Posts Tagged ‘Jazz Rock’

JAZZ ROCKERS KROKOFANT REVEAL NEW SINGLE FROM UPCOMING ALBUM

Posted: December 13, 2024 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Widely regarded as one of the founders of the current progressive jazz movement that is sweeping their native Norway, KROKOFANT’s sound, whilst firmly rooted in the 70s, has a distinctive  rare melodic  flair, that makes it unmistakably theirs.

It conjures up one catchy phrase after another in a  free jazz style where precise, heavy riffs are enhanced by strong improvisations,  and  where wild saxophone solos team up with hugely creative, virtuoso guitar playing, coupled with the kind of drumming that sounds like a turbocharged hybrid of Keith Moon and Elvin Jones .

With their 6th full-length album, titled “6” for obvious reasons, set for release on the 10th January, Is It Jazz? Records, have today revealed a new single from the album as a pre-Christmas treat for KROKOFANT fans.

The single, titled “Triple Dad”,  can be streamed or downloaded from a variety of services at:

https://orcd.co/krokofant-tripledad

Here is what the band had to say about it:

Triple Dad is composed by Mathisen and has a bit of a different feel to it than the traditional Kroko thing. More jazz elements and chord movements, with a rather strange melody on top. And an intense sax solo, with a  cleaner and jazzy guitar solo you would normally hear from Hasslan.

Founded in Oslo in 2011 as a trio consisting of Tom Hasslan on Guitar, Jørgen Mathisen on Saxophone and Axel Skalstad on Drums, KROKOFANT’s lineup did, for a time, include an additional two members.  But today’s band is not so much a playground for Tom´s prog-rock compositions, as it is an expansion on the idea of being a  “collective”,  sculpting their music together rather than following the more rigid song structures that is by necessity required by a quintet.

“6” is therefore very much an album from a band that has rekindled the fun of making songs together, and revels in its ability to create a sound that requires a more intense, improvisational interplay.

With artwork by Maria Risa Bornes, tracklisting for “6” is as follows:

1. Harry Davidson
2. Triple Dad
3. Oh My Cod
4. Country Doom
5. The Ballade
6. Pretentious Woman

“6” will be available CD, Digital and Hot Pink LP formats, and can now be pre-ordered at:

Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/shop/
Bandcamp:  https://krokofant.bandcamp.com/album/6

Undoubtedly, “6” is an album whose appeal goes beyond genre boundaries, and will be of interest to rock fans, free jazzers and jazz-rock nostalgics alike. The chugging riffs and catchy melodies that long-time fans of KROKOFANT will recognise, are still there, but so are more spacey, atmospheric moments.

Interestingly, Tom Hasslan and Axel Skalstad are both also members of SOFT FFOG, and both happen to be past winners of the Kongsberg Jazzfestival Recruitment Scholarship. They originally met in a local record store and one year later they were joined by Jørgen Mathisen, a noted saxophonist known for his work with bands such as SHAGMA, THE CORE, ZANUSSI FIVE and HUMVEE.

And for  those who are curious about the name “KROKOFANT”, it is the name of a mythical creature featured in a popular Norwegian children’s song – a cross between an elephant and a crocodile, “a lumbering trumpeting beast with a fearsome array of teeth in its snapping jaws…”

KROKOFANT’s next live appearance will be at the Kafé Hærverk in Oslo, Norway, on the 10th January 2025. More dates to be announced.  

More information about KROKOFANT can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/krokofantmusic

Is It Jazz? Records recently released the track “Harry Davidson” from “6” and it can be streamed or downloaded from a variety of services at:

https://orcd.co/harrydavidson

Additional Information
KROKOFANT
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/krokofantmusic
Band Contact: jazztom@hotmail.com
IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Bandcamp: https://isitjazzrecords.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no
Promo and other information: post@isitjazzrecords.no

JAZZ ROCKERS KROKOFANT REVEAL DETAILS AND NEW SINGLE FROM UPCOMING ALBUM

Posted: November 8, 2024 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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With five highly rated albums to their credit, Norwegian Jazz Rockers KROKOFANT are set to celebrate the new year with the release their sixth full-length, titled “6”,  which is scheduled to hit the streets on Is It Jazz? Records on the 10th January.

Founded in Oslo in 2011 as a trio consisting of Tom Hasslan on Guitar, Jørgen Mathisen on Saxophone and Axel Skalstad on Drums, KROKOFANT’s lineup did, for a time, include an additional two members.  However, today it is back to its original format, and the new album very much reflects a band that has rekindled the fun of making songs together, and revelling in their ability to create a sound that requires a more intense, improvisational interplay.

To whet the appetite of KROKOFANT fans, Is It Jazz? Records has chosen to release the opening track “Harry Davidson” as a single, and the band’s Tom Hasslan has this to say about it:

“Harry” was composed some years ago, and has been sneaking into our repertoire whenever we performed live as a trio, which was during the period when we mostly performed as a quintet with Ståle Storløkken on keys and Ingebrigt Håker Flaten on bass.

With its heavy riffs and a catchy sax melody on top “Harry”  comes off like a classic KROKOFANT tune with  all the traits from our earlier releases as a trio.  It drives into a shreddy/quasi skronki guitar solo, complemented by a deep synth bass and creative groove-based drums.

“Harry Davidson” can be streamed or downloaded from a variety of services at:

https://orcd.co/harrydavidson

It’s apparent from the moment you hear the opening track from “6”, with its chugging riff and catchy melody, that the classic KROKOPHANT sound is still intact.  The more jazzy chord based tunes like “Triple Dad”, and the spacey, atmospheric, sounds of “The Ballade”, for example, make “6” an album that will appeal to rock fans, free jazzers and jazz-rock nostalgics alike.

With artwork by Maria Risa Bornes, tracklisting for “6” is as follows:

1. Harry Davidson
2. Triple Dad
3. Oh My Cod
4. Country Doom
5. The Ballade
6. Pretentious Woman

“6” will be available CD, Digital and Magenta Vinyl LP formats, and can now be pre-ordered at:

Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/shop/
Bandcamp:  https://krokofant.bandcamp.com/album/6

KROKOFANT’s sound is deeply rooted in the 70s, with subtle nods in the direction of KING CRIMSON and SOFT MACHINE.  Whilst this is not necessarily a rare thing in the Norwegian jazz/rock scene, the band still manages to sound quite unique, and is regarded  as one of the founders of the current progressive jazz movement that is sweeping the country.

Hasslan and Skalstad, both of whom are now also members of SOFT FFOG, and both of whom happen to be past winners of the Kongsberg Jazzfestival Recruitment Scholarship, first met in a local record store. One year later they were joined by Mathisen, a noted saxophonist known for his work with bands such as SHAGMA, THE CORE, ZANUSSI FIVE and HUMVEE.

Their resurrection as a  trio has seen the band move from being more of a playground for Hasslan´s prog-rock compositions, which was much in evidence during its period as a quintet. THE KROKOFANT of today is much more focused on the “collective”,  sculpting their music together rather than following the more rigid song structures required by a quintet.

Musically KROKOFANT  demonstrates  a rare melodic flair, conjuring up one catchy phrase after another in a  free jazz style whose  precise and heavy riffs are redeemed by strong improvisations. Its  wild saxophone solos are teamed with hugely creative, virtuoso guitar playing, and drumming that sounds like a turbocharged hybrid of Keith Moon and Elvin Jones .

For those who are curious about the name “KROKOFANT”, it is the name of a mythical creature featured in a popular Norwegian children’s song – a cross between an elephant and a crocodile, “a lumbering trumpeting beast with a fearsome array of teeth in its snapping jaws…”

More information about KROKOFANT can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/krokofantmusic

Additional Information
KROKOFANT
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/krokofantmusic
Band Contact: jazztom@hotmail.com
IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Bandcamp: https://isitjazzrecords.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no
Promo and other information: post@isitjazzrecords.no

JAZZ ROCKERS THE VERGE REVEAL NEW SINGLE FROM UPCOMING ALBUM

Posted: September 5, 2024 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Scheduled for release on the 4th October, the self-titled debut album from Norwegian Jazz Rockers THE VERGE, offers up a veritable palette of sounds. Drawing on extreme improvisational rock and dreamy noise/dronescapes, it ranges from fiery melodic jazz to prog rock, from atmospheric free-improvisation to heavy riffs.

Having recently released a single from the album, Is It Jazz? Records now bring us a second taste of what to expect with the release of the track “Snake”,  which can be downloaded or streamed from a variety of services at

https://orcd.co/theverge-snake

Commenting on the track, THE VERGE’s Emil Storløkken  had this to say:

“Snake”  started as a slightly strange ostinato, with an odd numbered time signature, that curls its way through the song. Then came the melody, with faster movements in the guitar and saxophone, adding something concrete but with an unsafe character.

We worked for a long time to find the perfect groove to drive the song. When we finally found this, we jammed out the powerful unison riff that breaks the circular motion. Like a snake leaping forth from the bushes and striking.

Consisting of seven original tracks composed by the different members of the band, “The Verge”,  is, not surprisingly, an album where each track differs significantly one from the other. It serves to showcase THE VERGE’s  ability to take their considerable musical skills and create an opportunity for spontaneous interplay,  with the ensembles  joyful attitude towards making music together leading to an album that is vibrant and multifaceted.

Recorded at the Duper Studio in 2021, and produced by  Vegard Lemme,  “The Verge”, whose  cover art is by Annika Linn Verdal Homme,  will be available in CD, LP and Digital formats and can be pre-ordered now from:

Webshop:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
BandCamp: https://the–verge.bandcamp.com/album/the-verge

Track  listing for “The Verge” is as follows:

1. Nessesse
2. Hyperreality
3. Snake
4. Gratitude
5. Postludium
6. The Blast Supper
7. Patterns for Meditation

THE VERGE’s lineup of  Emil Storløkken Åse (PHOENIX, EMIL STORLØKKEN ÅSE SOLO) on Guitars , Aksel Rønning (COSMIC SWING ORCHESTRA, AKSEL RØNNING TRIO) on Saxophone and Flute, Alf Høines (CARAMEL 11, LEON RØSTEN TRIO) on Electric Bass,  and Ingvald Vassbø (KANAAN, JUNO) on Drums, first began playing together when they all attended the legendary Norwegian Jazz school NTNU.

Since then, their individual careers have branched off into various significant bands, giving them the chance to hone their skills not just in Norway, but also the within the European Jazz, Improv and Rock scenes. And it is now, thanks to Is It Jazz? Records,  that this eclectic cast of musicians have been given the  opportunity to demonstrate their uncanny ability to weave together so many different elements into one cohesive whole.

More information about THE VERGE can be found on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065744882524

Additional Information
The Verge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065744882524
Band Contact:  ingvaldvassboe@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
BandCamp: https://the–verge.bandcamp.com/album/the-verge
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS REVEALS SINGLE AND DETAILS OF DEBUT FULL-LENGTH  ALBUM FROM JAZZ ROCKERS THE VERGE

Posted: August 8, 2024 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Having started to play together when they met at the legendary Norwegian Jazz school NTNU, the members of Jazz Rock quartet THE VERGE have, since then, forged individual careers with a number of significant bands within not just the local, but also the European Jazz, Improv and Rock scenes. 

 But now, thanks to Is It Jazz? Records,  the time has come to bring to the light of day THE VERGE’s vibrant and original debut album, which the still up-and-coming musicians  recorded at the Duper Studio on 2021, alongside  the equally young and aspiring producer Vegard Lemme.

The self-titled album, set to hit the streets on the 4th October, consists of seven original tracks composed by the different members of the band.  Unsurprisingly, this has resulted in an album where the tracks differ greatly one from the other. Indeed, “The Verge” encompasses sonic soundscapes that range from fiery melodic jazz to prog rock, from atmospheric free-improvisation to heavy riffs.

And today Is It Jazz? Records is letting us hear for ourselves what “The Verge” holds in store for us with the release of the first single from the album.  The track, titled ” Nessesse” can be downloaded or streamed from a number of services at:

https://orcd.co/nessesse

And this is what THE VERGE’s Aksel Rønning has to say about it:

 For multiple reasons “Nessesse” consists of just one ostinato. One reason for this is to treat the meditational spirit of THE VERGE to a free space of improvisation. Another is to pay tribute to our inspirations from the free jazz of the sixties. “Nessesse” is a place where our creativity runs free to make the composition’s small framework into a full song, with lots of energy, chaos and order. 

THE VERGE’s lineup of  Emil Storløkken Åse (PHOENIX, EMIL STORLØKKEN ÅSE SOLO) on Guitars , Aksel Rønning (COSMIC SWING ORCHESTRA, AKSEL RØNNING TRIO) on Saxophone and Flute, Alf Høines (CARAMEL 11, LEON RØSTEN TRIO) on Electric Bass,  and Ingvald Vassbø (KANAAN, JUNO) on Drums, demonstrates an uncanny ability to weave together all the album’s different elements into a coherent whole.

Drawing their inspiration from extreme improvisational rock and dreamy noise/dronescapes, and with their musical skills and spontaneous interplay,  THE VERGE’s  members display a joyful attitude towards making music together, creating a debut album that is vibrant and multifaceted.

With cover art by Annika Linn Verdal Homme, track listing for “The Verge” is as follows:

1. Nessesse
2. Hyperreality
3. Snake
4. Gratitude
5. Emils Låt / Postludium
6. The Blast Supper
7. Patterns for Meditation

“The Verge” will be available in CD, LP and Digital formats and can be pre-ordered now from:

Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
BandCamp: https://the–verge.bandcamp.com/album/the-verge

More information about THE VERGE can be found on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065744882524

Additional Information
The Verge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065744882524
Band Contact:  ingvaldvassboe@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
BandCamp: https://the–verge.bandcamp.com/album/the-verge
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

JAZZ VETERANS BUSHMAN’S REVENGE REVEAL NEW VIDEO FROM UPCOMING ALBUM

Posted: August 18, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Jazz Veterans BUSHMAN’S REVENGE are in celebratory mood this year as they  celebrate their twenty Year Anniversary with a new album and a tour. But with their appearance at the Oslo Jazzfestival coming up, they are giving everyone who cannot be there to see them play live, an insight into the new album with a video for the track “Last Cup of Zorro”.

The video for the “Last Cup of Zorro” can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/ZF4HVzH0gQQ

When Even Helte Hermansen on Guitar,  Rune Nergaard on  Bass, and Gard Nilssen on Drums got together to form BUSHMAN’S REVENGE, the Norwegian trio set out on a journey of exploration and experimentation that would lead to the creation of a sound that can only be described as their own.

Winning plaudits from both fans and critics, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE have honed their art and become a band that makes full use of the vital energy found in the Rock genre, but they take it further by giving in to the freedom that comes with the use of jazz elements. 

Their new album, and the band’s eleventh full-length, is titled “All The Better For Seeing You”, and marks a new peak for BUSHMAN’S REVENGE, showing just how good this band is in the studio. 

With artwork by Per Spjøtvold,  “All The Better For Seeing You”  will be released on Is It Jazz? Records on the 8th September in CD, Digital and Green Vinyl formats.  Tracklisting is as follows:

  1. Halvannen Time – an hour and a half, more than enough
  2. Last Cup Of Zorro
  3. Hollowed Be Thy Fame
  4. Stolen From a Blind Monkey
  5. Raptus Norvegicus
  6. Takk For Seg

“All The Better For Seeing You” is available to pre-order now from:

Bandcamp: https://bushmansrevenge.bandcamp.com/album/all-the-better-for-seeing-you
Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/shop/ **

**  By using sing the code “bushman” when Pre-ordering “All The Better For Seeing You” through the Is It Jazz? Records Webshop you will be entitled to a  30% discount on all other Is it Jazz? Records releases.

As a live band BUSHMAN’S REVENGE have a well-deserved reputation for demonstrating an explosive energy and a quasi-telepathic ability that ensures some very interesting interplay between its members. This skill will be very much in evidence during the upcoming Anniversary tour, whose routing is as follows:

BUSHMAN’S REVENGE 20th ANNIVERSARY TOUR 2023

“All The Better For Seeing You”

19.08.- Blå, Oslojazz (NO) *
19.09.- Rommet, Bergen (NO)
20.09.-Apollon, Bergen (NO)
21.09.- Inderøy jazzforum (NO)
22.09.- PØKK, Trondheim (NO)
23.09.- Munkehaugen, Arendal (NO)
24.09.- Union Scene, Drammen (NO)
05.11.- Karensminde Kulturhus, Copenhagen (DK) **
06.11.- TBA, Hamburg (GER)
09.11.- Sarajevo Jazzfestival (BA)
10.11.- Bimhuis, Amsterdam (NL)
11.11.- Rockit, Groningen (NL)
12.11.- Comment Dire- Dialograum Kreuzung an Sankt Helena, Bonn (GER)
07.12.- Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo (NO)

More information about BUSHMAN’S REVENGE can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063543191580

Additional Information
Bushman’s Revenge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063543191580
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bushmansrevenge/ Band Contact: Gardnilssen@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

JAZZ VETERANS BUSHMAN’S REVENGE RELEASE SINGLE FROM UPCOMING ALBUM

Posted: July 5, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Fans of Jazz veterans BUSHMAN’S REVENGE won’t have to wait until September to hear what “All The Better For Seeing You”,  the band’s eleventh full-length album, sounds like, because today Is It Jazz? Records have released a single from the album.

The track, titled “Hollowed Be Thy Fame” is, as the band explains, the perfect track to remind long-time followers what has gone into shaping BUSHMAN’S REVENGE into what it is today, as well as acting as an introduction to new listeners:

“Hollowed BeThy Fame” was one of the first ones written for the new record. With this one we kind of tried to sum up most of the elements that have made up the band to this point in one song: the freer stuff, the rockier stuff, the riffier parts, the more soundtracky stuff etc. 20 years on, it hopefully sounds a little bit old, and a little bit new at the same time. Same as us!

“Hollowed Be Thy Fame” can be downloaded or streamed from a variety of services at

https://link.isitjazzrecords.no/Bushmans-Revenge-Hollowed-be-thy-fame

Not only will BUSHMAN’S REVENGE be celebrating the release of a new album this year, they will also be celebrating twenty years since Even Helte Hermansen on Guitar,  Rune Nergaard on  Bass, and Gard Nilssen on Drums first got together to form the band. 

In those twenty years, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE have garnered a stellar reputation world-wide amongst critics and fans alike. Not just as a as a consummate studio band, but also as a live band that demonstrates explosive energy and telepathic interplay.

“All The Better For Seeing You” is a culmination of two decades of exploration and experimentation with different sounds and musical direction, the result of which has been the creation of a genre specific to BUSHMAN’S REVENGE. It is a sound that exemplifies all the energy of Rock, but Rock that is given free rein thanks to the band’s Jazz elements

With artwork by Per Spjøtvold, track listing for “All The Better For Seeing You” is as follows:

  1. Halvannen Time – an hour and a half, more than enough
  2. Last Cup Of Zorro
  3. Hollowed Be Thy Fame
  4. Stolen From a Blind Monkey
  5. Raptus Norvegicus
  6. Takk For Seg

“All The Better For Seeing You” will be released on the 8th September in CD, Digital and Green Vinyl formats, and is available to pre-order now from:

Bandcamp: https://bushmansrevenge.bandcamp.com/album/all-the-better-for-seeing-you
Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/shop/ **

**  Using the code “bushman” when Pre-ordering “All The Better For Seeing You” through the Is It Jazz? Records Webshop qualifies you for a  30% discount on all other Is it Jazz? Records releases.

No celebration for a band, especially one like BUSHMAN’S REVENGE,  would be complete of course without live appearances,  and BUSHMAN’S REVENGE will hit the road for a series of dates on their 20th Anniversary Tour.  Routing as follows:

BUSHMAN’S REVENGE 20th ANNIVERSARY TOUR 2023
“All The Better For Seeing You”

30.06: Mandaljazz (NO)
19.08: Blå, Oslojazz (NO) feat; Alexander Hawkins-Organ
19.09: TBA, Bergen (NO)
20.09: Apollon, Bergen (NO)
21.09: Inderøy jazzforum (NO)
22.09: PØKK, Trondheim (NO)
23.09: Munkehaugen, Arendal (NO)
24.09: Union Scene, Drammen (NO)
05.11: Karensminde Kulturhus, Copenhagen (DK) (with Kresten Osgood3)
06.11: TBA, Hamburg (DK)
09.11: Sarajevo Jazzfestival (BA)
10.11: Bimhuis, Amsterdam (NL)
11.11: Rockit, Groningen (NL)
12.11: Comment Dire – Dialograum Kreuzung an Sankt Helena, Bonn (DE)
07.12: Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo (NO)

More information about BUSHMAN’S REVENGE can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063543191580

A video of BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s appearance at 2022’s Cologne Jazzweek can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/lHRbDsu56J4

Additional Information
Bushman’s Revenge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063543191580
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bushmansrevenge/ Band Contact: Gardnilssen@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS ANNOUNCES DETAILS OF ELEVENTH FULL-LENGTH ALBUM FROM BUSHMAN’S REVENGE

Posted: June 27, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
Tags: , , , , ,
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What better way for a band to celebrate its twentieth anniversary than with a brand new album, and that is exactly what Norwegian Jazz veterans BUSHMAN’S REVENGE are planning to do, courtesy of Is it Jazz? Records.

“All The Better For Seeing You” is the album that will mark this momentous occasion, and it promises to be a memorable ride because with BUSHMAN’S REVENGE all the energy of Rock is given free rein thanks to the band’s Jazz elements.  

With artwork by Per Spjøtvold, track listing for “All The Better For Seeing You” is as follows:

  1. Halvannen Time – an hour and a half, more than enough
  2. Last Cup Of Zorro
  3. Hollowed Be Thy Fame
  4. Stolen From a Blind Monkey
  5. Raptus Norvegicus
  6. Takk For Seg

“All The Better For Seeing You”, which will be BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s eleventh full-length album,  will be released on the 8th September in CD, Digital and Green Vinyl formats, and is available to pre-order now from:

Bandcamp: https://bushmansrevenge.bandcamp.com/album/all-the-better-for-seeing-you
Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/shop/ **

**  Using the code “bushman” when Pre-ordering “All The Better For Seeing You” through the Is It Jazz? Webshop qualifies you for a  30% discount on all other Is it Jazz? Records releases.

Obviously, in the two decades since its inception in 2003, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s lineup of Even Helte Hermansen on Guitar,  Rune Nergaard on  Bass, and Gard Nilssen on Drums, has had ample time to develop a distinctive sound.  It could even be said that, by exploring and experimenting with different sounds and directions, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE has, in fact, created a genre all of its own.

In addition to the ten previously released albums, BUSHMAN’S  REVENGE also has 300+ live performances under its belt, and together these two facts have earned the band a fearsome reputation amongst fans and critics alike, both for its studio output as well as its stage presence.  

And, with the album-led 20th Anniversary celebrations kicking off in earnest, fans will be able to witness for themselves the power of BUSHMAN’S REVENGE on stage when the band hits the road on their 20th Annivarsary “All The Better For Seeing You” Tour.  Routing as follows:

BUSHMAN’S REVENGE 20th ANNIVERSARY TOUR 2023
“All The Better For Seeing You”
30.06: Mandaljazz (NO)
19.08: Blå, Oslojazz (NO) feat; Alexander Hawkins-Organ
19.09: TBA, Bergen (NO)
20.09: Apollon, Bergen (NO)
21.09: Inderøy jazzforum (NO)
22.09: PØKK, Trondheim (NO)
23.09: Munkehaugen, Arendal (NO)
24.09: Union Scene, Drammen (NO)
05.11: Karensminde Kulturhus, Copenhagen (DK) (with Kresten Osgood3)
06.11: TBA, Hamburg (DK)
09.11: Sarajevo Jazzfestival (BA)
10.11: Bimhuis, Amsterdam (NL)
11.11: Rockit, Groningen (NL)
12.11: Comment Dire – Dialograum Kreuzung an Sankt Helena, Bonn (DE)
07.12: Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo (NO)

More information about BUSHMAN’S REVENGE can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063543191580

A video of BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s appearance at 2022’s Cologne Jazzweek can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/lHRbDsu56J4

Additional Information
Bushman’s Revenge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063543191580
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bushmansrevenge/
Band Contact: Gardnilssen@gmail.com 
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS RELEASES NEW SINGLE FROM  UPCOMING SOLSTEIN ALBUM

Posted: June 16, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Fans eagerly awaiting the release of the debut full-length album from SOLSTEIN, the new project that features in its lineup multi-instrumentalist Jacob Holm-Lupo (WHITE WILLOW, THE OPIUM CARTEl), drummer Keith Carlock (STEELY DAN, TOTO),  guitarist Stian Larsen (MARTE EBERSON, SMITH KOMMA JOHN), and Brynjar Dambo (WHITE WILLOW) on keyboards,  get to hear another track from the album before its 7 July release, courtesy of Is It Jazz? Records who have released a second single from the self-titled album.

Titled “Intersection”, this is what the band had to say about it:

“Intersection” is named for its somewhat busy feel and on it the band is stripped down to its core trio of Larsen on fantastic lead guitar, Carlock on inimitably groovy drums, and Holm-Lupo  anchoring on bass, rhythm guitar and keyboards. It was one of the first tunes written for the album, and one we feel represents the sound of the band well.

“Intersection” is available to download or stream from a variety of services at

https://link.isitjazzrecords.no/Solstein_Intersection

Drawing their inspiration from jazz-rock, funk, prog rock and chill-out, SOLSTEIN’s  musicians are given free rein to do whatever they feel the music needs, as long as it feels right to everyone.  By combining jazz harmony with proggy arrangements and soul/funk grooves SOLSTEIN’s sound is elegant, oscillating, as it does, between funky fusion and rock.

The result is a debut album that is both accessible, whilst at the same time, adventurous.  Colourful  and engaging, it succeeds in mixing  the groovier side of fusion with elements of prog and funk, eschewing the usual 2020s fusion sound for an altogether funkier, more melodic range, that brings artists like THE CRUSADERS, IDRIS MUHAMMED, early BOB JAMES and 70s HERBIE HANCOCK to mind.

“Solstein”  was mixed and given pristine analogue mastering at Holm-Lupo’s Dude Ranch Studio, and with artwork by Martina Wilek, track listing is as follows:

  1. Intersection
  2. Oriental Folk Song
  3. Southwester
  4. The Night Owl
  5. Siriusly
  6. February 9th
  7. The Creeper
  8. Hamada

“Solstein” will be available in CD, Digital and LPC formats and can now be pre-ordered from:

Bandcamp: https://solstein.bandcamp.com/album/solstein
Is it Jazz Records: Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Karisma Records Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/

For those curious as to where the name  SOLSTEIN comes from, the word actually means Sunstone, and it refers to  a relatively rare rock containing copper-red crystals, which, when seen from different angles refracts the light in a very beautiful way. The most significant deposits of the rock are found along the southern coast of Norway where Holm-Lupo lives and runs his studio.

More  information about SOLSTEIN can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband Additional Information
Solstein
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband
Band Contact:  aslanlupo@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

BUSHMAN’S REVENGE JOINS IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS

Posted: April 26, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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Norwegian Jazz trio, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE, whose music mixes the energy of Rock with the freedom of Jazz in a way that is exciting and exhilarating, have inked a deal with Is it Jazz? Records for the release of their eleventh full-length album.

Formed in 2003, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s lineup of Even Helte Hermansen on Guitar,  Rune Nergaard on  Bass, and Gard Nilssen on Drums, have had two decades in which to explore different paths and sounds, and, in doing so, they have succeeded in creating a genre all of their own.

With 10 critically acclaimed albums under their belts, and over 300 live appearances throughout the world, BUSHMAN’S REVENGE have earned a fearsome reputation, with Jazzwise commenting that they are “Insanely good! As if Jeff Beck was backed by Elvin Jones“, whilst David Fricke of Rolling Stone said that they were “Like a Marshall amp version of John Coltrane’s “Interstellar Space“

In addition to the new album, this year also marks their 20th anniversary as a band, and having been described as one of the most exciting live bands out there,  well known for their explosive energy and telepathic interplay, fans can expect a lot of celebrating on the part of BUSHMAN’S REVENGE in the coming months!

BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s new album will be titled “All The Better For Seeing You”, and full details regarding its release will be revealed shortly.

More information about BUSHMAN’S REVENGE can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063543191580

A video of BUSHMAN’S REVENGE’s appearance at 2022’s Cologne Jazzweek can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/lHRbDsu56J4

Additional Information
Bushman’s Revenge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063543191580
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bushmansrevenge/ Band Contact: Gardnilssen@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS REVEALS DETAILS OF UPCOMING ALBUM FROM JACOB HOLM-LUPO’S  SOLSTEIN

Posted: April 21, 2023 in IS IT JAZZ? RECORDS, KARISMA RECORDS, OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
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SOLSTEIN came into being after multi-instrumentalist Jacob Holm-Lupo (WHITE WILLOW, THE OPIUM CARTEL, DONNER) and drummer Keith Carlock (STEELY DAN, TOTO, JOHN LEGEND, STING) had collaborated with legendary guitarist Georg Wadenius on a track for Holm-Lupo’s DONNER project. The collaboration between the duo worked so well that they  decided to come together again on a whole album.

Joining Carlock and Holm-Lupo are up-and-coming guitarist Stian Larsen and keyboardists Brynjar Dambo (WHITE WILLOW) and Bill Bressler, and together they form a project that is inspired by jazz-rock, funk, prog rock and chill-out.  The sound they produce is an  instrumental form of rock, where jazz harmony combines with proggy arrangements and soul/funk grooves. The end result is laid back and  elegant, oscillating between funky fusion and rock.

Given some of the member’s prog backgrounds, there are also echoes of the jazzier side of prog, but, more than anything, SOLSTEIN is a playground for the musicians, where everyone was given free reins to do whatever they felt the music needed. If it put a smile on everyone’s face, it was deemed right.

The result is a self-titled album that is accessible yet adventurous, colourful, groovy and engaging. It melds  the groovier side of fusion with elements of prog and funk, but which, rather than having the standard 2020s fusion sound, tends more towards the funkier, more melodic spectrum that brings artists like THE CRUSADERS, IDRIS MUHAMMED, early BOB JAMES and 70s HERBIE HANCOCK to mind.

“Solstein”  was mixed and given pristine analogue mastering at Holm-Lupo’s Dude Ranch Studio, and with artwork by Martina Wilek, track listing is as follows:

  1. Intersection
  2. Oriental Folk Song
  3. Southwester
  4. The Night Owl
  5. Siriusly
  6. February 9th
  7. The Creeper
  8. Hamada

“Solstein” will be released on Is it Jazz? Records on the 7th July in CD, Digital and LPC formats and is now available to pre-order from:

Bandcamp: https://solstein.bandcamp.com/album/solstein
Is it Jazz Records: Webshop: https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Karisma Records Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/

The name SOLSTEIN means Sunstone, and it refers to  a relatively rare rock containing copper-red crystals, which, when seen from different angles refracts the light in a very beautiful way. The most significant deposits of the rock are found along the southern coast of Norway where Holm-Lupo lives and runs his studio.

More  information about SOLSTEIN can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband

Additional Information
Solstein
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/solsteinband
Band Contact:  aslanlupo@gmail.com
Is it Jazz? Records
Website:  https://isitjazzrecords.no/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IsItJazzRecords/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isitjazzrecords/
Contact:  post@isitjazzrecords.no

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