COMING UP

Happy to be appointed artistic director of The Trondheim Jazz Orchestra for 2017-2019!!! Concerts confirmed for TJO/Vagan in Norway, Netherlands and Germany for 2017.

Check Tour Dates for more info and upcoming schedule.

TICKETS

New record OUT NOW on Clean Feed:

(buy it HERE)

BIO

Norwegian bass player Ole Morten Vågan has been a central part of the scandinavian jazz and impro community for the last decade, active in bands like Motif, The Deciders, Håvard Wiik Trio, The Trondheim Jazz Orchestra........

Based in Oslo, Norwegian bass player Ole Morten Vågan has been a central part of the scandinavian jazz and impro community for the last decade, performing with among others Motif, The Deciders, Håvard Wiik Trio, The Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Maria Kannegaard Trio, Andratx, Bugge Wesseltofts NCOJ, Maciej Obara Int. Quartet, Audun Kleive´s Generator X and more recently also Joshua Redman Trio with Jorge Rossy and Ole Morten Vagan . After discovering jazz as a youngster in the Northern town of Brønnøysund (just below the polar circle), he went on to study with amongst others the fantastic bassist Mats Eilertsen, and attending the very influential Jazz Conservatory in Trondheim, Norway.

Also active as a composer, he has written commisions for a.o. the Grammy Nominated norwegian string orchestra The Trondheim Soloists, and more recently for the well renowned Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, of which he is now Artistic Director for 2017-2019 - In addition to steadily writing for bands like Motif and The Deciders for the last ten years.

Folk music of different kinds has also been at the core of Vågans interests, and through collaborations with a.o. Jovan Pavlovic, Ola Kvernberg and Stian Carstensen, he has immersed himself in the gipsy music of eastern Europe, Indian Classical Music and also norwegian folk music. He has also had the pleasure of performing with artists from an array of different countries and cultures, including some of the premier Eastern European folk musicians, among them Giani Linca, Filip Simoneov, Ivo Papasov and Petar Ralchev (after a rehearsal with the latter two, Ole Morten experienced his first and probably also last odd meter-induced fever.)

A curious interest in folk music and also classical music is the main focus in the group Gammalgrass, where he plays alongside Carstensen and Kvernberg, two of the most talented musicians coming out of Norway in recent years.

Vågan was also the recipient of the Dnb Nor/Kongsberg Jazz Festival Award in 2009, following in the footsteps of people like Sidsel Endresen, Bugge Wesseltoft, Christian Wallumrød, Audun Kleive, Nils Petter Molvaer and many more.

Over the years, Vågan has worked in a wide array of ensembles and settings, which have included some of the most central musicians and bands on the norwegian and international jazz scene. Among these are: Bugge Wesseltoft´s NCOJ, Maria Kannegaard, Thomas Strønen, John Scofield, The Joshua Redman Trio, Erlend Skomsvoll, Eirik Hegdal, Jason Moran, Jorge Rossy, Maciej Obara, Dominik Wania, Iain Bellamy, Ståle Storløkken, Nils Petter Molvær, Dhaffer Youssef, Ivo Papasov, Terje Rypdal, Audun Kleive, Perico Sambeat, Gard Nilssen, Jarle Vespestad, Stian Carstensen, Ola Kvernberg, Paal Nilssen Love, Håkon Kornstad, Tore Brunborg, Bobo Stenson, Jon Christensen, Axel Dörner, Rudi Mahall, Fredrik Ljungkvist, Tobias Delius, Kresten Osgood, Jon Fält, Christian Wallumrød, Eivind Lønning, Håvard Wiik, Jonas Kullhammar, Atle Nymo, , Håkon Mjåset Johansen, Michael Thieke, Arve Henriksen, Aaron Parks, Ambrose Akinmusire, Marcus Strickland and many others.

Full Bio

The Deciders

Joshua Redman Trio: Bergen, Norway

Joshua Redman Trio: Nijmegen, Netherlands

Joshua Redman Trio: Budapest, Hungary

Motif: from Nisville, Serbia

Motif: from Bergen, Norway

Motif: from Kongsberg with Magnus Broo

The Deciders: from Rochester Jazz Fest

The Deciders: from Oslo at Nordic Black Theatre

Ola Kvernberg: Liarbird

Ola Kvernberg: Mechanical Fair

Maria Kannegaard: Kongsberg Jazzfestival

Maria Kannegaard: Trondheim Jazzfest

Trondheim Jazz Orchestra:

Obara: Obara International Komeda Kattorna

Bugge Wesseltoft w/ John Scofield:

Bugge Wesseltoft:

Andratx: give peace a chance

TOUR

11^th Nov 16

MOTIF SMUP, Parede, PT
13^th Nov 16

MOTIF Kampenjazz, Oslo, NO
15^th Nov 16

Trondheim Jazz Orchestra with Chick Corea Blue Note, NY, US

16^th Nov 16

Trondheim Jazz Orchestra with Chick Corea Blue Note, NY, US

---- PREVIOUS DATES ----

2015

The World, and elsewhere
9^th Sep 15

Håvard Wiik Trio Kongsberg, NO
10^th Sep 15

Håvard Wiik Trio Arendal, NO
11^th Sep 15

Håvard Wiik Trio Bergen Jazzforum, NO
12^th Sep 15

Håvard Wiik Trio Voss Jazzklubb, NO
13^th Sep 15

Joshua Redman Trio with Ole Morten Vågan and Jorge Rossy Festival Jazz de Girona, Girona, Spain
15^th Sep 15

Joshua Redman Trio with Ole Morten Vågan and Jorge Rossy Budapest, Hungary
16^th Sep 15

Joshua Redman Trio with Ole Morten Vågan and Jorge Rossy LUX Nijmegen, Netherlands
17^th Sep 15

Joshua Redman Trio with Ole Morten Vågan and Jorge Rossy Spor 5, Stavanger, Norway
18^th Sep 15

Joshua Redman Trio with Ole Morten Vågan and Jorge Rossy Bergen Jazzforum, Norway
19^th Sep 15

Joshua Redman Trio with Ole Morten Vågan and Jorge Rossy Nasjonal Jazzscene Victoria, Oslo, Norway
6^th Oct 15

Håvard Wiik Trio Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo, NO
7^th Oct 15

Håvard Wiik Trio Urijazz, Tønsberg, NO
09^th Nov 15

Obara International with Tom Arthurs, DVD Release Jazz Jantar Festival, Gdansk, Poland
25^th Nov 15

Stian Carstensen with Giani Lincan and Ole Morten Vågan Barentsjazz Festival, Tromsø, Norway
03^rd Dec 15

PREMIERE: More&More&More and The Instant Gratification Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo, Norway
04^th Dec 15

Ola Kvernberg Trio Beirut, Libanon CANCELLED
05^th Dec 15

Ola Kvernberg Trio Istanbul, Turkey CANCELLED
06^th Dec 15

Obara International Jazz Jamboree, Warszawa, Poland
13^th Dec 15

Thomas Stroenen, Time Is a Blind Guide, India Tour Through 19th of Dec
2016

.......I did start touring earlier than march, but seriously, WHO READS THIS FAR DOWN????? The World, covered in snow, darkness prevailed
20^th Mar 16

Stein Urheim, commision with OMV/Per Jorgensen/Kjetil Moster/Kaare Opheim Vossajazz, Norway
29^th Mar 16

Trondheim Jazz Orchestra with Eirik Hegdal and Joshua Redman Sevilla, Spain
30^th Mar 16

Trondheim Jazz Orchestra with Eirik Hegdal and Joshua Redman Unterfahrt, Munich
01^st Apr 16

Trondheim Jazz Orchestra with Eirik Hegdal and Joshua Redman Burgos, Spain
07^th Apr 16

Andratx (Kullhammar/Osgood/OMV) Copenhagen, Denmark
08^th Apr 16

Andratx (Kullhammar/Osgood/OMV) Jyderup, Denmark
10^th Apr 16

Andratx with special guest Ståle Storløkken Kampenjazz, Oslo
11^th Apr 16

Andratx (Kullhammar/Osgood/OMV) Brønnøy Jazzforum, Norway
12^th Apr 16

Andratx (Kullhammar/Osgood/OMV) 4/4, Mo I Rana, Norway
13^th Apr 16

Andratx (Kullhammar/Osgood/OMV) Tromsø Jazzklubb, Norway
14^th Apr 16

Andratx (Kullhammar/Osgood/OMV) Ad Lib, Bodø, Norway
15^th Apr 16

Andratx (Kullhammar/Osgood/OMV) Narvik Jazzklubb, Norway
20^th Apr 16

More&More&More and The Instant Gratification Jazz Evidence, Kongsberg, Norway
23^rd Apr 16

Trondheim Jazz Orchestra and Ole Morten Vagan Jazzahead, Bremen, DE
27^th Apr 16

Team Hegdal Moskus
28^th Apr 16

Team Hegdal Nasjonal Jazzscene
29^th Apr 16

Thomas Strønen's Time Is A Blind Guide Soddjazz, NO
30^th Apr 16

Team Hegdal Soddjazz, NO
14^th Jun 16

Obara International Auditorio Lunario, Mexico City, Mexico
16^th Jun 16

Obara International Teatro Vivian Blumenthal, Guadalajara, Mexico
19^th Jun 16

Obara International Off The Charts, Festival of Art and Ideas, New Haven, USA
22^nd Jun 16

Obara International Jazz Standard, New York, USA
25^th Jun 16

MOTIF Festspillene i Nord Norge, Harstad, Norge
5^th Jul 16

Trondheim Jazz Orchestra w/ Sissel Vera Pettersen & John Hollenbeck Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark
5^th Jul 16

Thomas Stroenen, Time Is a Blind Guide, Kongsberg Jazzfestival
9^th Jul 16

Erlend Apneseth commision, for Førde Int. Folk music Festival
14^th Jul 16

Gammalgrass, w/Stian Carstensen & Ola Kvernberg, Breim
15^th Jul 16

Gammalgrass, w/Stian Carstensen & Ola Kvernberg, Breim
18^th Jul 16

Ola Kvernberg´s Mechanical Fair Opening concert, Molde Jazzfestival, NO
22^nd Jul 16

Lalaland w/ Django Bates Molde Jazz Festival, NO
22^nd Jul 16

Gammalgrass, w/Stian Carstensen & Ola Kvernberg Molde Jazz Festival, NO
9^th Aug 16

Gammalgrass, w/Stian Carstensen & Ola Kvernberg Festspillene i Elverum, NO
18^th Aug 16

W/ Alan Skidmore, Vidar Johansen & Raymond Strid Blow Out Festival, Oslo, NO
20^th Aug 16

Gammalgrass, w/Stian Carstensen & Ola Kvernberg Early Show, Oslo Jazz Festival, NO
20^th Aug 16

Gammalgrass, w/Stian Carstensen & Ola Kvernberg Late Show, Oslo Jazz Festival, NO
21^st Aug 16

Obara International Wroclaw, PL
31^st Aug 16

Gammalgrass, w/Stian Carstensen & Ola Kvernberg Trondheim, NO
2^nd Sep 16

w/ Håkon Aase, Kit Downes & Lucy Railton, RAW Series, Oslo, NO
15^th Sep 16

Thomas Stroenen, Time Is a Blind Guide, Tønsberg, NO
16^th Sep 16

Thomas Stroenen, Time Is a Blind Guide, Horten, NO
21^st Sep 16

Inland Empire, w/Kris Davis, Fredrik Ljungkvist & Øyvind Skarbø, Kongsberg, NO
22^nd Sep 16

Inland Empire, Stavanger Jazzforum, NO
23^rd Sep 16

Inland Empire, Bergen Jazzforum, NO
25^th Sep 16

Inland Empire, Biermannsgården, Oslo, NO
26^th Sep 16

Inland Empire, LYD Series, Haugesund, NO
30^th Sep 16

Gammalgrass, w/Stian Carstensen & Ola Kvernberg Ålesund, NO
2^nd Oct 16

Håvard Wiik Trio Berlin, DE
4^th Oct 16

Håvard Wiik Trio Dokkhuset, Trondheim, NO
5^th Oct 16

Håvard Wiik Trio Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo, NO
6^th Oct 16

Håvard Wiik Trio Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo, NO
7^th Oct 16

Håvard Wiik Trio Urijazz, Tønsberg, NO
26^th Oct 16

Team Hegdal, Nesodden Jazzklubb, NO
31^st Oct 16

Thomas Stroenen, Time Is a Blind Guide, Jazz In The Round, London, UK
1^st Nov 16

Thomas Stroenen, Time Is a Blind Guide, Nottingham, UK
2^nd Nov 16

Thomas Stroenen, Time Is a Blind Guide, Edinburgh, UK
4^th Nov 16

Thomas Stroenen, Time Is a Blind Guide, Oxford, UK
5^th Nov 16

Thomas Stroenen, Time Is a Blind Guide, Belfast, UK
6^th Nov 16

Thomas Stroenen, Time Is a Blind Guide, Dublin, IE
9^th Nov 16

MOTIF Portalegre, PT
10^th Nov 16

MOTIF Porto, PT

More Dates

GROUPS

Motif - Atle Nymo (saxophone) - Eivind Lønning (trumpet) - Håvard Wiik (piano) - Ole Morten Vågan (bass) - Håkon Mjåset Johansen (drums) Motif is an experimental jazz band, still polishing the personal sound they have been meticulously shaping since the beginning, with a Frank Zappa influence all around it, a sound labeled as "a remarkable combination of powerful writing, simpatico free play, and stylistic cross-pollination" (John Kelman, Allaboutjazz).

The Deciders - Rudi Mahall (bassclarinette) - Axel Dörner (trumpet) - Fredrik ljungkvist (tenor sax and clarinette) - Ole Morten Vågan (bass) - Jon Fält (drums) One of a kind jazz conglomerate, originating from three european musical hubs, Berlin, Stockholm and Oslo.

Full List

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