"Carl Magnus Neumann, also known as Calle (31 July 1944 in Oslo, Norway), is a noted saxophonist, considered as one of the best in Norway.

Neumann started playing the flute at an early age, before picking up the clarinet, playing with different swing bands in the late fifties. After taking hire as sailor for a few years, he returned to Oslo buying his first saxophone in 1963. Neumann received the audience award with the Quartet of Oddvar Paulsen at the Norwegian Championship in amateur jazz the same year, and from then on he became professional musician. He played rhythm & blues with Arild Wikstrom and Public Enemies in the mid 1960s (releasing a single album with Karin Krog / Public Enemies Sunny / We're gonna move to the outskirts of town in 1966) and was ranked No. 1 Alto saxophonist in the Norwegian magazin Jazznytt's favorite poll in 1967.

Neumann was early well recognized in the octet of Fred Nøddelund that contributed to the concert series at the Munch Museum arranged by Norsk jazzforum in 1968, and later as the leader of his own "Newman and the New Men". He played in bands led by Arild Wikstrøm and Roy Hellvin. He played in dance bands "Bent Sølves and Terje Fjærns orkester", and had festival gigs with Roy Hellvin, Karin Krog and Terje Bjørklund, in addition to releasing the album Bleak House with Terje Rypdal in 1968. He became a mighty popular soloist receiving the Buddyprisen in 1971, and released the album Multimal with Svein Finnerud Trio in 1972. Neumann led several bands at the Kongsberg Jazzfestival, including with Dizzy Gillespie. He was a key player on Club 7, and was dedicated the album Carl Magnus Rides Again (1999) by Ditlef Eckhoff. As soloist with Christian Reim Quartet he released Live at Moldejazz in 1976.

Neumann played in the bands of Espen Rud, like "Kråbøl", and toured with the traditional Norwegian folk musicians Nils Økland and Bjørnar Andresen in 1985. After 13 years of musical silence, he became the lead figure of "The Quintet", with the debut of the jazz club "Blå" in 1998, followed by festival engagements at Vossajazz and Moldejazz in 1999 and in Oslo 2000. The concert at Voss 1999 immortalized on cd, and he received Oslo City Art Award in 2000. From 2000, he has lived a quieter life in Risør, but has collaborated on the albums Lost Animals (2009) with Vidar Johansen Quartet and To someone I knew (2013) by Erik Wesseltoft."

"Bjørnar Andresen (1 April 1945 - 2 October 2004) was a Norwegian jazz musician (double bass, guitar, banjo), known for his improvisational and multicultural musical expression in a variety of publications.

Andresen established the free jazz band "Finnerud Trio" with his childhood friend Svein Finnerud (1967-74), inspired by material they had experienced on concert with Paul Bley and Kent Carter in "Universitetets Aula", as well as the George Russell seminars in jazz theory. He was on the album Min bul (1970) together with Terje Rypdal and Espen Rud, while he was active in Henie-Onstad Art Centre, where several of the performances took place.

In the 1980s, he released a self-titled album with fiddle player Nils Økland (1986), contributed on albums within "The Quintet" (1998-), with Jon Eberson and Paal Nilssen-Love on Mind the Gap (2004), as well as within Jon Klette's band "Jazzmob" on the album Pathfinder (2003). His last appearance in the spring of 2004, can be heard on the album Rock (2005) within Thomas Strønen's band "Bayashi". On the occasion of his tribute concert at the jazz club "Cosmopolite" in Oslo (2001) there was established a "Crimetime Orchestra" (2001), that Andresen led to posthumous release Life is a beautiful monster (2004). Paal Nilssen-Love/Ken Vandermark's album Seven (2006) recorded 1 April 2005 at the jazz club "Blå" in Oslo, was dedicated Andresen's 60'th birthday. "

"Born in Oslo, bassist and composer Eivind Opsvik was introduced to music at home. His father loved to play the saxophone and constantly spun records-everything from Ornette Coleman to Billie Holiday and The Beatles. An early memory features Eivind on drums, jamming out "A Hard Day's Night" with his father. Later, a denim-clad rocker cousin lent him a bass guitar and the newfound ability of adding pitch to rhythm was a revelation. Opsvik spent the rest of his teens getting to know this instrument, as well as the double bass, while also experimenting with a 4-track tape recorder and pouring music into his head.

At the age of twenty, Opsvik began studies at the Norwegian Academy of Music, focusing on classical bass. By then, he was already an active participant in Oslo's vibrant jazz scene, regularly playing with musicians like Paal Nilssen-Love, Christian Wallumrød, Bjørnar Andresen, and Håkon Kornstad; while also performing at festivals and clubs around Europe.

In 1998, Opsvik relocated to New York City, where he has thrived as a working musician, collaborating on projects with among others Anthony Braxton, Paul Motian, John Zorn, Nate Wooley, and Bill Frisell and performing in a wide range of venues like Carnegie Hall, Village Vanguard, Le Poisson Rouge and The Stone. At the Manhattan School of Music he studied jazz and met some of his closest musical brothers, including Loren Stillman, Jeff Davis, and Jacob Sacks. Building on the bonds and shared musical understanding that developed while at school, Eivind invited these players to help him fulfill his vision for the solo project, Overseas.

Opsvik has stated that "overseas" is a fitting way of describing his life-whether in New York or Norway, he is always an ocean's distance from home. This deep loyalty towards friends and loved ones has, over time, been reflected in Overseas' various lineups. The first record was realized with the help of long-term friendships that went back to Opsvik's earliest days in New York. As he continued his journey through the city via late night gigs, Opsvik connected with other players-visionaries versed in noise improv, electronic, jazz, and classical-who, on subsequent Overseas records, were brought in to augment the lineup. Since 2005, the band has remained consistent, featuring Tony Malaby, Jacob Sacks, and Kenny Wollesen; in 2010, guitarist Brandon Seabrook also became a regular member. Over the years, they have played countless shows around New York City, as well as extensively toured Europe and the American east coast.

In addition to four Overseas albums and his extensive session work, Opsvik's discography also includes four experimental chamber-pop records made in collaboration with songwriter Aaron Jennings (under the moniker of Opsvik & Jennings) and a multimedia project with photographer Michelle Arcila, which pairs tens songs with ten photographic prints. This project, titled A Thousand Ancestors, came out of Opsvik's solo double bass performances, which sometimes featured projections of Arcila's photographs. In recording these bass-centric pieces, he would layer bass with subtle overdubs of lap steel guitar, vintage keyboards, and drum machines, with Arcila's prints displayed around the studio. The project proved to be an auspicious collaboration for the couple, who, as The New York Times put it, "share an aesthetic of haunting introspection, and the desire to seek out beauty in austerity."

Other critics have described Opsvik's work as "sonorous," "like a waking dream," and able "to transport the listener to another time and place, creating a cinematic experience...[like] the soundtrack to an imaginary film." His Overseas records create "a world of unfolding soundscapes" that defy categorization; they have "a compositional complexity that suggests jazz, [but] also references a diverse and imaginative palette of genres and influences." Opsvik's jazz is "the slow burn, down-turned variety that still has plenty of beauty underneath all of its darker undertones." But it's not just jazz for jazz-heads. By tapping into the energy, groove, and directness of rock, Opsvik reach people who are afraid of jazz and think they have to "understand" it.

Ultimately, Opsvik is the epitome of a multi-faceted, multi-instrumentalist working musician. While steadily playing gigs and recording sessions as a bass player, he is also a capable hand on the guitar, the keyboard, or behind the drums. At the Greenwood Underground, his basement studio, Opsvik records, mixes, and produces his own music, as well as various projects for his friends. Since 2007, he has also been running the Loyal Label, releasing a carefully curated catalog of albums, which run the gamut in terms of musical exploration but are all united with careful aesthetic choices and creative graphic design.

Maturing as a musician, Eivind never wanted to be up front in the band, but it would be incorrect to say he's been hiding. As a kid, watching bands perform on Norway's only TV channel, his gaze was instinctively drawn to the rhythm section, waiting for the camera to move the tight frame off the singer so that he could catch a glimpse of the bass player's steady hands or the drummer's hypnotic concentration. The rhythm section were the guys with their heads down doing the real work. Adolescent instincts are pure in that they don't know why they want what they want, but the quiet and focused dignity that Eivind honed in on has driven his life for the past 30 years.

(Eivind is currently a member of these bands/projects: Tony Malaby's Paloma Recio, Die Trommel Fatale, Nate Wooley Quintet, Skuli Sverrison's Seria, Two Miles A Day (Sacks, Maneri, Motian), Anthony Braxton's Tristano Project, Vinnie Sperrazza's Apocryphal, David Binney, Okkyung Lee, Jeff Davis Trio with Russ Lossing, Mary Halvorson's Reverse Blue, Plainville, Kris Davis' Capricorn Climber, Håkon Kornstad, Rocket Engine, Tone Collector, Jesse Harris' Cosmo, The Interaction of Non-Interaction (w Ben Gerstein), Poor Pluto ...and more)"

"Ketil Gutvik, jazz- guitarist/composer/improviser, born in Norway 1972. His style of playing and writing is inspired by the sixties American jazz, but also contemporary European jazz and impro-music has been a major influence to him. He is also a huge admirer of Sonny Rollins recordings from the fifties.A native of Trondheim, but moved to Oslo in 1992. During the mid nineties he formed what would become his major artistic project for many years, the quartet Presence. At this time he also joined vocalist Marvin Charles' trio with bassist Eivind Opsvik. In 1994 Ketil was introduced to the young pianist Håvard Wiik. From 95 to 98 they worked together regularly in different constellations. In 1996 Ketil formed the trio, plusthree, together with bassplayer Eivind Opsvik and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love. A private recordingsession of this trio with guests, summer 98, resulted in the sensational and critically acclaimed impro-group, The Quintet. From 97 to 99 Ketil run the weekly jazzclub concept, Drazztic Acoustic, at Oslo's hippest scene for DJs and club music, Jazid Club. Drazztic Acoustic evolved into the most important venue for free music in Norway at the time . The quartet, Walkie Talkie, with alto saxophonist Frode Nymo, was formed summer 2000. The group's repertoire has been based upon (bassist) Per Zanussi- and Gutvik-compositions, and it's activity includes several festival- and club-concerts. Together with other improvising musicians from different musical genres Ketil started the impro concert series, Fritt Fall (means: free fall), at the club Blå in the beginning of 2001. After this Ketil has performed regularly at Blå with free improvised music in many different constellations. A Fritt Fall-concert in 2001 led into the impro-ensemble, Gutvik/Vinaccia/Wallumrød/Kornstad. This group did a number of successful club- and festival-concerts in both 2001 and 2002. In 2002 Ketil met Klaus Ellerhusen Holm for the first time, and this meeting sparked their strong and lasting duo (Kongsberg Jazzfestival 2005, Oslo Jazzfestival 2005). At the beginning of 2003 Ketil also formed a duo with saxophonist Kjetil Møster. The duo toured Norway in 2003 and 2004. After avoiding the classic guitar-trio-fomat for many years Ketil formed a trio with drummer Per Oddvar Johansen and bassist Per Zanussi back in 2001. Playing trio again inspired him to write and play music in a different way and after hearing Jack deJohnette's first Special Edition album from '79 in 2003, he got new ideas to the concept of combining written and free form music within the same group. He decided to start a group with the guitar trio sound at the core, sorrounded by strong saxophone voices. Ketil Gutvik F E M did it's first concert at Ketil's summer concert series, Gutvik Ukentlig, in 2003. By 2005 this was Ketil's major project having toured Norway and Sweden, played at Oslo Jazz Festival in 2004 and Kongsberg Jazz Festival in 2005. Also to be mentioned is the Gutvik&Hana Drum-ensemble. This group, with guitarist Anders Hana and two drummers, did a number of concerts from summer 2004. Other groups and projects include the duo with Klaus Ellerhusen Holm. Duo with Kjetil Møster. Trio with Atle Nymo and Mats Monstad. Quartet with Øyvind Brække, Eivind Opsvik, and Andreas Bye. Trio with Stig Rennestraum and Bjørn Thevik. Quartet with Kjetil Møster, Niklas Korssell, Johan Berthling. Duo with Tanja Orning. Quartet with Frode Gjerstad. Duo with Niklas Korssell. In 2007, after working on and off with a big number of projects for several years, Ketil decided to focus on just a one impro-group besides a few duo-collaborations. With noise-tuba-wizard Børre Mølstad and the amazing drummer Dag Erik Knedal Andersen the trio NO, GUTVIK performed several concerts in 2007. NO, GUTVIK works in the field of improvised texture music with noise- and freejazz-elements. Other activities the latest years includes duo with Michael Francis Duch, duo with Harald Fetveit, duo with english percussionist Patrick Farmer, duo with Frode Gjerstad, duo with Espen Reinertsen, duo with Axel Dörner, duo with english guitarplayer John Russell.

Through his permanent groups and different projects Ketil works/has worked with musicians like; Paal Nilssen-Love, Nils-Olav Johansen, Knut Riisnæs, Carl Magnus Neumann, Bjørnar Andresen, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Vidar Johansen, Eivind Opsvik, Christian Wallumrød, Håkon Kornstad, Johan Berthling, Kjetil Møster, Paolo Vinaccia, Frode Nymo, Håvard Wiik, Per Oddvar Johansen, Petter Wettre, Mats Eilertsen to mention a few."

"Paal Nilssen-Love was born in Molde, Norway, Dec 24. 1974, and raised at a jazz club in Stavanger, run by his parents. It was natural to choose his fathers drums as his instrument and jazz as his work. From 1990 on he took actively part in the jazz milieu in Stavanger and joined bands with established musicians such as trumpeter Didrik Ingvaldsen and saxophonist Frode Gjerstad. In many ways, these collaborations were essential as they pointed out the directions for Paal's later musical development and career. During his studies at the Jazz dept at the University in Trondheim, where the first self initiated bands were established, things developed really fast - and Paal was nationally acknowledged at the age of 20.

The forming of the quartet Element in 1993 in many ways represented the start of a new phase in Paal's musical life. Element musically became a platform for several other groups with bassist Flaten and pianist Wiik, and lead to collaborations with Iain Ballamy and Chris Potter, amongst others. Paal moved to Oslo in 1996, where he joined and/or took part in the forming of bands like Vindaloo, SAN, Håkon Kornstad Tio, The Quintet and Frode Gjerstad Trio. He later on got more into self initiated projects and collaborations with Swedish musicians, such as pianist Sten Sandell and saxophonist Mats Gustafsson.

Paal played his first solo concert in 1999, and since then the solo concept has been an important part of his work: "Everyone should try doing some solo work, just to feel who you really are and what gets you going". His solo album "Sticks and stones" was put out in 2001 on SOFA Rec.

Being active in several bands at the same time has always been Paal's deliberate working method. He is constantly conscious about the projects he is in, as his participation in each and one of them is fully dedicated. Playing is not about getting from start to goal, but rather being in an everlasting process, a continuous movement where each new piece of music performed is a prolongation of the latest. Hence, keeping focused and concentrating all energy around what's happening there and then is of greatest importance - as is the freedom in the music, the ability of being free within the expression.

All bands, although various styles and musical versatility in general, represent important pieces that make up a total, and all bands are formed or joined with a clear vision. Today Paal's portfolio includes Atomic, School Days, The Thing, Frode Gjerstad Trio, Sten Sandell Trio, Scorch Trio, Territory Band, FME, and various duo projects such as with reedmen Ken Vandermark, John Butcher, Mats Gustafsson, organist Nils Henrik Asheim and noise wizard Lasse Marhaug. And not to forget the recently joined Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet."