Mona Krogstad
VIRGO SUN
Photo: Anna Rogneby
Virgo sun is Krogstad’s first album.
Release: 2 september 2022
The up-and-coming saxophonist Mona Krogstad releases her debut album Virgo Sun. On the album, she includes some of the most trend-setting young jazz musicians from Norway. We get to hear beautiful melodies and playful compositions that take the music towards both an intricate and imaginative interplay, and playful parts where the interaction and improvisations of the four musicians can frolic freely.
“I think music is one of the most beautiful forms of communication humans create with each other. I am fascinated that the language of music can contain so many images, feelings and moods.” - Mona Krogstad
The album reflects the emotional life of the composer, who herself was born with the sun in Virgo. The listener gets to hear melodic stories linked to important experiences, events and people in her life. Each song has a distinctive character based on a specific memory or feeling. The first track on the record, "Umbria", is dedicated to the time the composer lived in Italy, surrounded by forests, mountains and the big skies - here she found grounding and peace of mind. Another track on the album, “Sailor Man/Where do you go?” is written in memory of her father, who came to Norway as a boat refugee from Vietnam in 1979.
“Convincing debut”
“This is intricate, beautiful and modern jazz”
“New star team with melodic jazz”
Krogstad is known for her work as musician and composer in the expressive band JUNO. They released their critically acclaimed debut album "Young Star" in 2020 (produced by Kristoffer Lo) and were awarded "Artist of the Year" the same year by the Norwegian tabloid “Subjekt”. Later, the band was part of the Nordic Jazz Comets - a talent program where each Nordic country selected one band / artist to represent the country. Krogstad can also be found in projects with guitarist Hedvig Mollestad, Heidi Skjerve and the theater performance "Mother of a nation" by Nosizwe Baqwa (Awarded the Heddaprisen for best musical theater performance). Now she is currently with her own band, and she shows clear lines and inspiration from the jazz traditions and saxophonists such as Wayne Shorter and Joe Henderson, as well as more modern expressions drawn from her many experiences as an already experienced musician.
The other musicians are relevant in a number of projects. Joakim Rainer recently won the Norwegian talent contest “Jazzintro” with his own trio and for the past year has toured in the band (exit) KNARR with bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten. Veslemøy Narvesen won the previous edition of Jazzintro with Kongle Trio, and has otherwise been seen on stage in a number of bands such as with Gard Nilssen's Supersonic Orchestra. Bjørn Marius Hegge has since won the Norwegian Grammy in 2017 (Spellemannprisen) with the album Vi är ledsna men du får inte längre vara barn, made his mark in Europe with his own project Hegge.
Musicians:
Mona Krogstad – tenor saxophone & compositions
Joakim Rainer Petersen – piano
Bjørn Marius Hegge - double bass
Veslemøy Narvesen – drums
“She masters the art of standing in tradition without imitating or repeating, but rather saying something new with familiar language. Virgo Sun is solid from start to finish”
“In “Virgo Sun”, we are listening to jazz with flowing expression, jazz with heart, jazz with soul, jazz with warmth, beauty and life. And in Mona Krogstad, we have discovered a new, distinctive, brilliant voice in jazz.”
“Saxophonist Mona Krogstad makes her album debut with spark and variety in her music. It is quite obvious. This music is profitable”
“Finds driving force with the saxophone’s hopeful melody as a guiding light”
PRODUCTION // OF 201
Recorded and mixed in Øra Studio by Jo Ranheim
Mastered by Karl Klaseie in Øra Mastering
Art work by Samuel Lund
Cover design by Kaisa Løchen