Karl Seglem

Norway has spawned quite a plethora of distinctive musicians that have made it their enterprise to merge musical traditions, often from their respective homesteads, with contemporary expressions, world music and improvisational jazz. Tenor-saxophonist and goat horn player Karl Seglem looms prominently among these and he is unquestionably one of the great innovators and visionaries of Norwegian music; reinvigorating both Norwegian traditional genres and jazz with his unwavering will to fuse expressions, pursue crossover ventures and embrace new instruments, sounds and perspectives.Seglem has played an important role on the Norwegian jazz scene. His CD-production counts 29 albums (2014). Already at an early stage in his career he became interested in more diverse and genre crossing perspectives of music. Especially he has been deeply involved with Norwegian folk music and has explored it as a basis for improvisation and composition. For Seglem is much more than an instrumentalist, he has worked widely and diversely as a composer, - developing new contemporary forms on the basis of jazz, folk music and more eclectic inspirations, and has also been instrumental to the growth of cross-over expressions and projects as a producer and record label manager (NORCD). International renown has grown steadily and not least his recent trilogy of solo releases Femstein, Urbs and Ossicles have captivated international critics and audiences. On these records the use of goat horns and other traditional instruments - notably the Hardanger fiddle- is masterly and excitingly blended with a plethora of modern and eclectic elements; electronic loops, jazz improvisation, world music traits and rock characteristics. Seglem often returns to the notion of the acoustic heart of his music, which is the grounded and timeless leitmotif.