One of the things that united the Norwegian sibling trio Martin, Lars and Lina Horntveth was – and still is – a strong resistance to the orthodox approach to music. With this in mind, they formed the experimental jazz band Jaga Jazzist in 1994. Two years later, they made their debut with the album ‘Jævla Jazzist Grete Stitz’, in which they managed to ‘string’ rap elements onto a playful jazz framework – and that was only the beginning of an illustrious career that continues to this day.
Jaga Jazzist is one of the driving forces on the Norwegian music scene. From the very beginning, the band has defied categorisation, blurring the boundaries between genres in an exciting blend that follows a single motto: Forward, always forward. And it is this that has earned them an international reputation just after the turn of the millennium, with Jaga Jazzist becoming a star attraction at many prestigious music events.
From the initial fusion of big band jazz with trip-hop, elements of drum’n’bass, ambient, acid jazz and avant-garde, post-rock inspiration and progressive rock compositional approaches have gradually been added. All influences are framed by a cinematic approach that manages to keep the music accessible to the listener despite the constant musical evolution. To date, the colourful musical journeys of the eight-headed sledge called Jaga Jazzist have found their destination on seven studio albums – the latest “Pyramid” was released in 2020 – and six EPs.
Let yourself be carried away by the music of Jaga Jazzist. It will be a unique experience under the open sky at the open-air edition of the Groove Brno festival.
