"Kasper Tranberg (b. 1971 in Denmark) is a composing improviser who plays cornet and trumpet and likes poetry.

Kasper took up the trumpet at the age of ten and was playing in local march and brass bands soon.

Early studies with Prof. Søren Emtoft from The Royal Conservatory of Music, Denmark. Aged 19 Kasper began studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston, US where his main teachers were legendary Herb Pomeroy and trumpeter Greg Hopkins. In 1993 Kasper returned to Copenhagen and got his first major gig with Mercer Ellington at The Duke Ellington Conference in 1994.

At the same time guitarist Niclas Knudsen and Kasper had formed the quartet "When Granny Sleeps" which recorded three successful albums with a.o. David Liebman and Ray Anderson. The band toured in Europe and also performed at The Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival in New York, US.

In the late 1990's Kasper and guitarist Jonas Struck formed the band BUGPOWDER with space-trombonist Mads Hyhne and drummer Laust Sonne. The hard hitting unit recorded two albums, performed quite a bit and was nominated to a Nordic Music Council Award for the album "Autoabsence" released on Kaspers label Bugpowder Records formed in 1998.

Kasper also worked and recorded with many important Danish artists like : Pierre Dørge, Ib Glindeman, Hugo Rasmussen, Lars HUG, Bent Jædig, Paul Banks, Swan Lee, Mew, Fredrik Lundin, T.S Hawk, C.V. Jørgensen, John Tchicai, Savage Rose, Jesper Zeuthen and Jakob Anderskov among many others.

Kasper performed and recorded as a sideman with international artist like : Marc Ducret, Steve Swallow, Tim Berne, Michael Blake, Django Bates, Tyshawn Sorey, Gianluigi Trovesi, Yusef Lateef and Adam Rudolph."

"Guitarist Marc Ducret was born in Paris in 1957. A self-taught musician, he began working in various groups (dance and folk included), and in the studio, before reaching the age of 20. In 1986, he became a member of the first French National Jazz Orchestra. Also in the late '80s, Ducret led his own trio and toured Europe, Africa, and Asia. In 1991, he began working with Tim Berne and went on to play with Berne in Caos Totale, Bloodcount, and Big Satan. Ducret has several solo recordings to his credit, released on Berne's Screwgun label and the Winter & Winter label. In the late '90s, Ducret formed a tentet, Seven Songs, to explore music of the '60s."-Joslyn Layne

"Simon Toldam is one of Scandinavia´s most exiting and acclaimed musicians from the current generation. He has received 4 danish jazzgrammies, among them "Rising Star" of the danish music scene. He is a member of Danish leading jazz/avantgarde label ILK, and has released 12 cd´s as leader/co-leader.

Toldam started his first trio at the age of 9, and has since then been leading and co-leading several groups playing jazz, improv and beyond. Composition and improvisation has always - and still is - been the mainpillars in the musical carrier of this versatile player. He has composed music for orchestras of various size all the way from trio to 20-piece orchestras, film, theatre, modern dance, and was chosen as official Festival Composer at Cph Jazzfestival 2007.

Besides leading/co-leading a number of groups, Toldam is in demand on the scene as sideman in various, jazz/new music settings, and as teacher on the conservatories in DK.

Toldam is currently leading his own trio and the larger group Stork, both orchestras presenting the music of Toldam, showing all of his orchestrational abilities and his intriguing way of conveying his own music.

BANDS/Orchestras

Leader: Simon Toldam Trio, Stork
Co-leading: Han Bennink Trio, Sekten, Mazur/Toxvaerd/Toldam
Memorable collaborators: Evan Parker, Peter Brötzman, Han Bennink, Misha Mengelberg, Tristan Honsinger, Joachim Badenhorst, Noel akchoté, Chriss Speed, Dave Douglas, Eivind Aarset, Nils-Petter Molvær, Marylin Mazur, Jacob Bro, Vessel, Kostcirkeln, Grammofunch, Kira Skov, Eggs Laid by tigers. "

"I started playing drums at the Rythmic Childrens School in Vesterbro in Copenhagen at the age of three. This became a life-long immersion into drums, music and composition.

My mother and father are both music lovers and in my childhood home there were always instruments and people to play them. I was admitted to the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, at the age of eighteen. After 3 years I discontinued my formal education to travel in India and Brasil and continue to study on my own.

I'm an active member of ILK (Independent Lable of København). ILK is a danish collective of musicians who releases music with absolute artistic freedom."