The Fourth Awakens

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Espen Berg Trio’s fourth and upcoming album, Fjære, will be released on Odin Records in April 2022! This is a beast of an album, featuring brand new songs and three prominent guest artists: Mathias Eick (trp), Silje Nergaard (voc) and Hanna Paulsberg (ts). The album was recorded in April, June and July 2021, in Propeller Music Division (Oslo, NO) and The Village Studios (Copenhagen, DK). Mixed by Michael Scott Hartung at Propeller, and mastered by Morgan Nicolaysen at Propeller Mastering.

The cover was made by my brother, Andreas Berg, who works as an art director and illustrator. I’m very happy to do this collaboration with him – finally!

Stay tuned for more information about the album and our upcoming release concerts in 2022!

Upcoming tours

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Oct 14-16 is the release tour for Silje Nergaard’s new album, HOUSES, and we will perform concerts at Jakobskirken in Oslo, Hamar Teater and Tynset kulturhus. I will travel with Silje to Germany for our duo tour (finally!) in late October and November. Please take a look at my live shows for an updated tour list.

Hildegunn Øiseth Quartet will be on tour Oct 21-23, with concerts at Bodø Jazz Open, Hemnesjazz and Kimen kulturhus in Stjørdal.

I’m in the midst of booking several tours with my trio in spring 2022 for our upcoming album release. New dates will be announced shortly!

Espen Berg Trio at Moldejazz 2020

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Here’s an excerpt of EBT’s live streamed concert at Molde Int’l Jazz Festival 2020. The concert was dated April 30th, International Jazz Day, and happened at a time where summer festivals were highly unlikely to happen. Moldejazz made a fantastic production, and we’re very proud to have been a part of their 60 years anniversary, reaching 10,000 viewers worldwide.

Trondheim Duo Sessions

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This summer I will perform (and arrange!) four concerts home in my living room, together with some exceptionally good musicians from Trondheim. All concerts will be live streamed, with the option to donate through Vipps or PayPal. If you happen to be in the Trondheim area, you can buy tickets (limited availability) at Hoopla. The concert series is supported by Arts Council Norway.

Link to live streams (Facebook)

July 22nd, 19:00 CET: Espen & Hildegunn Øiseth (trp, goat horn)
Tickets available -> Hoopla (NO)

July 29th, 19:00 CET: Espen & Daniel Herskedal (tuba, bass trombone)
Tickets available -> Hoopla (NO)

August 12th, 19:00 CET: Espen & Ola Kvernberg (violin)

August 19th, 19:00 CET: Espen & Sissel Vera Pettersen (vocal, sax)

Moldejazz is streaming EBT on International Jazz Day

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We are extremely happy to be invited by Moldejazz to play a live streamed concert in Molde on International Jazz Day, April 30th at 21:00 CET. This is probably the only time we will play together this spring, which makes it quite special for us.

Direct link to Facebook-event
Press info from Moldejazz

Our dear drummer Simon Albertsen lives outside Norway, and because of the current national health regulations we had to ask a substitute for this event. This is the very first time that we let anyone inside the inner circle of the trio. Luckily, ECM artist Thomas P. Strønen accepted to join us on stage in Molde. We can’t wait to play with Thomas, and we’re really looking forward to present our music for you live on Thursday evening!

EBT – Free to Play – review highlights

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The reviews are in! Top image shows that F2P were chosen as one of the top jazz albums of September by Mezzo (FR). Here’s some highlights from some of our many reviews so far:

Undoubtedly one of my favourite albums of this year, “Free To Play” is a richly rewarding experience, from a trio who are proving to be not just one of the best in their field of music, but also beyond boundaries. Fabulous music that I have a feeling Iʼll be enjoying for many years to come.

UK Vibe, Oct 2019 – 5 out of 5 stars

Like all the best music, this album reveals something new and pleasing on each successive hearing.

BBC Music Magazine (UK), Oct 2019 – 4 out of 5 stars

Free to Play, a perfect title for the Espen Berg Trio’s new recording, doesn’t mean that the group plays nice. It suggests that the band takes pleasure in its inspiring interplay.

Downbeat (US), Dec 2019 – 4 out of 5 stars

EBT are rapidly becoming an important new voice in a crowded field of post-E.S.T. trios, and while their two preceding albums have much to recommend them, on Free To Play the trio have really hit their creative stride.

Jazz Journal (UK) – 4 out of 5 stars

Free to Play immediately places itself with instant proximity to the top of the list of the best Norwegian jazz albums ever.

Jazznytt (NO), Sept 2019

On ‘Free to Play’ the Espen Berg Trio shows off its skills with catchy compositions and virtuoso improvisations and also shows that it is looking ahead.

Jazzenso (NL), Sept 2019

This third album of the trio confirms the qualities already observed: an original approach to melody and harmony, a “journey without end and without borders” where everyone enjoys the freedom evoked by the title.

Jazz Magazine (FR), Sept 2019

Espen Berg and his accomplices stand out, however, from many artists from Scandinavia in that they play music which is extroverted and always accessible. But we all know what simplicity hides: a lot of discipline and precise details that allow Berg to alternate between the fluent music and the colliding music with a certain mastery. And that’s what gives this recording its particular brilliance.

Culture Jazz (FR), Sept 2019

Busy days

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This fall I’m working with several projects at the same time, traveling from tour to tour. It’s been a joy to play with my trio in Oslo at Nasjonal Jazzscene, and in Greece at the Half Note Jazz Club, and with Trondheim Jazz Orchestra and Marius Neset at BOZAR in Brussels. I had some amazing days in Propeller Studio recording a duo album together with Silje Nergaard, co-produced and engineered by Mike Hartung. Silje and I have played several concerts around Norway in October, and we’re traveling to London to play at the EFG London Jazz Festival in November. Firstly, I’m going to Oslo (my 2nd hometown these days) to work with the percussion students at Norwegian Academy of Music, who are premiering my arrangement of XIII for seven percussionists during the academy’s chamber music festival. Then I’m playing my biggest solo concert so far, at Dokkhuset Nov 13th, which will be a live recording scheduled for release next year.

After that I will tour in Trøndelag with Tråante feat. Marja Mortensson and Katarina Barruk, and finally a European tour with Bridges feat. Seamus Blake. Busy times all the way into the Christmas holidays. I feel extremely privileged for getting to work with all these amazing people and being able to play my music all around.

New concert with TJO & EB: MAETRIX

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I’m very glad to be able to play with this magical orchestra one more time. On Friday February 15th we will invade Dokkhuset in Trondheim, and play as a part of the international Pop Jazz Platform conference program. This version of Trondheim Jazz Orchestra is my Norwegian dream team: It features 14 amazing and highly profiled soloists, playing more like an enormous and tightly woven band rather than an orchestra.

Espen Berg Trio selected for jazzahead!

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An international jury has selected Espen Berg Trio to play at this year’s jazzahead! in Bremen (DE). Norwegian jazz is highlighted in 2019, with its own showcase evening called the Norwegian Night. This evening will feature eight of the most prominent bands from the cold north, and among them EBT.

Espen Berg Trio will play at 11.30 PM on Thursday April 25th. Attending jazzahead!? Be there!