Arild Andersen Group

For several decades, Arild Andersen has been one of the most important voices in Norwegian and European jazz. After sold-out concerts at Norwegian festivals in 2018, he chose to continue his collaboration with this band – a project that has since approached 100 concerts, both at home and internationally. Arild Andersen Group brings together some of the most distinctive musicians in Norwegian jazz: Marius Neset on saxophone, Helge Lien on piano and Håkon Mjåset Johansen on drums. Together they form a band where four strong musical personalities play tightly, precisely and with a clear common direction. Marius Neset has established himself as one of Europe's leading saxophonists, with an expression that moves from the complex and rhythmic to the open and melodic. Helge Lien is known for his nuanced and attentive piano playing, with references to both Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett, while Håkon Mjåset Johansen is a driving force behind the drums – energetic, flexible and sought after in a number of central projects. At the center is Arild Andersen himself. With a career stretching back to the 1960s, and collaborations with names such as Jan Garbarek, Sonny Rollins, Chick Corea and Pat Metheny, he is a living part of jazz history. At the same time, he is a musician who continues to develop – with a warm tone, strong presence and a clear personal expression. The repertoire of Arild Andersen Group largely consists of Andersen's own compositions. The music is open, dynamic and interactive – leaving room for both the precise and the spontaneous. "…four musicians at the very top level […] as if they were one common musical organism." – Dagningen This is a band that plays together – not alongside each other. And it shows.