Bugge Wesseltoft

Jens Christian Bugge Wesseltoft (born 1 February 1964) is a Norwegian jazz musician, pianist, composer and producer, son of the jazz guitarist Erik Wesseltoft.[1]

Bugge Wesseltoft
Background information
Birth nameJens Christian Bugge Wesseltoft
Born (1964-02-01) 1 February 1964
Porsgrunn, Telemark, Norway
GenresJazz, nu jazz, electronica
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, music producer
InstrumentsPiano, keyboards, electronic instruments, percussion
LabelsJazzland Recordings
ECM Records
Associated actsNew Conception of Jazz
Websitebuggesroom.com

Career
Bugge Wesseltoft (with John Scofield) at Moers Festival 2006, Germany.
DJ Bugge at the 2016 Nattjazz
in Bergen, Norway.

Wesseltoft collaborated within the Knut Riisnæs Quartet in 1989, and he was soon after contacted by Arild Andersen to join in on the commissioned work for Vossajazz - released on the album Sagn (1990) - and the follow up Arv (1993), and Jan Garbarek for his Molde Canticle (1990), a commission from the Moldejazz, released on the album I Took Up the Runes (1990).[1]

Bugge Wesseltoft had a great impact on the Norwegian Jazz scene at the beginning of the 1990s, while going through a transition from Nordic jazz traditions exemplified by the ECM label to a style sometimes referred to as "future jazz" or nu jazz. There after he toured extensively on the international Jazz scenes, performing both jazz and rock concerts to live audiences, and on a series of recordings on his own Jazzland label. Bugge Wesseltoft collaborated with a series artists in this period, like the guitarists Terje Rypdal and Jon Eberson, and in the mid-1990s he toured and recorded the album Billy Cobham presents Nordic – Off Color (1999) together with Billy Cobham. For many years he collaborated with the experimental jazz vocalist Sidsel Endresen, and was in the lineup for her commissioned work at the Moldejazz in 1993, which was released on the album Exile (1994). His own commissioned work A Little War Story for the Vossajazz was also performed in 1993. Bugge Wesseltoft formed his own band the 'New Conception of Jazz' in 1995, and their first album New Conception of Jazz (1996), was awarded a Spellemannprisen in 1996.[2]

Firmly committed to electronic music, he completely eschews acoustic forms and is just as adamant that he will not be tied by genre boundaries, bringing hip-hop and other contemporary dance music forms into his concept of contemporary jazz. On the album Sharing (1998) many were taken by surprise by his extensive use of club DJ's and scratchers.[2]

The track "Existence" could be heard in Philippe Harel's movie Extension du domaine de la lutte, an adaptation of Michel Houellebecq's 1994 novel.

After Wesseltoft liked working with Dan Berglund (on "Trialogue"), he decided to found a jazz trio with him. As a drummer he asked Magnus Öström. The band Rymden had their first appearance at the Nattjazz Festival in Bergen in 2017. According to Wesseltoft, the band began work on a debut album after this successful performance. Wesseltoft had the band signed on his Jazzland label. Further appearances followed in 2017 and 2018, and in 2019 Rymden recorded their first album, Reflections & Odysseys’'.

John Kellman of the All About Jazz magazine recognized Bugge Wesseltoft Solo appearance at The Punkt Festival, Kristiansand, Norway, September 2013, as one of his 25 "Best Live Shows of 2013".[3]

Honors

Discography
  • It's Snowing on My Piano (ACT, 1997)
  • New Conception of Jazz (Jazzland/Sonet, 1997)
  • Sharing (Jazzland/EmArcy, 1998)
  • New Conception of Jazz: Moving (Jazzland/EmArcy, 2001)
  • New Conception of Jazz Live (Jazzland, 2003)
  • New Conception of Jazz: Film Ing (Jazzland, 2004)
  • IM (Jazzland, 2007)
  • New Conceptions of Jazz (Jazzland, 2008)
  • Duo (Jazzland, 2011)
  • Songs (Jazzland, 2011)
  • Last Spring (ACT, 2012)
  • Trialogue (Jazzland, 2014)
  • OK World (Jazzland, 2014)
  • Bugge & Friends (Jazzland, 2015)
  • Everybody Loves Angels (ACT, 2017)
  • Bugge Wesseltoft & Prins Thomas (Smalltown Supersound, 2018)
  • Be Am (Jazzland, 2022)

With Rymden

As sideman

With Finn Coren

  • The Blake Project: Spring (Bard, 1997)
  • The Blake Project: Spring: The Appendix (Bard, 1998)
  • Lovecloud (Bard, 1999)

With Jan Eggum

  • Dacapo (Sigma Music, 1990)
  • Underveis (Grappa, 1991)
  • Nesten Ikke Tilstede (Grappa, 1993)
  • Deilig (Grappa, 1999)
  • Kjaerlighet & AErlighet 2 (Grappa, 2011)

With Bjorn Eidsvag

  • Til Alle Tider (Norsk, 1992)
  • Landet Lenger Bak (Norsk, 1995)
  • Rundt Neste Sving (Petroleum, 2010)

With Sidsel Endresen

  • Exile (ECM, 1994)
  • Nightsong (Curling Legs, 1994)
  • Duplex Ride (ACT/Curling Legs, 1998)
  • Undertow (Jazzland/EmArcy, 2000)
  • Out Here. In There. (Jazzland, 2002)

With Laurent Garnier

  • The Cloud Making Machine (F/PIAS, 2004)
  • The Cloud Making Machine Reworks (F/PIAS, 2005)
  • Retrospective (F/PIAS, 2006)
  • Public Outburst (F/PIAS, 2007)

With Knut Reiersrud

  • Soul of a Man (Kirkelig Kulturverksted, 1998)
  • Sub (Kirkelig Kulturverksted, 1999)
  • Gitar (Jazzland, 2009)

With Oystein Sunde

  • Du Ma'kke Komme Her Og Komme Her (Spinner, 1994)
  • Sann Er'e Bare (Spinner, 2005)
  • Bestefar (Spinner, 2016)

With Vamp

  • Godmorgen, Soster (Major Selskapet, 1993)
  • Horisonter (Major Selskapet, 1994)
  • 13 Humler (Major Selskapet, 1996)
  • Flua Pa Veggen (MajorStudio, 1998)
  • St. Mandag (MajorStudio, 2008)

With others

See also

References
  1. Halvorsen, Tore (13 February 2009). "Bugge Wesseltoft Extended Biography". Norsk Biografisk Leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  2. Kelman, John (4 March 2009). "Bugge Wesseltoft: New Conception of Jazz Box Review". All About Jazz. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  3. Kelman, John (13 December 2013). "John Kelman's Best Live Shows of 2013". All About Jazz. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
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