Sidsel Endresen

Sidsel Endresen singer / composer / poet

From 1981-87, Sidsel worked as singer and co-writer in Jon Eberson Group. Together they released five CDs and won two Norwegian “Grammy” awards.

From 1989: Sidsel signed to the German label ECM Records, where she released two solo CDs - “So I Write” (1990) and “Exile” (1994) which won her much critical acclaim internationally. Both CDs in collaboration with Django Bates, Jon Christensen and Nils Petter Molvær, plus additional musicians on “Exile” David Darling and Bugge Wesseltoft.

From 1993: Duo with keyboardist Bugge Wesseltoft, released three CDs - “Nightsong” (1994), “Duplex Ride” (1998), both on Curling Legs/ACT - and “Out here. In there” (Jazzland/Universal, 2002). They received the Norwegian “Grammy” for ”Duplex Ride” and ”Out here. In there”.

1995-1999: Free improvising vocal trio ESE, together with Elin Rosseland and Eldbjørg Raknes. The trio wrote commissioned pieces for Vossa Jazz 1996, NRK 1997 and released the CD “GACK” (Jazzland/Kemistri 1999).

2000-2002: Solo project “Undertow” (Jazzland Rec. 2000), together with Audun Kleive, Patrick Shaw Iversen, Roger Ludvigsen, Bugge Wesseltoft and Nils Petter Molvær. Nominated for the Norwegian ”Grammy” 2000. Extensive touring in Norway and Europe. New line-up from 2002: Christian Wallumrød ��” keys and Jan Bang ��” live sampling and treatment. Tours / festivals in Europe, Great Britain, Canada and China.

2002 - : Duo collaboration with Christian Wallumrød. First cd release: ”Merriwinkle (Jazzland/Universal 2004) in collaboration with Helge Sten (alias Deathprod).

From 1999: Collaboration with neknowned contemporary music composer Rolf Wallin. Soloist and co-composer in the one-woman-opera “Lautleben” (performed at Ultima 1999, Festspillene in Bergen 2000, Stockholm 2001 and in UK, 2001).

2000: Wrote music for Runi Langum�'s film “Expedition”.

Sidsel has fronted a number of her own groups and worked with a large number of Norwegian and international jazz musicians. She has worked within a wide range of musical genres, including contemporary music, multimedia performances, - soloed with choir and symphonic music, - collaborated with other Norwegian poets and worked extensively with the voice as solo instrument.

Sidsel has written music for several theatre-and dance-performances since 1990, been festival composer for Molde Int. Jazz festival 1993, Bergen “Nattjazz” 2002 - toured and participated in festivals in Scandinavia, Europe, Great Britain, Canada, China and Japan. She has been awarded several Norwegian Music Awards, among others 4 Norwegian ”Grammies”, the “Buddy Award” 2001 (Norwegian Jazz Association�'s highest award) as well as being nominated for The Nordic Council Music Award 2000. She has released 14 records and participated as sidewoman on a number of other releases. Sidsel also teaches at The Norwegian State Academy of Music.

SOLO BIO:

Singer,composer,poet

Sidsel Endresen has been at the forefront of the Nordic music-scene for more than two decades. Her work has spanned genres from “fusion” and “jazz-rock” in the -80's - to free improvisation and “new music” in the -90's and the new millennium.

Through her two solo-records on ECM Records and her three duo-records with Bugge Wesseltoft - she has received wide international recognition and critical acclaim.

In international media she has been labelled “the Grande Dame of Nordic,poetic chamber-jazz” and “Europe's most innovative jazz-singer” - yet she does not consider herself a “jazz-singer” in the strict sense of the term.She is influenced by many sources - including the ethnic and the contemporary vocal expressions.

Sidsel Endresen has always moved in new directions - constantly renewing her music and her approach - and challenging the traditional role and function of the singer.She is today considered a major influence on a whole new generation of singers.

She has worked extensively with the voice as solo-instrument - and has developed her own,distinctive vocal improvisational style - and her own abstact,phonetic “language” based on her exploratio of the pure sound-aspect of the human voice.

Her solo-concerts are intimate,minimalistic - with complete focus on the voice - and with no use of electronic devices or effects. She accompanies herself on a few,simple instruments: a small kalimba (thumb-piano), an old mini-tape-recorder,a glass and occassionally an old,analogue rhythm-box. Her repertoire is a mixture of improvisations and her own,written material.