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Ole Mathisen

A critically acclaimed saxophonist, Ole Mathisen is an active performer on the New York and the international jazz scene. In addition, he steadily works as a studio musician, composer, arranger, and producer. Over the years he has been involved with classical, jazz, electronic, ethnic, and experimental music, and he draws heavily on his wealth of musical experience when composing. He is currently a member of the Jazz Studies Faculty at Columbia University.

Ole has worked on more than 80 albums, composed several film and TV scores, and has performed and/ or recorded with: Paula Cole, Louie Vega, Omar Hakim, Darryl Jones, Hiram Bullock, William Kennedy, Tom Coster, Mark Egan, Steve Smith, Mino Cinelu, Peter Erskine, Eddie Gomez, Badal Roy, Rufus Reid, Ron Carter, Grady Tate, Claudio Roditi, Will Lee, LaVerne Baker, Abraham Laboriel, Randy Brecker, Kenwood Dennard, Gil Goldstein, Lew Soloff, Tiger Okoshi, Michael Gibbs, Harvie Swartz, Jon Christensen, Gary Husband, Cyro Batista, Bill Bruford, Kenny Barron, Bob Moses, Jeff Berlin, Hilton Ruiz, Adam Nussbaum, Raphael, Frankie Valli, Mamak Khadem, Keiko Lee, and Dream Theater.

He is the leader of CHINESE HOROSCOPE, and a member of NYNDK, SYOTOS, Afromantra, and Mamak Khadem Ensemble.

Ole recieved his Bachelor Degree in Professional Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston, graduating summa cum laude in 1988. While at Berklee he studied for three years with renowned saxophone guru Joe Viola. He moved to New York in 1993 and received a Masters Degree in Jazz Performance from Manhattan School of Music in 1995, studying saxophone with Bob Mintzer, arranging with Maria Schneider, and film scoring with Ed Green.

Awards

Ascaplus Award; Ascap, 2007 DANY ARTS grant 2006 (awarded NYNDK) Ascaplus Award; Ascap, 2005 Ascaplus Award; Ascap, 2004 Tono Work Stipend; Norwegian Composers Rights Organization 1999 Artists Educational Stipend; Norwegian Government 1993 Faculty Association Award; Berklee College of Music, 1987 Phil Woods Incentive Award; Berklee College of Music, 1984


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Album Review

Amir ElSaffar River of Sound Orchestra: The Other Shore

Read "The Other Shore" reviewed by Neri Pollastri


Secondo disco per la Rivers of Sound Orchestra, ensemble creato nel 2015 da Amir ElSaffar con il preciso intento di esplorare in modo originale le culture musicali delle sue origini. ElSaffar è infatti nato negli Stati Uniti da madre statunitense e padre di origini irachene; avvicinatosi precocemente alla musica, ha coltivato quella jazzistica dalla discoteca paterna e quella classica dalle frequentazioni della madre; musicista dalle collaborazioni di altissimo livello--tra gli altri Cecil Taylor e Vijay Iyer--solo da adulto si è ...

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Performance / Tour

Ole Mathisen/Chris Washburne's FFEAR @ Smalls Jazz Club NYC June 30, 2012 - 7:30PM

Ole Mathisen/Chris Washburne's FFEAR @ Smalls Jazz Club NYC June 30, 2012 - 7:30PM

Source: Two for the Show Media

FFEAR CD launch party for new Jazzheads Records release 'Mirage.' Ole Mathisen/Chris Washburne's FFEAR @ Smalls Jazz Club NYC June 30, 2012 - 7:30PM Tony Moreno/Ole Mathisen/Chris Washburne/Per Mathisen Ole Mathisen has established himself as someone with a unique voice both as an instrumentalist and as a composer. He has worked on close to 100 CD releases, composed several movie and television scores. He is the leader of Ole Mathisen ZERO- SUM, co-leader of FFEAR, and a member of Chris Washburne's SYOTOS, Alex ...

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Performance / Tour

Sten Hostfalt 3 or 4 at Nublu NYC Feat. Ole Mathisen & Marko Djordjevic

Sten Hostfalt 3 or 4 at Nublu NYC Feat. Ole Mathisen & Marko Djordjevic

Source: Michael Ricci


"....pointedly cosmopolitan post-bop collective," Nate Chinen, The New York Times (NYNDK listing) "....one of the best modern-mainstream outings of 2004," Glenn Astarita, Jazzreview.com (NYNDK review) "However the biggest surprise in the group and on the CD is the Norwegian saxophonist Ole Mathisen. Whether on tenor or soprano, Mathisen tears into the music and consistently steals solo honors; check out his stirring soprano playing on Theostopher," Scott Yanow, All Music Guide (NYNDK review) "The saxophonist Ole Mathisen tears up the pieces; this is modern latin jazz at it's intelligent, driving best." Peter Watrous, Descarga.com (Afromantra review) "...Ole Mathisen takes his tenor saxophone into a riptide with jabbing phrases." Jerry DÕSouza, All about Jazz (SYOTOS review) "Mathisen's "Op-Ed" is a revolution in motion and his solo is exciting and frightening in its revelations." Brad Walseth, Jazzchicago.net (SYOTOS review) "Well, I'm very excited about this new recording 'cause every time I hear this guy play with someone I always go: Who is that sax player? You know, one of those things

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Other Shore

OutNote Records
2021

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Elastics

Losen Records
2013

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Periodic Table

Jazzheads
2010

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Videos

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