Jaga Jazzist

Jaga Jazzist is an experimental jazz band from Norway that rose to prominence when the BBC named their first album, "A Livingroom Hush" (Smalltown Supersound/Ninja Tune), the best jazz album of 2002 [ [http://www.emusic.com/artist/Jaga-Jazzist-MP3-Download/11529394.html] , David Jeffries, All Music Guide, posted on emusic. ] [ [http://www.indigoflow.co.uk/2005/04/16/jaga-jazzist-profile/] , Entry on indigoflow.co.uk.] . The core of the band are brothers and main songwriters Lars and Martin Horntveth. Martin formed Jaga Jazzist together with Ivar Christian Johansen in 1994 while they still were in their teens, though Johansen later left the group. They are also prominent figures of the Norwegian pop act The National Bank.

The band features trumpets, trombone, electric guitar, bass, tuba, bass clarinets, Fender Rhodes, vibraphone and a rack of electronics, as well as strong melodies and rhythms. Talk Talk, Soft Machine, John Coltrane, Don Cherry, Aphex Twin, Stereolab, Squarepusher and Tortoise are frequently mentioned as sources of inspiration. Jaga Jazzist is widely considered to be one of the premier acts of the so-called nu-jazz movement of Scandinavia. Also, The Mars Volta cites Jaga Jazzist as one of their favourite bands.

Recently, an episode of the anime IGPX featured the song For All You Happy People as background music for one scene.

Members 1994-2006

*Harald Frøland (Guitar) 1994-2005, 2006 -
*Ivar Chr. Johansen / Ravi (Trumpet + vocals), 1994 – 2001
*Jonas Bendiksen (Keyboards), 1994 - 1997
*Lars Horntveth (Tenor Saxophone) 1994 -
*Lars Wabø (Trombone) 1994 -2005
*Line Horntveth (Tuba) 1994 -
*Mads Jansen (Trombone)1994
*Marius Hesby (Trombone) 1994
*Martin Horntveth (Drums + vocals)
*Andreas Mjøs (Vibraphone, Guitar + drums) 1994 -
*Marius Hesby (Trombone) 1994
*Thomas Viken (Tenor Saxophone) 1994
*Lars Erik Myran (Bass) 1994
*Even Ormestad (Bass), 1995 -
*Jørgen Munkeby (Alto Saxophone) 1995 - 2002
*Håvard Myklebust (Trombone) 1996
*Torgeir Audunson (Trumpet) 1996-1997
*Bjørn Strand (Tenor Saxophone) 1997
*Sjur Miljeteig (Trumpet) 1997
*Mathias Eick (Trumpet) 1998 -
*Morten Qvenild (Keyboards) - 2001
*Ketil Einarsen (flutes, keys, percussion) 2002 – 2005, 2006 -
*Andreas Hessen Schei (keys) 2002- 2005, 2006 –
*Nils Martin Larsen (Keyboards) 2005
*Anders Hana (Guitar + fx ) 2005
*Erik Johannessen (Trombone + percussion) 2005 -

Discography

Albums:

*"Jævla Jazzist Grete Stitz" (1996)
*"A Livingroom Hush" (2001)
*"The Stix" (2003)
*"What We Must" (2005)

EPs:

*"Magazine" (1998)
*"Airborne/Going Down" (2001)
*"Animal Chin" (2003)
*"Day" (2004)

Mathias Eick, Lars Horntveth and Jørgen Munkeby have also collaborated with Motorpsycho on their release "In the Fishtank 10" (2003), billed as Jaga Jazzist Horns.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.jagajazzist.com Jaga Jazzist's Official Homepage]
* [http://www.last.fm/music/Jaga+Jazzist Jaga Jazzist] at Last.fm
* [http://www.fabchannel.com/jagajazzist Fabchannel.com - A flash video stream of the Jaga Jazzist concert at Paradiso 2005]