Running his own quintet MOTIF since 1998, Ole Morten Vågan has performed his own music all over the world, from Japan to Australia, Canada/US and Europe. In May 2014 he premiered his new work with Trondheim Jazz Orchestra at Trondheim Jazz Festival.

Trondheim Jazz Orchestra is one of the most important and creative jazz ensembles in Norway. During the course of the last thirteen years, the orchestra has had a great number of exciting projects with norwegian and international jazz profiles such as Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Joshua Redman, Erlend Skomsvoll, Eirik Hegdal, Vigleik Storaas, Geir Lysne, Bendik Hofset, Maria Kannegaard, Kim Myhr, Jenny Hval, Stian Westerhus, Ståle Storløkken, Albatrosh and Marius Neset. The orchestra belongs to the Mid-Norway Centre of Jazz who initiates and organises new projects. The orchestra is operated as a musicians’ pool, so that the orchestra changes as to instrumentation and size from project to project. This gives room for great width in the repertory. The musicians that has been involved in the orchestra is among Norway’s most famous jazz profiles.

Plastic Wave” comes as the sequel to 2018´s celebrated “Happy Endlings”, where Ole Morten Vågan collaborated with the unpredictable and creative Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, comprised of a sort of «who´s who» in Norwegian jazz. Where “Happy Endlings” took the listener on a 72-minute-long ride on the edge of their seat through a myriad of innovation, chock, and surprises, «Plastic Wave» sees TJO & Vågan take their mischievous end time antics from the previous album to the next phase, in some sorts a musical excavation of the next evolutionary step – and the sequel is no less than 12 minutes longer.

 

Titles such as Food Chain Reaction and Critical Mass Distraction are given extra momentum by Flu Hartberg ́s cover art, again a trusty companion for the music. Having been recorded half way through 2020, the music on «Plastic Wave» plays well against this unprecedented backdrop.

 

On the album «Happy Endlings» you are kept on the edge of your seat for 72 minutes at a breakneck pace full of highlights, innovation, shocks and surprises. The sequel is no less than 12 minutes longer and takes «end-time music» into the next phase: a kind of musical exploration of the next evolutionary step, where impact on one’s own habitat gives a new reality.

 

“…a far reaching orchestra clearly capable of handling anything and everything that’s put in front of it.”
John Kelman, All About Jazz

 

Line up:

Sofia Jernberg – vocals
Signe Emmeluth – alto saxophone
Eirik Hegdal – saxophone, clarinet
Kjetil Møster – saxophone, clarinet
Espen Reinertsen – saxophone, bass clarinet
Eivind Lønning – trumpet
Øyvind Brække – trombone
Ola Kvernberg – violin
Marianne B. Lie – cello
Ståle Storløkken – synth
Oscar Grönberg – piano
Gard Nilssen – drums
Håkon Mjåset Johansen – drums
Ole Morten Vågan – bass, compositions
Tor Breivik – sound engineer