The band Juno represents Norway at the screening arena for Nordic jazz in Copenhagen • ballade.no
– It is incredible to be part of Nordic Jazz Comets, and we greatly appreciate the opportunity to represent Norway and show ourselves in such a setting. This will be our first concert outside Norway since before the pandemic, so we are looking forward a little extra this time – both to play, meet the other bands and be part of the presentation in Copenhagen, says vocalist in Juno, Malin Dahl Ødegård, to the Norwegian Jazz Forum.
It is the Norwegian Jazz Forum which together with the other Nordic, national jazz organizations Swedish Jazz, Jazz Finland, Tónlistarskóli F.Í.H. and JazzDanmark are behind Nordic Jazz Comets. The initiative has been in existence for more than 20 years; first as a music competition, and since 2021 as a showcase at various festivals around Europe. A network of festivals, clubs and agents put together by the Nordic jazz organizations has selected from the five bands that participate in Nordic Jazz Comets.
– This is a great opportunity and door opener for bands with international ambitions. They get to introduce themselves to the industry and a larger audience in addition to meeting and working with other Nordic musicians, says Roy Jahrn Holtan, subject manager at the Norwegian Jazz Forum.
Juno are Thea Ellingsen Grant (vocals), Malin Dahl Ødegård (vocals), Mona Krogstad (saxophone), Georgia Wartel Collins (double bass) and Ingvald Vassbø (drums). The quintet has built up a very good live reputation, says the Norwegian Jazz Forum, and states that the band has played at many of the country’s largest jazz festivals in addition to «a three-digit number of concerts». Debut album Young Star was released on Jazzland Recordings last year, to very good reviews. Juno is now working on a new album, scheduled for release this spring. After the concert at Mandaljazz last summer described jazzinorge.no’s reviewer Filip Roshauw the music as «… a variegated mix of deliberate jazz rap, art pop, aggressive riffing and small, free pockets».
Nordic Jazz Comets will be held on February 10 in Copenhagen, where the five selected bands will play at Jazzhus Montmartre during the annual Winter Jazz festival.