MAGIC POCKET

THE KATABATIC WIND (BLGCD013)


Magic Pocket is a miniature brass band with an increasingly strange musical diet. This four-piece ensemble has roots in Norway, Sweden and England, and is absolutely focused on challenging your musical taste buds with its eclectic mixture of jazz, rock and fairy dust.
MP’s members met while studying in Trondheim, Norway and have played together ever since. Experiences from other bands such as Jaga Jazzist, Ola Kvernberg Trio, Trondheim Jazzorkester and Kobert have primed the four individuals to ignite in soundscapes of deep intensity and placid simplicity.

The music of the Katabatic Wind composed by Magic Pocket and recorded in just two days, with only a few hours practice in advance. The cold and deep brass instruments finds their natural contrast in the electronic sounds in Qvenild and drummer Erik Nylander is a master at navigating between with his camouflaged grooves. We found the right atmosphere in Athletic Sound in Halden, with legendary Kai Andersen at the controls. The sound is warm, natural because everything is recorded live and on tape. Bob Katz (U.S.) has been responsible for the mastering, Mats Stenslet for cover design, and it is published by Bolage, who gets more and more attention for their focus on quality.


Erik Johannessen (trombone)
Born 1975 in Oslo is educated at the Conservatory of music in Trondheim and the University of Oslo, plays trombone in Jaga Jazzist, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Lord Kelvin, Ensemble Denada, Loud Jazz Band. He has participated on a lot of pop cd’s, such as Maria Mena, Susanne Sundfør.

Hayden Powell (trumpet and firebird)
Born 1983 on Shetland, but grew up in Norway. He is educated at the Conservatory of music in Trondheim (bachelor degree) and Oslo (master’s degree). He plays trumpet in his own Hayden Powell Quartet, Magic Pocket and Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, and he compose music for Big Bands and arrange horns for pop acts.

Erik Nylander (drums, tabla machine and drum machine)
Born 1981 in Nordberg Sweden and is educated at the Conservatory of music in Trondheim. He is a busy freelance drummer who plays in Ola Kvernberg Trio, Kobert, Kirsti Huke Kvartett, Juxtaposed, Peloton, Magic Pocket, Tore Brunborg Trio, and cd’s with all of these. Erik Nylanders Orkester made their debut cd “A festa vale tudo” in 2010.

Daniel Herskedal (tuba)
Born 1982 in Molde is educated at the Conservatory of music in Trondheim (bachelor degree) and Copenhagen (master’s degree). He is now based in Oslo, and work as a freelance tubist in several bands and projects, such as City Stories, Listen, Magic Pocket, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra and Jens Carelius. He’s also the tuba teacher at Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen. Herskedal released his first CD as a bandleader and composer june 2010, named City Stories.

Morten Qvenild (synthesizers and piano)
Born 1978 in Kongsberg is educated at the the Conservatory of music in Oslo, and plays keyboards in many genres and projects. Now his main occupation is In The Country, Susanna and the Magical Orchestra and Solveig Slettahjell’s Slow Motion Orchestra. He has formerly played with Jaga Jazzist, Shining, Nils Petter Molvær, The National Bank and Bertine Zetlitz.