Jens Christian Bugge Wesseltoft (born 1 February 1964) is a Norwegian

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

pianist, composer, and producer, son of jazz guitarist Erik Wesseltoft.

Career

DJ Bugge Wesseltoft at the 2016 Nattjazz

In 1989, Wesseltoft collaborated with the Knut Riisnæs Quartet and was soon after contacted by

Arild Andersen Arild Andersen (born 27 October 1945) is a Norwegian jazz musician bassist, known as the most famous Norwegian bass player in the international jazz scene. Career Andersen was born at Strømmen, Norway. He started his musical career as jazz g ...

to join in on commissioned work for Vossajazz—released on the album ''Sagn'' (1990)—and the follow-up ''Arv'' (1993). He worked with

Jan Garbarek Jan Garbarek () (born 4 March 1947) is a Norwegian jazz saxophonist, who is also active in classical music and world music. Garbarek was born in Mysen, Østfold, southeastern Norway, the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war, Czesław ...

on his ''Molde Canticle'', a commission from

Moldejazz Molde International Jazz Festival (MIJF) or Moldejazz (established 1961 in Molde) takes place annually in July, and is known as one of the oldest jazz festivals in Europe. It was initiated by the local Storyville Jazz Club. Since 1964 it has re ...

, released on the 1990 album '' I Took Up the Runes''. Wesseltoft had an impact on the Norwegian jazz scene at the beginning of the 1990s while going through a transition from Nordic jazz traditions, exemplified by the ECM label, to a style sometimes referred to as "future jazz" or

nu jazz Nu jazz (also known as jazztronica, or future jazz) is a genre of jazz and electronic music. The music blends jazz elements with other musical styles, such as funk, electronic music, and free improvisation.Definition from Sergey Chernov, June 7, ...

. Thereafter, he toured extensively on the international jazz scene, performing both jazz and rock concerts, and on a series of recordings on his own Jazzland label. He collaborated with a series of artists in this period, such as guitarists

Terje Rypdal Terje Rypdal (born 23 August 1947) is a Norwegian guitarist and composer. He has been an important member in the Norwegian jazz community, and has also given show concerts with guitarists Ronni Le Tekrø and Mads Eriksen as "N3". Career Rypda ...

and Jon Eberson, and in the mid-1990s, he toured and recorded the album ''Billy Cobham presents Nordic – Off Color'', released in 1999, together with

Billy Cobham William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He was inducted into the ''Mode ...

. For many years, he also collaborated with experimental jazz vocalist

Sidsel Endresen Sidsel Endresen (born 19 June 1952) is a Norwegian singer, composer, and actress. She was part of the Jon Eberson group. Since 1987, Endresen has pursued a successful solo career, recording for ECM. Career Endresen was one of the most pronou ...

and was in the lineup for her commissioned work at Moldejazz in 1993, which was released on the album ''Exile'' a year later. His own commissioned work ''A Little War Story'' for Vossajazz was also performed in 1993. Wesseltoft formed his own band, New Conception of Jazz, in 1995, and their first album, ''New Conception of Jazz'', was awarded a Spellemannprisen in 1996, the same year it was released. Firmly committed to electronic music, Wesseltoft completely eschews acoustic forms and is just as adamant that he will not be tied by genre boundaries, bringing hip hop and other contemporary dance music forms into his concept of contemporary jazz. On the album ''Sharing'' (1998), many listeners were taken by surprise by his extensive use of club DJs and scratchers. His track "Existence" can be heard in Philippe Harel's movie ''Extension du domaine de la lutte'', an adaptation of Michel Houellebecq's 1994 novel. After working with

Dan Berglund Dan Berglund (born 5 May 1963) is a Swedish musician who mainly plays the upright bass and is known within jazz and fusion. Biography Berglund was familiar with Swedish folk music as well as with pop and rock music. At the age of ten he start ...

on his 2014 album ''Trialogue'', Wesseltoft founded the jazz trio Rymden, adding Magnus Öström on drums. They had their first appearance at the Nattjazz Festival in Bergen in 2017. According to Wesseltoft, they began work on a debut album after this successful performance. Further appearances followed in 2017 and 2018, and in 2019, Rymden recorded their first album, ''Reflections & Odysseys''. John Kellman of ''

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

'' magazine noted Wesseltoft's solo performance at The Punkt Festival, Kristiansand, Norway, as one of his 25 "Best Live Shows of 2013".

Honors

* Smugetprisen (1996) *

Spellemannprisen Spellemannprisen, often referred to as the Norwegian Grammy Awards in English, is a Norwegian music award presented to Norwegian musicians. The award was established by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), an organizat ...

in the jazz category, for the album ''New Conception of Jazz'' (1996) *

Kongsberg Jazz Award Kongsberg Jazz Festival or Kongsberg Jazzfestival is an international jazz festival that has been held annually in Kongsberg, Norway, since 1964. Artists Several worldwide great artists have visited Kongsberg during this festival; internation ...

(1997) * Spellemannprisen, together with

, in the jazz category, for the album ''Duplex Ride'' (1998) * Gammleng-prisen in the jazz category (1999) * Spellemannprisen in the open category, for the album ''Out here. In there.'' (2002) * Buddyprisen, awarded by The Norwegian Jazz Forum (2004)

Selected discography

Solo

* '' It's Snowing on My Piano'' (1997) * ''New Conception of Jazz'' (1997) * ''Sharing'' (1998) * ''New Conception of Jazz: Moving'' (2001) * ''New Conception of Jazz Live'' (2003) * ''New Conception of Jazz: Film Ing'' (2004) * ''IM'' (2007) * ''New Conceptions of Jazz'' (2008) * ''Songs'' (2011) * ''Last Spring'' (2012) * ''Trialogue'' (2014) * ''OK World'' (2014) * ''Bugge & Friends'' (2015) * ''Everybody Loves Angels'' (2017) * ''Bugge Wesseltoft & Prins Thomas'' (2018) * ''Be Am'' (2022)

With Rymden

* ''Reflections & Odysseys'' (2019) * ''Space Sailors'' (2020) * ''Live In Umeå’' (2020 – From a live performance at the Umeå Jazz Festival in October 2019)

Collaborations

With

Finn Coren Finn Coren (born 28 March 1961) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for his series of albums setting to music the lyrics of William Blake, W.B. Yeats and Olav H. Hauge. Coren's first album ''The Echoing Gr ...

* ''The Blake Project: Spring'' (1997) * ''The Blake Project: Spring: The Appendix'' (1998) * ''Lovecloud'' (1999) With Jan Eggum * ''Dacapo'' (1990) * ''Underveis'' (1991) * ''Nesten Ikke Tilstede'' (1993) * ''Deilig'' (1999) * ''Kjaerlighet & AErlighet 2'' (2011) With Bjorn Eidsvag * ''Til Alle Tider'' (1992) * ''Landet Lenger Bak'' (1995) * ''Rundt Neste Sving'' (2010) With

* ''Exile'' (1994) * ''Nightsong'' (1994) * ''Duplex Ride'' (1998) * ''Undertow'' (2000) * ''Out Here. In There.'' (2002) With

Laurent Garnier Laurent Garnier (born 1 February 1966), also known as Choice, is a French electronic music producer and DJ. Garnier began DJing in Manchester during the late 1980s. He became a producer in the early 1990s and recorded several albums. Early influ ...

* ''The Cloud Making Machine'' (2004) * ''The Cloud Making Machine Reworks'' (2005) * ''Retrospective'' (2006) * ''Public Outburst'' (2007) With

Knut Reiersrud Knut Reiersrud (born 12 February 1961) is a Norwegian blues guitarist. His work also incorporates elements of Norwegian traditional music and African music. Reiersrud has recorded and played with David Lindley, the Blind Boys Of Alabama, Rickie ...

* ''Soul of a Man'' (1998) * ''Sub'' (1999) * ''Gitar'' (2009) With Oystein Sunde * ''Du Ma'kke Komme Her Og Komme Her'' (1994) * ''Sann Er'e Bare'' (2005) * ''Bestefar'' (2016) With

Vamp The VaMP driverless car was one of the first truly autonomous cars Dynamic Vision for Perc ...

* ''Godmorgen, Soster'' (1993) * ''Horisonter'' (1994) * ''13 Humler'' (1996) * ''Flua Pa Veggen'' (1998) * ''St. Mandag'' (2008) With others * Dollie de Luxe, ''Which Witch'' (1987) *

Hanne Krogh Hanne Krogh (born 24 January 1956) is a Norwegian singer and actress from Haugesund and Oslo. Krogh is among the most selling record artists in Norway ever and is internationally well known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 1985 with Elisab ...

, ''Hanne'' (1989) *

, ''Sagn'' (1990) *

Olav Stedje Olav Stedje (Born 8 June 1953 in Sogndal, Norway) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter, known for a number of soft rock recordings, six silver albums and three attempts in Melodi Grand Prix. Career Stedje debuted as a solo singer within the band ...

, ''Ei Gave Til Deg'' (1990) *

, ''I Took Up the Runes'' (1990) *

Lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

, ''The Rhythm of Love'' (1990) * Jorn Hoel, ''Kjaerlighetens Teater'' (1991) * Eero Koivistoinen, ''Altered Things'' (1992) * Tore Brunborg, ''Tid'' (1993) * Kenneth Sivertsen, ''Remembering North'' (1993) * The Monroes, ''Long Way Home'' (1993) * Kjetil Saunes, ''Lystyv'' (1993) * Knut Vaernes, ''Roneo'' (1993) * Arild Andersen, ''Arv'' (1994) * Maj Britt Andersen, ''Rippel Rappel'' (1994) * Dance with a Stranger, ''Look What You've Done'' (1994) *

Rick Danko Richard Clare Danko (December 29, 1943 – December 10, 1999) was a Canadian musician, bassist, songwriter, and singer, best known as a founding member of the Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. During ...

, ''Ridin' on the Blinds'' (1994) * Dennis Gonzalez, ''Welcome to Us'' (1994) * Jens Wendelboe, ''Big Crazy Energy Band Vol. 2'' (1994) * Anne Grete Preus, ''Millimeter'' (1994) *

Marilyn Mazur Marilyn Mazur (born January 18, 1955) is an American-born Danish percussionist. Since 1975, she has worked as a percussionist with various groups, among them Six Winds with Alex Riel. Mazur is primarily an autodidact, but she has a degree in ...

, ''Circular Chant'' (1995) * Knut Vaernes, ''Jacques Tati'' (1995) *

Di Derre Di Derre is a Norwegian Pop rock band, founded in 1992. They were awarded the Gammleng-prisen in 1996. Band members *Jo Nesbø – vocals, guitar *Espen Stenhammer – drums *Magnus Larsen jr. – bass guitar, vocals *Halvor Holter – keyboa ...

, ''Gym'' (1996) *

, ''Nordic'' (1996) * Bendik Hofseth, ''Planets, Rivers and...Ikea'' (1996) *

Tim Scott Timothy Eugene Scott (born September 19, 1965) is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator from South Carolina since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Scott was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Go ...

, ''Everywhere I've Been'' (1996) *

Unni Wilhelmsen Unni Elisabeth Wilhelmsen (born 12 July 1971) is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, and musician. Her musical influences are pop music and the American tradition of the singer-songwriter in which the lyrics play an important role as well as the mus ...

, ''To Whom It May Concern'' (1996) * Jon Eberson, ''Thirteen Rounds'' (1997) *

Marlui Miranda Marlui Miranda is a Brazilian singer, musician, and researcher known for her performances of indigenous music from the Amazon. She has collaborated with Brazilian musicians Gilberto Gil, Egberto Gismonti, Milton Nascimento, and Nana Vasconcelos ...

, ''2 IHU Kewere: Rezar'' (1997) * Unni Wilhelmsen, ''Definitely Me'' (1997) *

Audun Kleive Audun Kleive (born 20 October 1961) is a Norwegian jazz drummer.) He was raised in Skien and is the son of organist Kristoffer Kleive and brother of organist Iver Kleive. Career Kleive began to play drums in a rock and dance band, and then wen ...

, ''Bitt'' (1997) *

Eivind Aarset Eivind Aarset (born 23 March 1961) is a Norwegian guitarist who has worked with Ray Charles, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ute Lemper, Ketil Bjørnstad, Andy Sheppard, Mike Mainieri, Arild Andersen, Abraham Laboriel, Dhafer Youssef, Django Bates, and N ...

, ''Electronique Noire'' (1998) * Bertine Zetlitz, ''Morbid Latenight Show'' (1998) * Torbjorn Sunde, ''Meridians'' (1998) *

Bengt-Arne Wallin Bengt-Arne Wallin (13 July 1926 in Linköping – 23 November 2015) was a Swedish jazz composer, arranger, trumpeter, and flugelhorn player who played jazz influenced by Swedish traditional folk music. He also wrote film scores. Biography Betwe ...

, ''The Birth and Re-Birth of Swedish Folk Jazz'' (1998) * Jan Garbarek, ''Rites'' (1998) *

Gilberto Gil Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira (; born 26 June 1942), is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and politician, known for both his musical innovation and political activism. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Brazil's Minister of Culture in the administration ...

, ''O Sol De Oslo'' (1998) * Katia Cardenal, ''Canta Alf Proysen: Navegas Por Las Costas'' (1999) *

Lars Lillo-Stenberg Lars Lillo-Stenberg (born 30 June 1962) is a Norwegian rock musician. He is the man behind the Norwegian band deLillos, but he also played in The Last James and still plays in the band Young Neils. He has also recorded many solo albums. He is the ...

, ''Oslo,'' (2000) * Kirsten Bråten Berg, ''Syng Du Mi Royst'' (2001) * Jon Eberson, ''Dreams That Went Astray'' (2001) *

Mari Boine Mari Boine (born Mari Brit Randi Boine, 8 November 1956) is a Norwegian Sámi singer. She combined traditional Sámi joik singing with rock. In 2008, she became a professor of musicology at Nesna University College. Biography Mari Boine was b ...

, ''Eight Seasons: Gavcci Jahkejuogu'' (2002) * Tore Brunborg, ''Gravity'' (2003) * Joyce, ''Just a Little Bit Crazy'' (2003) * Dhafer Youssef, ''Digital Prophecy'' (2003) * Torun Eriksen, ''Glittercard'' (2004) * Erik Wesseltoft, ''Con Amor'' (2004) *

Beady Belle Beady Belle is a Norwegian jazz band founded by Beate S. Lech with her bassist and husband Marius Reksjø, after having been encouraged to make a record by Bugge Wesseltoft at Jazzland Recordings. Biography Lech and Reksjø studied music to ...

, ''Closer'' (2005) * Torun Eriksen, ''Prayers & Observations'' (2005) *

Nils Petter Molvaer Nils is a Scandinavian given name, a chiefly Norwegian, Danish, Swedish and Latvian variant of Niels, cognate to Nicholas. People and animals with the given name * Nils Bergström (born 1985), Swedish ice hockey player *Nils Björk (1898–1989), ...

, ''Remakes'' (2005) *

Lars Danielsson Lars Danielsson (born 5 September 1958) is a Swedish jazz bassist, composer, and record producer. Biography Danielsson was born in Smålandsstenar, and was educated at the music conservatory in Gothenburg. He plays double bass, electric bass ...

, ''Melange Bleu'' (2006) *

Ola Kvernberg Ola Kvernberg (born 16 June 1981) is a Norwegian jazz musician known for his virtuosic string swing violin playing and his international performances. He is the son of traditional musicians Liv Rypdal Kvernberg and Torbjørn Kvernberg, and the br ...

, ''Night Driver'' (2006) *

Mike Mainieri Michael T. Mainieri Jr. (born July 4, 1938) is an American vibraphonist, known for his work with the jazz fusion group Steps Ahead. He is married to the singer-songwriter and harpist Dee Carstensen. Biography Mainieri was born in The Bronx, Ne ...

, ''Northern Lights'' (2006) * Mungolian Jet Set, ''Beauty Came to Us in Stone'' (2006) *

, ''Vossabrygg'' (2006) *

Malika Makouf Rasmussen Malika Makouf Rasmussen (born 27 February 1965 in Algiers, Algeria) is a Norwegian/Algerian/French composer, musician, music producer, curator and philosopher. Early life Rasmussen was born 1965 in Algiers, Algeria, to Algerian-French-Norwegia ...

, ''Cairo'' (2006) * Nils Landgren, ''Christmas with My Friends'' (2007) *

Knut Buen Knut Buen (born 31 October 1948) is a Norwegian fiddler, composer, folklorist and publisher. He was born in Kongsberg; the son of folk musician Anders Buen and Margit Tjønn, and is brother of Hauk Buen, Agnes Buen Garnås and the artist Kari Bu ...

, ''Tonebod'' (2008) * Baba Zula, ''Gecekondu'' (2010) * Gitarkameratene, ''Typisk Norsk'' (2010) * Caecilie Norby, ''Arabesque'' (2010) * Ost & Kjex, ''Cajun Lunch'' (2010) * Paolo Vinaccia, ''Very Much Alive'' (2010) * Susanne Lundeng, ''Mot'' (2011) *

Henrik Schwarz Henrik Schwarz (born 31 May 1972) is a German deep house and classical crossover producer and DJ from Bodensee, whose career began in the early 1990s. He has remixed music for numerous musicians, including Coldplay, Mary J. Blige, and Foals. In ...

, ''Duo'' (2011) *

Wax Poetic Wax Poetic is a New York-based trip hop band. The band came together in 1997 founded by Turkish musician Ilhan Erşahin, who is still a current member, playing tenor saxophone and keys. The group originated at the now defunct club Save the Robo ...

, ''On a Ride'' (2012) * Aslak Hartberg, ''The Dancer'' (2013) * Erik Wesseltoft, ''To Someone I Knew'' (2013) *

Eva Kruse Eva Kruse (born 16 October 1978) is a German jazz musician (upright bass, bass guitar) and composer. Biography Kruse was raised in Brunsbek in Schleswig-Holstein. In her childhood and youth, she received eleven years of classical piano lesson ...

, ''In Water'' (2014) *

Solveig Slettahjell Solveig Slettahjell (born 2 April 1971 in Bærum, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz singer, known for her soulful, seductive voice. Career Slettahjell had her record debut with the album ''Slow Motion Orchestra'' (2003), contains jazz standards li ...

, ''Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic I Norwegian Woods'' (2014) * Henrik Schwarz, Dan Berglund, ''Trialogue'' (2014) * Lisa Dillan, ''Change of Habit'' (2015) * Tore Johansen, ''Earth Stills'' (2015) * Ost & Kjex, ''Freedom Wig'' (2015) * Beady Belle, ''On My Own'' (2016) *

Prins Thomas Thomas Moen Hermansen, recording under the name Prins Thomas, is a Norwegian record producer and DJ often associated with collaborator Hans-Peter Lindstrøm as Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas. Their music has been described as "space disco", and influenc ...

, ''Bugge Wesseltoft Versions'' (2016) * radio.string.quartet.vienna, ''In Between Silence'' (2017) * Michael Krohn, ''Sovnlose Netter'' (2018) * Henrik Schwarz, ''Scripted Orkestra'' (2018) * Prins Thomas, ''Ambitions'' (2019) * Henrik Schwarz, "In Spite of Everything" (single – 2020) * Henrik Schwarz, ''Duo II'' (2022)