Commissioned works for Paolo Vinaccia's 70th birthday, Nothing Personal, and Rohey Taalah & Martin M. Olsen

Between 1987 and 2018, Paolo Vinaccia managed to perform in 23 concerts at Moldejazz. In 2019, he passed away, far too soon

Paolo Vinaccia was a musician who lived life to the fullest, once saying that the drum set wasn't just an instrument but "an old mobile phone." An energetic bon vivant, an Italian who, by chance, settled in Norway and played with everyone and everything.

At times, Vinaccia enjoyed great success—contributing to nearly 300 releases and 3000 individual tracks—but at other times, he flew under the radar.

And even though many didn't know who he was, he could also take up a lot of space. Behind sharp formulations, antics, and bombastic statements was a wondering, complex, and self-expanding man who couldn't read sheet music but had enormous artistic visions.

In 2013, fate had it that Vinaccia rented out a room in his apartment. Composer student Audun Aschim moved in, a humble and cautious, yet theoretically skilled jazz guitarist from Langhus.

Somewhat odd but, as it turned out, divinely matched work partners.

Aschim quickly became Vinaccia's protégé and eventually his close friend and colleague. Together, they realized Vinaccia's visionary dream, "Judgment Day According to Paulus" a (very) commissioned work for Oslo Jazz 2015 performed at Oslo Cathedral, which included film projection, Eivind Aarset on guitar, and the Norwegian Soloist Choir. Vinaccia provided the ideas, and Aschim handled the composition and preparation of the score. Without exaggerating, it could be called a trial by fire for a 23-year-old newly graduated composer.

"We worked 10 hours a day all that summer before the concert—a stamina I haven't seen in any other musician before or since."

For Vinaccia's 70th anniversary, Aschim, along with the Vinaccia Legacy Team, produced the audiovisual performance "Vinaccia|Repercussions." Among other things, he went through enormous amounts of archive recordings from Vinaccia.

"Paolo's presence is woven into the concert through recordings, unfinished material and compositions, atmospheric percussion tracks, visuals, and an overall musical and visual concept that reflects his vision with dignity, respect, and exciting dramaturgy."

All these elements will interact with the Italian musician Enzo Favata (local instruments from Sardinia)), Audun Aschim (guitar and electronics), Trude Semb-Vinaccia (visual development/design/dramaturgy), and Tord Knutsen (light and visuals).

The work is part of a three-step rocket because in addition to this, Vinaccia is celebrated with the premiere of Arne B. Rostad's documentary "Mystery Man" this year.

Among Rostad's previous works are the film "Chick Corea – The Musician" (2017) made at the request of Chick Corea, "Giganten" (2005) about Erik Bye, and the art film "The Scream" (2013) with Marina Abramović. A teaser for "Mystery Man" was already shown at Kongsberg Jazz in 2022 and is scheduled to premiere at the same festival this year.

In addition to this, a book project is also in the works, which will be realized in the coming years.

"Paolo was very concerned with meaning in music. It had to have a story, an inner image, a visuality. You had to create a rich inner world that you could access when you played. What he meant was that music had to come from an extra-musical place, such as a story or a feeling"

Concerts in our main program typically last between 60 to 90 minutes.
In Alexandraparken, there is an age limit of 18 years from 7:00 PM.
Read more about Accessibility | Venues | Concert ABC / General ticket information | Transport/travel

Join us for an extraordinary concert featuring two award-winning musicians.

Experience the exceptional vocalist Rohey Taalah and the masterful saxophonist Martin Myhre Olsen in a unique duo format. Both artists have gained recognition through their work in projects such as Gurls, Hegge, Wako, and Trondheim Jazzorkester.
This collaboration emerged from the desire to explore the intimate connection between vocals and saxophone, creatively crafting a rich and dynamic sound.
Don't miss out on this unforgettable music experience; we strongly suggest you secure your tickets now!

Concerts in our main program typically last between 60 to 90 minutes.
In Alexandraparken, there is an age limit of 18 years from 7:00 PM.
Read more about Accessibility | Venues | Concert ABC / General ticket information | Transport/travel

Experience the Nothing Personal Universe

Strong and conceptual music from some of Norways most exciting musicians. Dorothea Økland, Thea Emilie Wang, and Solveig Wang are all active musicians with various projects such as Klossmajor, Fieh, HeyLove, Soft Punch, and their own solo projects. Together, they form Nothing Personal and create a collage of experimental pop music with elements from jazz, R&B, and electroacoustic music!

Their approach to music is like a laboratory where much of the music is created in the moment. Sound collages and unconventional elements are mixed together with lyrics and melodies that are very catchy. The music consists of catchy vocal parts and lyrics that make you wonder and engage your musical references. The music is integrated with Tobias Gulbrandsen on visuals and projection, creating a unique aesthetic at concerts that is worth experiencing in itself. Gulbrandsen also handles the band's artwork.

The trio's first EP, "The Alchemy of Nothing Personal," received a 5-star rating from both Subjekt and Stavanger Aftenblad, with Subjekt's Elisteinar Tenga writing: "'The Alchemy of Nothing Personal' is an abstract totality with a dada aesthetic that charms, voices that seduce, and compositions that surprise individually and collectively. Here is a forward-thinking EP that truly sets the music landscape ablaze!" Dagens Næringsliv's Audun Vinger described the trio as follows: "Nothing Personal is like a dream come true, where exploratory electronic contemporary music meets intricate pop melodies, avant-garde R&B sensibility, sophisticated trance, and improvisation"

Concerts in our main program typically last between 60 to 90 minutes.
In Alexandraparken, there is an age limit of 18 years from 7:00 PM.
Read more about Accessibility | Venues | Concert ABC / General ticket information | Transport/travel