Vossajazz or Vossa Jazz (established 19 December 1973) is an international jazz festival in Vossavangen in Voss Municipality, Norway, which takes place annually during the week before Easter, and which also includes concerts throughout the year. The festival has been led by Trude Storheim since August 2007.
History
The first festival in 1974 was held the same weekend as the World Cup in Alpine skiing at Voss. The idea was that ski and jazz fit together. Since 1986 the festival has always taken place during the palm weekend. From 2007, the festival director has been Trude Storheim.
In 1980 Vossajazz brought Rune Gustafsson and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen together for a power session in the old Voss cinema. This cooperation led to the album Just The Way You Are (1980). Vossajazz includes jazz, folk and ethnic music. There is also Badnajazz for the children, Ekstremjazz (not part of Ekstremsportveko, the extreme sports week also held in Voss), Eldrejazz and UNGjaJAZZja!. In addition, the festival annually commissions a piece of music from Norwegian composers.
The 2016 edition of Vossajazz was a musical event with a blend of different impressions. The Down Beat report gives the festival splendid reviews and opens with stating: "A warm bath of synchronicity hit the lakeside town of Voss, Norway, in the heart of the 43rd annual Vossa Jazz Festival. The blissful sense of convergence of elements came courtesy of respected and increasingly international Hardanger fiddle master Nils Okland, during his contribution to the long history of the festival’s keynote commissioned work (or “Tingingsverket”)."
Commissioned works
1978: Dag Arnesen 1983: Egil Kapstad – Epilog 1985: Bjørn Alterhaug – Fantasier for et miljø 1987: Dag Arnesen – Strøtanker og røde roser 1988: Ole Thomsen – Usynlige danser 1989: Tore Brunborg – Tid 1990: Arild Andersen – Sagn 1991: Bendik Hofseth – Q 1992: Magnetic North Orchestra – Il Cenone 1993: Bugge Wesseltoft – A little war story 1994: Mari Boine – Leahkastin 1995: Veslefrekk – Nils, Per & Veslefrekk 1996: Nils Petter Molvær – Labyrinter 1997: Frode Alnæs – Til Voss 1998: Misha Alperin – Night 1999: Vigleik Storaas – Mosaikk 2000: Ketil Bjørnstad – Grace 2001: Eldbjørg Raknes – So much depends upon a red wheel barrow 2002: Erlend Skomsvoll – Variasjoner 2003: Terje Rypdal – Vossabrygg 2004: Svein Folkvord – Across 2005: Jan Gunnar Hoff – Free flow songs 2006: Trygve Seim – Reiser 2007: Berit Opheim – Ein engel går stilt 2008: Tord Gustavsen – Restar av kukke – bitar av tru 2009: Solveig Slettahjell – Tarpan Seasons 2010: Karin Krog and John Surman – Songs about this and that 2011: Mathias Eick – Voss 2012: Karl Seglem – Som spor 2013: Stian Carstensen – Flipp 2014: Mats Eilertsen – Rubicon 2015: Live Maria Roggen – Apokaluptein – The Uncovering 2016: Nils Økland – Glødetrådar 2017: Susanna & the Brotherhood of our Lady. 2018: Eirik Hegdal – Musical Balloon
Vossajazzprisen Since 1988 the festival has honoured prominent freelance jazz musicians from Hordaland with an award,Vossajazz-Prisen, Vossajazz including:
1988: Olav Dale, Voss 1989: Ole Thomsen, Bergen 1990: Knut Kristiansen, Bergen 1991: Per Jørgensen, Bergen 1992: Dag Arnesen, Bergen 1993: Ole Hamre, Bergen 1994: Gabriel Fliflet, Bergen 1995: Harald Dahlstrøm, Bergen 1996: Terje Isungset, Bergen 1997: Frank Jakobsen, Bergen 1998: Sigurd Ulveseth, Bergen 1999: Helge Lilletvedt, Bergen 2000: Ivar Kolve, Voss 2001: Stein Inge Brækhus, Bergen 2002: Thomas T. Dahl, Bergen 2003: Kåre Opheim, Voss 2004: Magne Thormodsæter, Bergen 2005: Berit Opheim, Voss 2006: Yngve Moe, Sotra 2007: Snorre Bjerck, Florø 2008: Mads Berven, Bergen 2009: Kjetil Møster, Bergen 2010: Stein Urheim, Bergen 2011: Mari Kvien Brunvoll, Molde 2012: Sigrid Moldestad, Breim in Gloppen 2013: Tore Brunborg 2014: Sigbjørn Apeland, Sveio 2015: Thea Hjelmeland, Sunnfjord 2016: Øyvind Skarbø, Stranda in Sunnmøre 2017: Hans Petter Gundersen, Bergen 2018: Benedicte Maurseth, Eidfjord
Vossajazz Records Several recordings made at the festival have been issued on Vossajazz's own label, Vossa Jazz Records.Vossa Jazz records, Vossajazz 1996: Fliflet/Hamre Energiforsyning: Moro post mortem, live (VJ 18962) 1998: Berit Opheim, Bjørn Kjellemyr, Einar Mjølsnes, Sigbjørn Apeland and Per Jørgensen: Fryd (VJ 980042) 2001: Kari Bremnes and Lars Klevstrand: Tid Å Hausta Inn (VJ 980052) 2003: Tore Brunborg: Gravity (VJ 03006-2) 2004: Electro Ompaniet: Toskedalen (VJ 04007-2) 2004: Svein Folkvord: Across (VJ 04008) 2005: Electro Ompaniet: Electromecanibalism (VJ 04007-3) 2006: Terje Isungset and Didier Petit: Live at Vossajazz (VJ 060112) 2006: Sonic Stories with Kari Nergaard Bleivik and Rune Mandelid: Feels like night (VJ 060102) 2006: Sub Trio with John Pål Inderberg, Stein Inge Brækhus and Svein Folkvord: Subtrio (VJ 060122) 2010: Badnajazz 10 year anniversary album: Eg È Liten Eg, Men Eg Vaoga Meg(VJ100132)
References
External links
English summary, Vossajazz Josef Woodard, "Jazz Nordic Style at Vossa Jazz Festival", JazzTimes, 24 April 2011