Cutting Edge established in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

(1981–1986, 2002), was a Norwegian jazz-rock quintet, known from three recordings in the 1980s, and cooperation with

Jan Eggum Jan Eggum (born 8 December 1951) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter. He has been characterized as a "face for the melancholy", and the themes in his songs are often broken hearts, loneliness, and sorrow. Sometimes his lyrics include social critici ...

on the album ''E.G.G.U.M'' (1985).

Career

Their musical idea was to create improvised music profiting from the Groove in rock and yet the transparency in jazz. In a surprisingly short time, the band was established and represented Norway at EBU jazz festival, together with the jazz elite in Europe. After touring in Norway, the band recorded their first album in 1982, with

Jan Erik Kongshaug Jan Erik Kongshaug (4 July 1944 – 5 November 2019) was a Norwegian sound engineer, jazz guitarist, and composer. Career Kongshaug was born in Trondheim, the son of guitarist John Kongshaug. Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian) During his ch ...

as producer. The band was a hit on Norwegian clubs, and they were invited on a four-week UK tour which ended with a one-week engagement at the legendary

Ronnie Scott's Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club that has operated in Soho, London, since 1959. History The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was set up and managed by musicians Ronnie Sco ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. The band was constituted by four of the members from Knut Værnes Quartet (Edvard Askeland, Morten Halle, Frank Jakobsen) supplemented by Rune Klakegg. They released two records on

Odin Records Odin Records is a Norwegian jazz record company and label founded in 1981 by the Norwegian Jazz Federation, when there were not many independent record labels in Norway. Only major international record companies were to be found in Oslo, so Odin ...

, In addition to extensive touring.

Frank Jakobsen Frank Jakobsen (born 28 April 1954) is a Norwegian jazz musician (drums), known from a number of recordings, and central to the jazz scenes in Bergen and Oslo. Career Jakobsen was born and raised in Bergen, where he played in local groups li ...

was substituted for Stein Inge Brækhus on drums on their latest album in 1986. 16 years after their breakup, they had a great tour in 2002.

Band members

Morten Halle Morten Halle (born 7 October 1957) is a Norwegian jazz musician (saxophone), composer and music arranger. He was born in Oslo, and he is known from the city's jazz scene and from a series recordings. (in Norwegian) Career Halle participated i ...

(saxophones) *

Knut Værnes Knut Værnes (born 1 April 1954) is a Norwegian jazz musician (guitar), composer and band leader, known from several recordings in the jazz rock genre. He grew up at Bøler in Oslo, where he became an accomplished guitarist. Career Værnes wa ...

(guitars) *

Edvard Askeland Edvard Askeland (born 10 December 1954) is a Norwegian jazz bassist, known from a series of album releases in various genres and for being regular in Dag Arnesens lineups in 1970-80, and within Cutting Edge. Career Askeland was born in Bergen ...

(bass) *

(drums, 1981–84, 2002) * Stein Inge Brækhus (drums, 1984–86)

Discography

*''Cutting Edge'' (Odin Records, 1982) *''Our Man In Paradise'' (Odin Records, 1984) *''Duesenberg'' (Curling Legs, 1986) *''Alle tre'' (Curling Legs, 1995) ;Backing *''E.G.G.U.M'' (Grappa Records, 1985), with

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cutting Edge Norwegian jazz ensembles Norwegian experimental musical groups Musical groups established in 1981 1981 establishments in Norway Musical groups from Oslo