23rd of April 2020
focus on some power Nordic jazz, Rune Grammofon label
I Like To Sleep – Daymare
released 17.04.2020
Rune Grammofon label
It is with great pleasure we can introduce another new name to our roster. Taking their name from a Thelonious Monk quote, I Like To Sleep are three young Norwegian musicians, all 22 years old. Nicolas and Øyvind first met in high school in Trondheim before they joined up with Amund in a youth big band. It soon became apparent that they shared the same musical background centered around 70s progressive rock, jazz, improvisation and classical music. Soon after the trio was formed, first for fun, but soon with higher ambitions, they won the prestigious “Young Jazz Musicians of the Year” award in 2018. “Daymare” is the trio´s second album, their debut was released on the All Good Clean Records label in 2017. While their debut showed a lot of quality and promise, their new effort is a huge step forward on all accounts, especially considering their young age. The lazy way would be to place I Like To Sleep with certain other Rune Grammofon “power jazz” groups, but their unique instrumentation (vibraphone, baritone guitar and drums), natural openness and youthful curiosity place them apart from the rest. A truly original trio!
Master Oogway – Earth And Other Worlds
released 17.04.2020
Rune Grammofon label
Master Oogway are four young musician aged between 23 and 26. They met at the Norwegian Academy of Music in 2015 with a common desire to play vibrant, improvised music with strong themes and room for spontaneity at a high energy level. Like many players on the young, Norwegian progressive jazz scene their instrumental skills are already highly developed. “Earth And Other Worlds” is the quartet´s second album, their debut was released on the Clean Feed label in 2018. Their new effort is more dynamic and varied and shows more mature and accomplished songwriting, not to mention the stronger group interactions and the impressive solo stretches from sax player Lauritz Lyster Skeidsvoll and guitarist/composer Håvard Nordberg Funderud. It´s possible to place them in the same musical landscape as Bushman´s Revenge or Kokofant, but they are already in possession of a vital and personal signature, with a general approach and attitude that comes with a slightly stronger emphasis on jazz.