Jan Martin Smørdal on Virb.com

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Hello there!
You are now visiting me probably because you know my music, or because you want to know how I sound.
If this is your first visit here, please listen to some of the tunes I've put here. And no, there's nothing wrong with the playlist; I've tried to sum up some of the things I have made, or contributed on. So you will hear all kinds of sounds: pop, contemporary classical, country, improvisations and so forth. Hopefully there'll be at least one track you like. If not, try listen once more.

I update this site pretty often, so keep visiting me! If you want to cantact me, press here

For news, scroll down to "What's happening"

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This list presents what I do, and some things I've done:

I compose, and write arrangements.

Acoustic Accident
Ever changing ensemble, with me as leader. First record released some years ago, as a large ensemble (15 musicians). Next record is in progress, and will show some changes both in style and ensemble. It will probably be released sometime in spring 2009. The musicians: Eivind Lønning (trp), Espen Reinertsen (sax,fl), Morten Engebretsen (bcl), Sigrun Eng (vcl), Jo Berger Myhre (bs), Pål Hausken (dr) and me (gt).

Rockettothesky
Just listen to the album: "To sing you apple trees" (TrustMe records).

Navyelectre
The music of Jonas H. Sjøvaag; brilliant noisepop. Check out:

Mattis Myrland
This guy is a never ending source to great songs and sounds. Together we are slowly producing his music, you'll hear some of it within this fall. You should be carefull with his songs; in their strangeness they immediatly glue to your ears. And they'll stay there.

Florebius
A lovely jazz quintet. We play mainly our own songs, but who says we can't do Kraftwerk, Nirvana, Schumann? Please check out our album "House of flour" (on Jazzaway records). Band members: Eivind Lønning (trp), me (git), Martin Taxt (tba), Terje Engen (dr) & Lena Nymark (voc, sax, fl)

Jæ
Her real name is Jessica Sligter, an immigrant from Holland here in Norway. She sings beautiful. The rest of the band is Daniel Meyer Grønvold and me. Listen to her solo-recordings here on virb! We'll do some conserts this year, and record new songs. And in may we're recording together. You'll love it.

LUN
A group consisting of dancers and musicians. Made shows and chaos since 1999.

[sic!]
A monthly concert consept arranged by me and Håvard Volden at Sagene Kulturverksted in Oslo. Come listen, you'll never hear it again.

And I play solo concerts, and do impro conserts with nice people.

Shows - see all 11

Sep 27	Drammen, Norway	w/Jæ in Drammen (+ O-H.M & K.R)	8:00pm
Sep 29	Oslo, Norway	Playing solo w/ 5 dancers at Elvelangs, by the bridge at Blå, Oslo	6:00pm
Oct 2	Oslo, Norway	w/Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen in Oslo	8:00pm
Oct 4	Skien, Norway	w/ Jæ in Skien	8:00pm
Oct 8	Berlin, Norway	w/ Hilde Louise at the PopKomm-festival in Berlin	8:00pm
Oct 9	Oslo, Norway	Premier performance on the Ultima festival: Wendy Greenberg - "Play me!"	12:00pm
Oct 31	Oslo, Norway	Navyelectre at Kennel Collective - Soria Moria	7:00pm
Nov 6	Oslo, Norway	LUN - Performance/Show in Oslo	12:00pm
Nov 7	Svalbard, Norway	w/Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen at Svalbard	12:00pm
Nov 16	Trondheim, Norway	Premier performance on the Fri Resonans festival: Kristian Lindberg - "I am so"	12:00pm
Nov 19	Oslo, Norway	Premiere performance with Oslo Sinfonietta; NMK jubileumskonsert	7:30pm

Blog - see all 6

Fantastic reviews for HLA May 15

Everybody seems to like Hilde Louise Asbjørnsens new recording "Sound your horn".

Thom Hell's new record - success Apr 16

The brilliant singer/songwriter is finally being hugely credited!

Recieved travel fundings Apr 16

Trips to Germany this summer

Choir piece performance in May Apr 16

"Me siglar ikkje same havet", a new short piece of mine, is also to be performed by the excellent Solistkoret.

Thom Hell's new album"God if I saw her now" Mar 3

Wonderful wonderful music!

Does the body make sense? Sep 3

New music added: "less-sense", a trio piece for soprano, clarinet in A and percussion.

What's happening?

I continue my work with Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen's band. I was asked to do some guitar on her record with producer and keyboarder Anders Aarum in January, ended up playing a lot with her. Which is wonderful! When learning the tunes I got quite involved in arranging the tunes; it was lots of fun. The recording session took place on the beautiful island Giske, on the west-coast of Norway, you should visit this place!

I'm just about finished composing for the talented and wonderful Australian percussionist Wendy Greenberg. It will be first performed on the huge contemporary music festival Ultima on the 9th of October this year. I've been working with Wendy earlier on my trio-piece called "less-sense", comisioned by the brilliant soprano Silje Aker Johnsen (take your time with the piece, you'll find it on the stream player on top of screen).

During this summer/autumn I will finish a solo piano piece for Kristian Lindberg. I started this some time ago, but finally it will be ready this year. The work consists of 5 small parts, inspired by famous tunes from respectively the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. It will be performed during the excellent festival in Trondheim called Fri Resonans in November this year, round about 16th-17th. You should come!

I'm so lucky these days to play with the marvelous dutch singer Jessica Sligter and one of Norway's most interesting guitar player Daniel Meyer Grønvold. Ole-Henrik Moe and Kari Rønnekleiv, in addition to Juhani Silvola, joined us in a recording session not long ago. Actually Juhani replaced Daniel on out last concert, at the Alen Festivalen in Larvik; it was a really nice concert. I hope to get the mix from the recording soon, so you'll hear some really sweet sounds.We're going to play more concerts during this autumn, in Norway and around Europe hopefully.

Whenever time give me chance (quite often actually) I'm working with Mattis Myrland, a songwriter really worth listening to; he makes THE most catchy songs. I work as producer and musician. I'll put some of his tunes out here during this summer.

Lately I've been rehearsing with the eccentric Jonas Howden Sjøvaag, alias Navyelectre. You'll find a link above to his new album, "the mourning". The band also includes the fantastic Andreas Ulvo, a name probably most recognized through the Shining (Jørgen Munkeby's amazingly striking band). We have a concert in October/November (I'll let you know when), that's all I know at the moment. I'm really proud to play this music; it's something the world needs! And we'll definitely give more music to the crowd.