Nordlysfestivalen: jazz under The Northern Lights

She takes you on a journey into the interior and loneliness. With her music, but also with her visuals, which run on a large screen in the background of the stage. The venue for the touching concert with the North Norwegian singer and songwriter Marthe Valle is perfectly chosen. The Verdensteatret in the heart of Tromsø is the oldest cinema in Northern Europe still functioning as a cinema, dating back to the silent film era. A hall with atmosphere. With her commissioned work ‘Overlys’, which is now celebrating its premiere at the Nordlysfestivalen, the Norwegian has created a continuous musical work lasting a good hour, which places delicate Norwegian folklore in a context where improvisation makes the whole thing exciting. The interactions of violin and harp are wonderful, as are the gentle tones of the keyboardist and the added sounds of the singer, who also carefully handles electronics. Enchanting sounds emerge from all this on this evening. The lightly trickling snow and the wintry ambience in the city only slowly bring you back to reality outside the theatre door after this performance.

Susanne Lundeng also comes from northern Norway. The violinist, singer and composer presented herself in an intimate concert setting with the two jazz musicians Nils-Olav Johansen (guitars) and Erik Nylander (drums). Taking the folk music of Northern Norway as a starting point, she and her trio play beautiful songs that open wonderfully to jazz and improvisation, seeking and finding connections. Sometimes fragile, then stormy, with virtuoso fiddle playing and guitar lines. On this evening, however, she overdoes the conversation with the audience between the songs, which you can't understand without knowing Norwegian anyway. 

There is no talking during the Tromsø Big Band's performance. With star guest Nils Petter Molvær, it's all about the music in the sold-out cultural centre of the city, about the pieces Molvær has brought with him for this evening. The semi-professional jazz orchestra and the Norwegian trumpet star, the ethereal and atmospheric trumpet lines and a sometimes perhaps a little too undifferentiated sound impact (but hey, there's a big band on stage) - this concert draws its points of tension from contrasts. With interesting facets, even if not every concert moment sounds insanely exciting.  

And how Franz Schubert's ‘Swan Song’ can also be interpreted is demonstrated at the Nordlysfestivalen by the very entertaining Norwegian duo frankågunnar. Singer Frank Havrøy is not too shy for any drama, even hilarious ones, but without ridiculing the whole thing for even a second. Meanwhile, pianist Gunnar Flagstad repeatedly pulls Schubert's melodies over into a jazzy context. Thus, in a congenial interplay between the two protagonists, a delicious musical adventure is created on a small stage, in a club atmosphere. And it is precisely in such a setting that frankågunnar are simply the best entertainment.

A visit to this festival is not only worthwhile because of its interesting concept. The event, which started 35 years ago as a classical music festival, has long since opened up to folk and jazz - and even features dance. With Heidi Beate Lekang, a young woman took the helm in 2020 and was able to plan and stage her first edition this year without any Corona restrictions. But of course, Tromsø, 344 km north of the Arctic Circle as the crow flies, is an absolutely interesting destination anyway. With magical, snowy nature at the time of the festival. And with the unique Northern Lights. You might even skip a solo concert by the Norwegian pianist and writer Kjetil Bjørnstad to drive out of the city into the darkness of untouched nature instead and hope for the unique spectacle of the Northern Lights in the freezing cold.