Jon Opstad

Jon Opstad (born November 4th 1983, Bristol, England) is a jazz drummer and composer. He studied music at St Catharine's College, Cambridge and went on to study for an MA in Composing for Film and Television at the National Film and Television School, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.

During his time at Cambridge Opstad wrote and recorded his first album "Still Picture" (2004) which was released on the New Canvas Records label. The album was mixed by Jan Erik Kongshaug at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, Norway, whilst Opstad was researching his undergraduate dissertation. The album received critical praise in publications such as "Jazzwise" "Magazine", "Jazz Journal International" and "The Penguin Guide to Jazz" and was noted for its incorporation of influences drawn from artists associated with the ECM record label and the Norwegian jazz scene, brought about in part by Opstad's own quarter-Norwegian heritage.

Following ‘Still Picture’, Opstad produced and performed on an album by the South African jazz pianist and composer Nishlyn Ramanna, also released on New Canvas Records. This featured British saxophonist Stan Sulzmann on saxophones and alto flute and was released in 2005, entitled ‘A Thought’.

Opstad's second album "Interpretations" (2007) was recorded with a septet of top London-based improvisers and also received praise in the jazz press.

External links

* [http://www.jonopstad.com Official Site]

* [http://www.myspace.com/jonopstad Jon Opstad MySpace]

* [http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=25474 Review of "Interpretations"]

* [http://www.newcanvasrecords.com New Canvas Records]