Marius Neset is one of the great new tenor sax players of our age, in the tradition of Michael Brecker and Jan Garbarek. On "Pinball", Norwegian saxophone virtuoso Marius Neset and his quintet present a shimmering kaleidoscope of forms of expression and influences that delight with compositional and instrumental complexity. The album, arguably his strongest artistic statement to date, acts as a dual showcase for his gifts as an improviser and composer. At the same time, Neset sounds more mature, soulful and melodic than ever before. The quintet is joined on various tracks by guest musicians on cello, violin, flute and tambourine.

On "Silent Ways", Danish vocalist Caecilie Norby interprets her favourite singer/songwriter melodies, from Bob Dylan to Paul Simon, CCR to Soundgarden, charging them up with classical and jazz influences. The almost chamber musical, tranquil form hinted at by the album's title is classical, as is the emotional expressiveness of her interpretations. The jazzy approach lies in her singing technique, in the arrangements and the hand-picked musicians in the band improvising magically together.

When I started work on Geyser last autumn I had decided I was done composing music that reflected the pain of the pandemic. This new piece was to be instead a celebration – of music, its welcome return and that unique atmosphere created by musicians when they meet to perform. Its mood was to be predominantly joyful and optimistic, while its title was a metaphor for the music’s underlying rhythmic energy, unleashed intermittently in ecstatic outbursts – like explosions of water and steam from a pressurised geothermal spring. (This idea of tension, boiling under the surface, is a theme I return to in a lot in my music.)

The 29-year-old internationally acclaimed Norwegian saxophonist-composer Marius Neset takes another bold step forward into the art of contemporary extended ensemble writing on his debut recording "Lion" for ACT. It’s a collaboration with the renowned Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, a project-based collective that since its formation in 1999 has toured Norway with stellar musicians that include Chick Corea, Pat Metheny and Joshua Redman.

It is no exaggeration to say: Norwegian tenor saxophonist Marius Neset plays in his own league. In addition, he is one of the most fascinating and versatile composers in jazz and far beyond - which, among other things, currently takes him as far as London's Royal Albert Hall. Downbeat states, "Marius Neset is not the future, but the present of European jazz." The album "Happy" features Neset with a new, top-class quintet. The album is divided into two parts: In the first half, playful, intricate, energetic songs dominate. And in the second part, Neset & Band take the listeners into a calmer suite. What all pieces have in common: You can hear the musicians' pure joy of playing in every note.

The energy and the unassailable virtuosity with which Marius Neset burst onto the scene have not been forgotten. Back in 2004, as a nineteen-year old student recently moved to Copenhagen, he won the Talent Award at Norway’s Nattjazz Festival.