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Reykjavík Jazz and Center Hotels invite you to a Jazz brunch at Jörgensen Kitchen & Bar. Book your table here! Tendra’s music is best described as warmish and embracing singer-songwriter jazz, with a gentle hint of pop-ish spices. The lyrics are mostly in Icelandic, which is often thought to be a very vivid, storytelling language. Tendra’s debut album, also named Tendra, was released by Icelandic record label Smekkleysa, in November 2020, and has received splendid reviews. Tendra was born in the beginning of 2020. The band consists of guitarist and composer Mikael Máni Ásmundsson and vocalist and singer-songwriter Marína Ósk Þórólfsdóttir. They’ll be joined on stage by bass player Ingibjörg Elsa Turchi, keyboardist and singer Steingrímur Teague and drummer Svanhildur Lóa Bergsveinsdóttir. At the concert, Tendra will play music from their first album, as well as new songs and arrangements.

The story of Jens and his troubles with the two tooth trolls Karius and Bactus has entertained families for seventy years. The play is based on a Norwegian children’s novel written and illustrated by playwright Thorbjørn Egner and first published in 1949. The names Karius and Bactus are puns on Caries and Bacteria, the two main characters leading a luxurious life in Jens’ teeth, especially while Jens maintains his awful diet of white bread and syrup – and constantly fails to brush his teeth…!  The play is approx. 45 min. long and is in Icelandic.

Stína Ágústsdóttir is one of Iceland’s favorite jazz singers, who was nominated as artist of the year at this year’s Icelandic music awards. She has released albums such as Jazz á Íslensku (2016), Hjörtun okkar jóla (2019), The Whale (2021), that have all received rave reviews. Stina is currently residing in Stockholm, Sweden and has in the last few years worked with some of the country’s foremost musicians. For this occasion, she’s joining bass wonder Henrik Linder (Dirty Loops) and the brilliant pianist Joel Lyssarides. Together they create a powerful trio that is able to really play around with the music and take the audience on a trip to a new and exciting universe of sound. The trio will be playing a mix of original music, jazz standards and pop tunes in new arrangements. Stína Ágústsdóttir (IS) : voice Henrik Linder (SE) : bass Joel Lyssarides (SE) : piano / keyboards

Comprising four long-term collaborators and friends (thus the ‘family’ tag), the band takes as its starting point the freewheeling music of those musicians who, back in the 1960s, were at the forefront of the free jazz revolution, but whose opening up of jazz’s constraints is now recognised as not a break from the past but an integral part of the music’s development. So the Family Band doesn’t recreate the work of Ornette Coleman and others, but shares its powerful and freewheeling momentum – moments of fierce intensity, introspection and the blues all combining into an emotionally complex and often cathartic whole. ‘One of the best modern jazz groups performing at the moment’ – Bebop Spoken Here ‘You simply HAVE to get to see them – you won’t be disappointed’ – Martin Powell, JATP ‘They were fantastic’ – Chris Philips, JazzFM ‘What a revelation – exciting group, gradually revealing more and more depth and thrilling the audience to the very end’ – Blow The Fuse, The Vortex Kim Macari (UK) : trumpet Riley Stone-Lonergan (IE) : tenor saxophone Tom Rivière (UK) : double bass Steve Hanley (UK) : drums

Guitarist Gudmundur Petursson plays a solo recital at Reykjavík Jazz 2021. It features work from his albums along with a new set of pieces based on Reykjavík and it’s neighbourhoods. The music can be defined is a jazz oriented post-genre, where elements of kraut, prog, alt-rock, modern classical and ethno-blues might occur. Gudmundur has shared the stage with diverse artists such as Pinetop Perkins, Erlend Oye and Pattie Smith, as well as working on hundreds of albums. He has released the albums Ologies, Elabórat, Sensus (2008-2015) and Concerto for Electric Guitar and Orchestra (2019). Gudmundur has also written compositions for SinfoNord, Reykjavík Chamber Orchestra and Reykjavík Big Band. Gudmundur has received the Icelandic Music Awards several times as a guitarist and composer.

The guitarist Hróðmar Sigurðsson (IS) graduated from the FÍH Music School in 2017. Since then he has worked as a musician and played music with various musicians in all genres e.g. Ife Tolentino, Elísabet Ormslev, Teitur Magnússon, Elísabet Eyþórsdóttir, Ingibjörg Turchi and others. He has also played in bands in shows in theaters. Since the year 2020, Hróðmar has operated his band which consists of active musicians in the Icelandic music scene and has performed in Mengi and Bryggjujazz. Songs and arrangements are in Hróðmar’s hands, but with the band a world of sound has developed that revolves around the electric guitar and neatly intertwined brass arrangements and you can hear inspiration from various musical genres. The concert at Jazzhátíð Reykjavíkur is the release concert of Hróðmar’s first album and it is released by Reykjavik Record Shop. The album was recorded in Sundlaugin studio in spring and autumn of 2020, Birgir Jón Birgisson was in charge of recording, Kjartan Kjartansson mixed and mastered and the album cover was designed by Þórdís Erla Zoega. Hróðmar Sigurðsson : electric guitar Ingibjörg Elsa Turchi : electric bass Magnús Jóhann Ragnarsson : hammond organ / keyboard Magnús Trygvason Eliassen : drums Kristofer Rodriguez Svönuson […]

Ludvig Kári Quartet returns to Reykjavík Jazz Festival 2021 with Rákir (Contrails), a new cd packed with original jazz fusion compositions inspired by jet contrails in the northern toposphere. The quartet comprises some of Iceland´s finest jazz musicians together and will perform material from the new CD as well as even newer compositions at the festival. The quartet performed previously at the Reykjavík Jazz Festival in 2019 to a great reception. Ludvig Kári Forberg (IS) : vibraphone Phil Doyle (US) : saxophones Stefán Ingólfsson (IS) : bass Einar Scheving (IS) : drums

Edda started performing professionally in 1980 as a singer and piano player in various projects. Twice in the Eurovision finals, in a very popular group Model in the 80´s and had her own Jazz ensemble during those early years and on. Edda founded her own music school Tónskóli Eddu Borg in 1989 and runs it to this day. Edda takes the stage now on the Reykjavik Jazz Festival and performs her own composition derived from her training as a classical pianist and inspired by her love for Smooth Jazz. For this concert Edda has put together a tight band of excellent musicians including Agnar Már Magnússon on keyboards, Benedikt Brynleifsson on drums, Bjarni Sveinbjornsson on bass and Friðrik Karlsson on guitars. Together they will play material from Edda’s previous albums New Suit (2019) and No Words Needed (2015) and don’t be surprised if they pull a new tune or two out of the hat. Edda Borg : piano Bjarni Sveinbjörnsson : bass Friðrik Karlsson : guitar Agnar Már Magnússon : keyboards Benedikt Brynleifsson : drums

“Hagi” – Release concert at Reykjavík Jazz 2021 Bassist Þorgrímur Toggi Jónsson presents a new album, Hagi, recorded with his newly formed quartet. Thoghtful and melodic compositions are at the forefront showcasing the strenght of the band. Toggi has received numerous awards and nominations for his music and performances in recent years. His first solo record, Constant Movement, received the Icelandic Music Awards as the jazz album of the year. The quartet has some of the best musicians of today‘s Icelandic music scene and includes Rögnvaldur Borgþórsson on guitar, Magnús Trygvason Elíassen on drums and Tómas Jónsson on piano. Þorgrímur Jónsson : double bass / electric bass Rögnvaldur Borgþórsson : guitar Magnús Trygvason Eliassen : drums Tómas Jónsson : piano / keyboards

Rósa Guðrún Sveinsdóttir, saxophonist and singer/songwriter, released her debut album in 2014 called Strengur Stranda. The album is a collaboration with her father, Sveinn Kristinsson, who wrote the lyrics. The music and lyrics are influenced by nature and the peaceful ambiance in the remote West fjords Iceland where her family has a second home. Rósa wrote many of the songs with the arrangements for string quartett in mind and has now composed a new series of songs. Rósa has joined forces with Siggi String Quartet, comprised of violinists Una Sveinbjarnardóttir and Helga Þóra Björgvinsdóttir, viola player Þórunn Ósk Marinósdóttir and cellist Sigurður Bjarki Gunnarsson. They are all instrumentalists in the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and have worked together as a quartet since 2012. They won the Icelandic Music Award 2018 and were nominated as the performer of the year at the Icelandic Music Awards 2019. Along side Rósa and the string quartet will be guitarist Daníel Helgason, Matthías M.D. Hemstock percussionist, and Birgir Steinn Theodórsson bassist. Rósa Guðrún Sveinsdóttir : voice / saxophone Daníel Helgason : guitar Birgir Steinn Theodórsson : bass Matthías M.D. Hemstock : drums / percussion Una Sveinbjarnardóttir : violin Helga Þóra Björgvinsdóttir : violin Þórunn Ósk Marinósdóttir […]

Karaoke is every Tuesday! Are you a Whitney or a Celine? Pop songs or power ballads? Tuesdays are Karaoke nights. Warm up and get ready to sing your heart out!

DJÄSS was formed in 2010 by Karl Olgeirsson (piano), Kristinn Snær Agnarsson (drums), and Jón Rafnsson (bass). Its first 10 years together, the trio performed under the name Hot Eskimos. They made a name for themselves with their jazz arrangements of Icelandic rock, punk, and pop music. These were the kinds of songs on their first CD “Songs From the Top of the World” (2011). Critics gave it top reviews. This disc is now also available on vinyl. Their second CD “We ride Polar Bears” (2013) struck a new note. In addition to Icelandic songs, you can also listen to several original and foreign songs. DJÄSS has now finished a new record. Most of it is original material. Its release will be in October 2021. At this concert the trio will mostly perform material on this soon-to-be-released record, entitled “DJÄSS”. Karl Olgeirsson : piano Jón Rafnsson : bass Kristinn Snær Agnarsson : drums