With a new board in place, Grenland jazz forum is ready for a new festival. Rune Seip Bjørnflaten is head of the Grenland jazz forum and has taken over the helm from Elle Flogstad.
– Elle Flogstad helped start the jazz forum in 1992, and has now been elected an honorary member for life. This means that she gets free entry to the concerts we arrange, says Bjørnflaten.
The skier Bjørn Goberg Thorstensen, Synøve Jacobsen and Mirja Baun Krogstad make up the rest of the new board. Grenland jazz forum started at Kafé K., but in recent years the concerts have been arranged at Ælvespeilet. On Friday 3 May, Jazzalarm breaks loose. Pupils from the Skien high school music department participate in a workshop with Audun Kleive. Later there will be a concert with Klakegg, Guttormsen and Renvåg, followed by Torun Eriksen, who plays in the Foajescenen. Last, but not least, Bushman’s revenge plays on stage two.
On Saturday afternoon, it’s ready for the Victoria jazz band on the Foajéscenen, while Jonas Cambien’s Macu Conu plays on stage two. So does Eivind Aarseth. It all ends with Sky Music – Terje Rypdal Tribute on the main stage, with a flat floor. The star band consists of Hedvig Mollestad on guitar, Even Helte Hermansen on guitar, Ståle Storløkken on organ and synth, Ingebrigt Håker (bass) Flaten and Gard Nilssen on drums.
– It’s a melting pot and we’ve brought in big names, says Bjørnflaten enthusiastically and adds that the festival is supported by the Norwegian Cultural Council, Telemark County Council and Porsgrunn Municipality. The budget is NOK 360,000.
– Big things are happening in the jazz world at the moment.
Tags: Porsgrunn Jazz continue give people good concert experiences
