Håkon Kornstad at Spoleto Festival

Saxophonist and opera singer Håkon Kornstad doing "O del mio dolce ardor" (Gluck) at Spoleto Festival (USA June 2014).

More videos on his YouTube site.

Highasakite

A shout out to the Norwegian pop band Highasakite today, with two live videos from Rockefeller (Oslo) (more on YouTube) . I think several of you might like this band as much as I do.

Check out their albums "All that floats will rain" (Riot Factory 2012) and "Silent treatment" (Propeller 2014).

Musicians:
Ingrid Helene Håvik – zither, steeldrum and vocals
Trond Bersu - drums
Øystein Skar - synths
Marte Eberson - synths
Kristoffer Lo - guitar and flugabone

Syd Barrett on vinyl again

30th June Rhino released Syd Barrett's albums "The Madcap Laughs" (Harvest 1970), "Barrett" (Harvest 1970), and "Opel" (Harvest 1988) on heavyweight 180g vinyl.

Opel contains outtakes and alternative versions from the Madcap and Barrett sessions.

Robert Wyatt plays drums on "No good trying" and "Love you" on "The Madcap Laughs", and on Opel´s "Clowns and Jugglers".

Doctor of Music Degree

Robert Wyatt will receive a Doctor of Music degree from the University of Kent, in recognition of his contribution to music (18 July 2014)!

Wyatt has also received the insignia of Doctor Honoris Causa at the University of Liège (Belgium) in 2009.

Nuart - Street Art - Stavanger

I was in the vicinity of Stavanger (Norway) this weekend, and was able to have a quick look at the city´s street art again.

Thanks to Stavanger´s Nuart festival (happening in September) you will find an impressive outdoor gallery here!

Artists from the top:
Dotmasters
Dotmasters
Eine
Niels Shoe Meulman
Herbert Baglione
Strøk
JPS

As usual, click on pictures for larger versions, and you will find more Stavanger photos on Flickr.

Building Instrument: "Alt e bra"

I already tried to convince you to listen to Building Instrument, and here Mari Kvien Brunvoll, Øyvind Hegg-Lunde and Åsmund Weltzien do "Alt e bra" ("Everything is fine") in an Oslo park.

This is a track from their eponymous 2014 Hubro release, and the video is by Saftflaske.

Mary Halvorson speaks

Let´s get a bit serious here, with Mary Halvorson breaking down free improvisation and demonstrating creating exercises.
Both videos borrowed from Jazz at Lincoln Center's Jazz Academy on YouTube.