The Norwegian trumpeter, composer and producer Nils Petter Molvær has changed the face of improvised music in Europe in the past few decades.

Besides leaving a mark as a trumpeter, creating his own unique sound, he has also recorded soundtracks for a number of films, TV-films, documentaries and plays, and has released nine albums under his own name.

His debut album “Khmer” (ECM) sold over 250,000 copies worldwide and established his reputation as one of the leading voices of the new European jazz movement of the Nineties. The follow-up albums “Solid Either”, “NP3”, “Streamer”, “ER”, “Re-Vision”, and “Hamada” were all released successfully by Universal/Emarcy worldwide.

NILS PETTER MOLVÆR GROUP

With a quartet in which he himself plays trumpet, electronics and effects. Beyond trumpeter and composer, Molvær is a seasoned bandleader with an aptitude for choosing the finest musicians to make up his many musical teams, and providing them with just the right mix of framework and flexibility that enhances each of their individual skills as well as the project’s overall vision.

For 2021 album Stitches the trumpeter collaborates with drummer Erland Dahlen, bassist Jo Berger Myhre and guitarist Johan Lindstrøm

Dahlen, Myhre and Lindstrøm were given full artistic freedom by Molvær when it came to adding their particular and special imprint on the tracks. Stitches is a breathtaking journey that spans different moods and inspires reflection, meditation and deep insights. From the poetic and tender «Median» via the dramatic «A Sudden Rash» to the three extremely powerful pieces taken from «Frameworks» – Molvær’s commissioned work for the 2021 Kongsberg Jazz Festival – the album showcases the trumpeter’s distinct musical language that constantly innovates while keeping the fragility of the trumpet at the heart of every movement. It’s exactly this fine balance between pure tenderness and avant-garde sensibilities that has made Molvær’s sound known and appreciated by listeners worldwide. Despite the album’s darker moments, with track title’s that reference disorder and disease, Stitches comes across as a cathartic experience, a necessary journey that provides both listener and composer with a sense of cleansing and renewal. Stitches’ closing track, a heartwarming version of Radiohead’s «True Love Waits», feels both hopeful and prophetic – after turbulent times, the wounds will heal.

2021 line up:

Nils Petter Molvaer, trumpet
Jo Berger Myhre, bass
Erland Dahlen, drums
Johan Lindström, guitars, pedal steel