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Ola Kvernberg Trio|Liarbird|Movie scores|Grand General|Kirsti & Ola|Gammalgrass|Trondheim Jazz Orchestra

Initiated by impresario par excellence Rolf Bugge in year 2000, American guitar player Doug Raney was invited to join Ola and bass player Steinar Raknes to form a jazz trio. The group made the basis for Ola's first takes on composing, displayed on the album "Cats & Doug" (Hot Club Records, 2002).After a few  experimental months as a quartet with standard rythm section, the trio found its current form in 2004 with drummer Håkon Mjåset Johansen and bass player Raknes. Erik Nylander took the drummers seat in 2005, completing the lineup to present date.

Cats & Doug availability:
iTunes | Spotify | WiMP

 

The same year, Bugge Wesseltoft approached the trio after a concert, inviting them to make their album debut at his label Jazzland Recordings. This resulted in the critically acclaimed "Night Driver" released in 2006, produced by Bugge Wesseltoft himself. Quoting norwegian critic Terje Mosnes of Dagbladet: "Ola Kvernberg delivers 45 minutes of «violin jazz» different from anything heard to the world."

Night Driver -> iTunes | Spotify | WiMP

 

 
 
The group released its second album entitled "Folk" in 2009, solely consisting of Kvernberg's compositions. John Kelman, senior editor of AllAboutJazz stated "..the violin has enough ability to do more than merely suggest harmony to create a full-sounding trio," adding "the trio is fully formed even when pared down to its basic components." Kelman concludes his review saying "Folk positions the Ola Kvernberg Trio as a group to watch, with a fertile blend of spare economy and teeming fire."
 
Folk -> Jazzland Recordings | iTunes
 
 
 
The trio will release its third album in 2013, recorded throughout 2011 and 2012 during multiple studio sessions at the Ocean Sound Studios, located on the northwest coast of Norway. On this album, the versatile and talented Børge Fjordheim (Cloroform) joins in on drums and percussion together with Nylander, completing a lineup of violin, bass and two drumsets. Strictly speaking, its now a quartet, but quoting Kvernberg: "..it still feels like a trio - besides, I just don't like the word 'quartet', it has a traditional ring to it". Wherein "Folk" conseptually tightened the ostinato-based grooves similar to some of the material on "Night Driver", the new album loosens it back up again, creating space for the entire band to improvise more freely. The seemingly telepathic interplay between drummers Nylander and Fjordheim, supported by the veritable but playful bass of Steinar Raknes, generates an optimal modal platform for the distinctly lyrical and folky sound of Ola's violin and viola.