Espen Aalberg
Norwegian jazz musician
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Espen Aalberg (born 12 October 1975) is a Norwegian jazz drummer. He is known for his work with ensemblels such as The Core, Shagma, Kwaz, and the Håvard Lund Quartet, as well as collaborations with musicians including Jonas Kullhammar, Håvard Wiik, and Torbjörn Zetterberg. Aalberg has also contributed to a number of recordings.[2]
Career
Aalberg performed with the Namsos percussion ensemble from 1988 to 1994, during which the group won national competitions in ensemble performance. He later studied at the conservatory in Tromsø and in the Jazz Program at the Trondheim Musikkonservatorium (1998–2000).[3]
While in Trondheim, Aalberg co-founded the band The Core with fellow students Kjetil Møster, Erlend Slettevoll, and Steinar Raknes. In 2004 he established the ensemble Shagma with Jørgen Mathisen and Raknes. At the Nattjazz festival in Bergen in 2006, he led the group Kwaz, featuring Jonas Kullhammar, Håvard Wiik, and Torbjörn Zetterberg. He has also performed with the Håvard Lund Quartet.
In 2006, Aalberg and The Core collaborated with Indian musicians during a tour of India, later appearing at the Oslo World Music Festival under the name *The Indian Core*. The project resulted in the album The Indian Core (2007).[4]
In addition to his work in jazz, Aalberg has performed as a percussionist with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Trondheim Sinfonietta, and the Luftforsvarets Musikkorps.
Discography
As leader/co-leader
| Year | Album | Label | With |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Vision | Jazzaway | The Core |
| 2005 | Music | Jazzaway | Shagma |
| 2006 | Blue Sky | Jazzaway | The Core |
| 2007 | The Indian Core | Grappa | The Indian Core (with Prasenjit Mitra, Kanchman Babbar, Fateh Ali) |
| 2007 | Office Essentials | Jazzland | The Core |
| 2007 | Meditations on Coltrane | Grappa | The Core & Bergen Big Band |
| 2008 | Golonka Love | Moserobie | The Core |
| 2009 | The Art of No Return, Vol. 1 | Moserobie | The Core & More |
| 2010 | Party | Moserobie | With Jonas Kullhammar and Kjetil Møster (recorded, mixed, and produced by Aalberg)[2] |
| 2012 | Basement Sessions, Vol. 1 | Clean Feed | With Jonas Kullhammar and Torbjörn Zetterberg[5] |
As sideman
| Year | Album | Label | With |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Så rart | Øra | Trondheim Sinfonietta |
