Jon Balke
Encyclopedia
Jon Balke is a Norwegian
jazz pianist and composer
currently known for his Magnetic North Orchestra.
He began with classical piano, but switched to blues
at 12, though today he performs within several genres. At the age of 18 he joined Arild Andersen
's quartet. By the mid-1980s he worked on his own and would become one of Norway
's leading jazz composers. He was active in the groups of Radka Toneff and in the afrofusion group E´olén before joining Oslo 13 and Masqualero in the early 80's. From 1989 he focused on his own projects, such as Jøkleba (with Audun Kleive
and Per Jørgensen
) and the still existing Magnetic North Orchestra. In 2002 he formed the percussion group Batagraf and in 2007 the concept work Siwan with singer Amina Alaoui
. He is also the creator of a series of multimedia concerts at Vossajazz festival, labeled Ekstremjazz . The concerts involve various practitioners of extremesport like parachuting
, paragliding
, hanggliding, bmx biking etc..
With Arild Andersen
With Mathias Eick
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
jazz pianist and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
currently known for his Magnetic North Orchestra.
He began with classical piano, but switched to blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
at 12, though today he performs within several genres. At the age of 18 he joined Arild Andersen
Arild Andersen
Arild Andersen is a Norwegian bass player.Born in Lillestrøm, Norway, he started out as a member of the Jan Garbarek Quartet , with Terje Rypdal and Jon Christensen...
's quartet. By the mid-1980s he worked on his own and would become one of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
's leading jazz composers. He was active in the groups of Radka Toneff and in the afrofusion group E´olén before joining Oslo 13 and Masqualero in the early 80's. From 1989 he focused on his own projects, such as Jøkleba (with Audun Kleive
Audun Kleive
Audun Kleive is a Norwegian drummer and percussionist.Audun Kleive grew up in Skien, the son of organist Kristoffer Kleive and brother of organist and composer Iver Kleive. He began to play drums in a rock and dance band, and then went to Oslo, where he studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music...
and Per Jørgensen
Per Jørgensen
Per Jørgensen is a Norwegian trumpet player, vocalist and guitar player.He was a major voice in Bergen Blues Band, Knut Kristiansen kvintett,Tamma, Jøkleba, Magnetic North Orchestra and in various duo projects with Jon Balke, Terje Isungset, Tobias Sjøgren etc.Participates on: Album: *...
) and the still existing Magnetic North Orchestra. In 2002 he formed the percussion group Batagraf and in 2007 the concept work Siwan with singer Amina Alaoui
Amina Alaoui
Amina Alaoui is a Moroccan interpreter of Andalusian classical music. She sings in Arabic, Classic Persian and Haketia.Amina was born in 1964 in an aristocratic family in Fez, Morocco. At the age of six, she started to learn Andalusian classical music in her own family environment...
. He is also the creator of a series of multimedia concerts at Vossajazz festival, labeled Ekstremjazz . The concerts involve various practitioners of extremesport like parachuting
Parachuting
Parachuting, also known as skydiving, is the action of exiting an aircraft and returning to earth with the aid of a parachute. It may or may not involve a certain amount of free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal...
, paragliding
Paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...
, hanggliding, bmx biking etc..
Discography
- On and On (Odin, 1991)
- Nonsentration (ECM, 1992)
- Further (ECM, 1993)
- Rotor (Curling Legs, 1998)
- Solarized (Emarcy, 1999)
- Kyanos with the Magnetic North Orchestra (ECM, 2002)
- Diverted Travels (ECM, 2004)
- Book of VelocitiesBook of VelocitiesBook of Velocities is a solo album by pianist Jon Balke recorded in 2006 and released on the ECM label in 2007.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 3½ stars stating "nothing could have prepared the listener for this gorgeous set of unedited, unprocessed, and undubbed piano...
(ECM, 2007) - Siwan (ECM, 2009)
- Say and Play (ECM, 2011)
With Arild Andersen
Arild Andersen
Arild Andersen is a Norwegian bass player.Born in Lillestrøm, Norway, he started out as a member of the Jan Garbarek Quartet , with Terje Rypdal and Jon Christensen...
- Clouds in My HeadClouds in My HeadClouds in My Head is the debut album by Norwegian jazz bassist and composer Arild Andersen recorded in 1975 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review awarded the album 3 stars.-Track listing:# "305 W 18 St" - 3:49...
(ECM, 1975)
With Mathias Eick
Mathias Eick
Mathias Eick is a Norwegian jazz musician born near the town of Eidsfoss in the county of Vestfold, Norway. He is mainly known as a musician on the jazz label ECM Records. His main instrument is the trumpet, but he also plays double bass, vibraphone, piano and guitar.In his lifetime Eick has...
- The DoorThe Door (Mathias Eick album)The Door is the debut album by Norwegian trumpeter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Mathias Eick recorded in 2007 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:...
(ECM, 2007)