Jazzland is 30!
Jazzland celebrates at Oslojazz
The outstanding record label Jazzland Recordings celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, marking the occasion with, among other things, its own concert series at Jakob Church of Culture (Kulturkirken Jakob) during the Oslo Jazz Festival.
LILJA – Album Release Concert, Wednesday, August 12, 19.00.
LILJA's album release concert at Kulturkirken Jakob during the Oslo Jazz Festival promises to be an atmospheric and deeply existential musical experience not to be missed.
Alongside LILJA herself on guitar and vocals, the band features Beady Belle on vocals and synthesizer, Jo Skaansar on bass, and Erik Nylander on drums. They are also joined by a vocal ensemble of young singers led by Karoline Wallace.
Maridalen & Lars Lillo-Stenberg, Thursday, August 13, 20.00.
Maridalen returns with a new project—this time in collaboration with songwriter and storyteller Lars Lillo-Stenberg, who has been a defining figure in Norwegian rock for more than 40 years through deLillos, as well as for his distinctive interpretations of traditional songs.
The result is Fransk utgang ("French Exit"), recorded in spring 2025 in the small French village of Sanxay. Although the music was created in the French countryside, Maridalen and Lillo-Stenberg maintain a strong and unmistakable Oslo identity throughout the project.
Rohey Taalah & Martin Myhre Olsen – Album Release Concert, Friday, August 14, 18.00.
In 2024, Rohey Taalah and Martin Myhre Olsen formed a duo to explore the close relationship between saxophone and voice, and how just two instruments can create a complete sonic landscape.
Following an active touring schedule throughout 2025, the duo recorded their debut album, Homage to Legends, which will be released on August 14 via Jazzland Recordings. To celebrate, they'll perform their release concert the very same day at Kulturkirken Jakob during the Oslo Jazz Festival.
The concert will feature interpretations of well-known material that holds special meaning for Taalah, alongside the duo's own compositions, taking audiences on an emotional journey through a wide range of moods.
Come and experience a musical intensity that can only be felt—not described.
More Jazzland concerts at this year's Oslo Jazz Festival:
When I Return performs at Juret on Tuesday, August 11 19.00.
Led by saxophonist Brede Sørum and trombonist Jørgen Bjelkerud, When I Return performs music they compose together. Their sound carries a distinctly youthful energy, drawing on the American jazz tradition while embracing a uniquely Norwegian approach to texture, composition, interplay, and the exploration of their instruments' full expressive range.
Also on Tuesday, August 11, Veslemøy Narvesen performs at Nasjonal Jazzscene at 21.00. Narvesen won the Oslo Jazz Festival Talent Award in 2020 and returned to Nasjonal Jazzscene the following year with her work We Don't Imagine Anymore. Now, five years later, she returns to both the festival and the same stage with an exceptional ensemble and her new album, Letting All Light Through.
Madmax, Saturday, August 15, 11:00 PM.
On the festival's final day, Madmax takes the stage at Kunstnernes Hus.Madmax is a forward-thinking band formed by four friends studying in the renowned jazz programme in Trondheim. With its unusual combination of tuba, synthesizer, vocals, guitar, and drums—and a delightfully carefree attitude toward genre boundaries—the band creates fearless music that's equally suited to uninhibited dancing and quiet contemplation.
Happy 30th Anniversary, Jazzland!