspired generations of musicians as a composer and a pianist. 

After several years of cooperation, Per Jørgensen, Ole Morten Vågan and Håkon Mjåset Johansen regularly invited guest musicians like Jonas Kullhammar, Morten Quenild etc. from different camps to their universe. This time they have been so lucky to be able to include Bates and the music is expected to be a lively place, at the intersection of spontaneous composition and free improvisation.

Gard Nilssen's Acoustic Unity

Over the past 10 years, Gard Nilssen has established itself as one of the nation's most active and sought after drummers. He is a core member of the band Puma, Bushman's Revenge, Team Hegdal and lately Zanussi 5, central in the backing band for Susanne Sundfør, and participated in a number of other larger and smaller projects. He holds an impressive resume that includes various forms of contemporary jazz, acoustic, electric, as well as other experimental music. Yet, a common thread passes through all the projects he is involved; energy, enthusiasm, creativity and quality.

Gard Nilssen was nominated twice for Spellemann prize in jazz category this year, as a member of Team Hegdal as well as for his own band, Gard Nilssen's Acoustic Unity. The band debuted last year with tremendous Firehouse on Clean Feed, an album with energetic, resilient, occasionally complex yet supremely catchy jazz to brighten up the classical saxophone, bass and drums format.

Jazzintro

Jazzintro has been held every alternative year since 1998, and will be held in 2016 for the tenth time. Vi inviterer først til finale i Storyville klokken 16:00 onsdag 20/7, så til vinnerkonsert klokken 22:00 samme sted.

Norwegian jazzforum and five of the largest jazz festivals are behind Jazzintro. A professional jury will pick out up to eight bands to participate in Jazzintro on the basis of submitted applications and demo material. The jury for Jazzintro 2016 consists saxophonist and Grammy winner Eirik Hegdal, pianist Helge Lien, guitarist Bjørn Vidar Solli and saxophonist Sissel Vera Pettersen. Jury President is supervisor of Norwegian jazz forum, Øyvind Skjerven Larsen. 

The selected bands will have the opportunity to present themselves in one of the four collaborative-festivals (Voss Jazz, Maijazz, Nattjazz, Kongsberg jazz festival) during the spring and summer of 2016. The jury will announce the Young Jazz Musician of the year 2016 through a finale at Moldejazz.

The winning band will receive a launch package from Norwegian jazz forum and Gramo with a scholarship of 150 000 Norwegian Kroner. 

Among previous winners of Jazzintro is Monkey Plot, Mopti, Albatrosh and In the Country.

So far it is clear that Megalodon Collective will be playing in the final.

Spilleliste Jazzintro 2016:

Vossa Jazz, March 19:                           Megalodon Collective og Mothman
Maijazz, May 5:                                     Kjetil Jerve Trio og Titta Jag Flyger!
Nattjazz, June 2:                                    Ant Farm Boogie og Past Present
Kongsberg Jazz Festival, July 7:        Duetrost og Boda Boda
Moldejazz, July 20:                               Finale!

Culture Discount for Youth

Molde Jazz, in cooperation with Møre og Romsdal county, offers youngsters between15 and 20 years the opportunity to purchase tickets with Culture Discount for Youth to all concerts in Bjørnsonhuset. This is a new offer by Bjørnsonhuset, intended to make the program more attractive and accessible to young people.

Moldejazz has previously launched Branford Marsalis with Kurt Elling, Ane Brun, Joss Stone, Esperanza Spalding, Chick Corea, Lizz Wright, Jaga Jazzist, Trondheim Jazzorkester & Skrap, In the Country med Solveig Slettahjell og Knut Reiersrud, Karpe Diem, Lemaitre, Lars Vaular, Skruk & Vårsøg med Sondre Bratland,  Kaja Draksler & Susans Santos Silva, Marilyn Mazur's Shamania, Eyolf Dale's Wolf Valley, Anna Högberg Attack, Building Instrument, Ivan Ave, Mutual Intentions, Driving Miles and Ola Kvernberg as Artist In Residence with the projects «Mechanical Fair», «Steamdome», «Porkotta» and «Kirsti, Ola og Erik».

Tickets can be purchased online here