Anna Gréta Sigurðardóttir was born and raised in Iceland but has been based in Stockholm, Sweden since 2014. She recently performed at the Nobel Prize Ceremony in 2020 as well as playing a featured concert at Stockholm Concert Hall in March. Since relocating to Stockholm, Anna Gréta has collaborated with some of Sweden’s finest jazz musicians such as Max Schultz, Joakim Milder, Magnus Lindgren, and Susanna Risberg and she’s had music commissioned for Norrbotten Big Band and the world renowned pianist Bobo Stenson. In recent years Anna Gréta has received numerous awards and nominations in both Sweden and Iceland, including the prestigious Monica Zetterlund award in 2019, Friends of Fasching award in 2018, Best Newcomer at the Icelandic music prize in 2015, nomination by the Swedish National Radio for Jazzkatten in 2019 and two nominations for the Icelandic Music Prize in 2019. Anna Gréta is presently among Scandinavia’s fastest-rising young jazz musicians. Her debut album as a solo artist will be released in January 2022 and features some of Iceland’s most prominent jazz musicians. For the Reykjavik Jazz Festival 2021 Anna Gréta will be performing with her trio consisting of Einar Scheving on drums and Johan Tengholm on double bass. […]

Open Mic is a free show every Wednesday. Watch the comedians try new stuff and polish old ones. If you want to try, out some of your own jokes, just sign up at the bar.

Reykjavík Jazz welcomes 2020 Grammy nominee Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet (BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM: On The Tender Spot Of Every Calloused Moment) to the stage in Harpa on September 1st. During his 15-year career, Ambrose Akinmusire has paradoxically situated himself in both the center and the periphery of jazz, most recently emerging in classical and hip hop circles. He’s on a perpetual quest for new paradigms, masterfully weaving inspiration from other genres, arts, and life in general into compositions that are as poetic and graceful as they are bold and unflinching. His unorthodox approach to sound and composition make him a regular on critics polls and have earned him earned him grants and commissions from the Doris Duke Foundation, the MAP Fund, the Kennedy Center and the Monterey Jazz Festival. While Akinmusire continues to garner accolades, his reach is always beyond—himself, his instrument, genre, form, preconceived notions, and anything else imposing limitations. Motivated primarily by the spiritual and practical value of art, Akinmusire wants to remove the wall of erudition surrounding his music. He aspires to create richly textured emotional landscapes that tell the stories of the community, record the time, and change the standard. While committed to continuing the lineage […]

The band, Blúsmenn Andreu (Andrea‘s Bluesmen), with vocalist Andrea Gylfadóttir at the forefront, has been playing since 1989. The band is well known by jazz and blues lovers in Iceland and its concerts are well attended. Alongside Andrea is a group of prominent musicians: Guðmundur Pétursson- Guitar, Einar Rúnarsson- Hammond Organ, Jóhann Hjörleifsson- Drums and Haraldur Þorsteinsson- Bass. The band has released two LP‘s: Andrea og Blúsmenn (1998) and Rain on me rain (2011) in where you can find a blend of jazz, blues and soul standards, mostly from the first part of last century, plus a few original songs by Andrea. Andrea Gylfadóttir’s celebrated interpretation of the music of Billie Holiday is always well received. In this concert, the focus is on Billie’s songs plus a few others arranged by Blúsmenn Andreu. Andrea Gylfadóttir : voice Einar Rúnarsson : hanmond organ Guðmundur Pétursson : guitar Haraldur Þorsteinsson : bass Jóhann Hjörleifsson : drums

Baroque Jazz – An Improvisational Rendezvous In this concert two music genres collide; Jazz and Baroque. It gives the audience, as well as the musicians, a unique opportunity to enjoy and explore well known pieces of the Baroque era in a new and experimental context. The repertoire includes the most magical music by composers such as Bach, Pergolesi, Handel, Purcell and more. Kristjana Stefánsdóttir : vocals Þórhildur Örvarsdóttir : vocals Kjartan Valdemarsson : piano Eyþór Ingi Jónsson : organ Þorgrímur Jónsson : bass Pétur Grétarsson : percussion

Reykjavík Jazz and Center Hotels invite you to a happy hour at Jörgensen Kitchen & Bar. Singer María Magnúsdóttir and band will perform a program of selected jazz favourites. The quartet will play own arrangements of their favourite jazz standards and songs. María is a versatile singer and composer. She performed with her band in Reykjavík Jazz Festival in 2019 with a program honoring Anita O’Day. Earlier the same year she performed on Hamburg Jazz Festival. María studied jazz singing at the Royal Conservatoire of the Hague. María also performs and releases own music as MIMRA. The quartet consists of a younger generation of Icelandic jazz players, all active individually as performers and composers. The band will play a selection of well known and heartwarming jazz tunes. Welcome.   María Magnúsdóttir : singer Hjörtur Ingvi Jóhannsson : piano Svanhildur Lóa Bergsveinsdóttir : drums Sigmar Þór Matthíasson : bass   Photo: Birta Rán Björgvinsdóttir

Charlie Christian tribute band will honor the father of jazz guitar Charlie Christian at the Reykjavik Jazz Festival September 2 at 17:00 in Reykjavík City Hall. Charlie’s fame reached its peak in Benny Goodman’s band during the second world war where they recorded many classics of the swing period. Charlie Christian’s career was very short, but he died at the age of only 26. During these years, jazz was in full swing and Charlie took a very active part in the scene in New York and it can be said that Charlie Christian influenced all the jazz guitarists who came after him, such names as Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, Barney Kessel and Joe Pass, where Charlie Christian’s voice is very clearly heard. The quintet consists of Ásgeir Ásgeirsson guitar, Haukur Gröndal clarinet, Snorri Sigurðarsson trumpet, Erik Qvick drums and Birgir Steinn Theodórsson double bass, but this group and part of it has many times played swing jazz at the Reykjavík Jazz Festival under the names Lester Young tribute band and Artic Swing quintet and more. Ásgeir Ásgeirsson : guitar Haukur Gröndal : clarinet Snorri Sigurðarsson : trumpet Erik Qvick : drums Birgir Steinn Theodórsson : double bass

Broken Cycle is a collective trio made up of saxophonist Angelika Niescier from Köln, guitarist Hilmar Jensson from Reykjavík and the American drummer Scott McLemore. The music is a unique brand of organized chaos straddling the dividing line between freedom and form. 2015 saw their debut album “Broken Cycle” which received glowing reviews from the international press such as Jazz ‘n’ More in Switzerland, Jazzrytmit in Finland, Jazz Convention in Italy and it was chosen for the Europe Media Chart by Jazz Special in Denmark. Since then they have performed together both in Iceland and Europe and have begun work on a follow-up album. Both Hilmar and Scott are well known to the Icelandic jazz audience, but although Angelika has performed in Iceland several times, many may not know that she is among the busiest bees on the German jazz scene. She has received many awards including the ECHO Jazz award in 2010 and the prestigious German Jazz Prize in 2017 and her albums win the praise of critics in Germany and abroad. Her album “Sublim III” was called “the best German jazz recording since 10 years ” by Jazzthing Magazine and they chose her 2011 album “Quite Simply” as […]

Louis Cole is a Los Angeles based singer songwriter, Grammy awarded producer, composer and multi-instrumentalists. Celebrated as one of the world’s most future-sonic-funk drummers and co-founder of KNOWER, his mission is “to create deep feelings through music.” Cole has proudly been DIY to date, amassing millions of views with his viral videos like ‘Bank Account’, international tours and debut album ‘Time’ released on Brainfeeder. Known for presenting a show that you will never forget, Louis Cole’s powerful stage presence invites you into his broad and deep sound world. As a multi-instrumentalist his writing is a blend of quickfire, hook-laden electro-funk bullets, wistful humor and soft-focus deep balladry. Always performing from the heart of his vastly imaginative emotional portrait, Louis Cole’s songs evolve with his live concerts that feature his 18-piece brass band, to full brass ensembles with WDR Bob Mintzer, or his own solo show. At the forefront of redefining what jazz, electronics and cinematics sounds like; Louis Cole long time collaborators also flavour his sonic mix, notably Thundercat, Genevieve Artadi, Dennis Hamm to and acclaimed jazz pianist and experimental composer Brad Mehldau who featured on his album ‘Time’.

The Norwegian/Icelandic quartet ASTRA is proud to release their debut album In Orbit. A story of time and space through a transatlantic fellowship between Norway and Iceland. The idea was formed around uniting the Norwegian and Icelandic jazz scene by creating a project that was unique and borderless. Iceland’s well known alto saxophonist Sigurður Flosason joins forces with guitarist Andrés Thor in a collaboration with Norwegian bassist Andreas Dreier and Anders Thorén on the drums. Together they form a unit that exhibits new energy and an immediate musical bond that moves the listener from the first note. In Orbit offers a musical journey through time and space. Rugged yet beautiful Nordic sonic landscapes meet the intensity of a space launch in tracks such as Leaving Earth. The music on In Orbit can be described as modern lyrical jazz with strong melodies, beautiful harmonic structures and rythmic dexterity. In Orbit is a musical journey of time and space that is always evolving and never intending to slow down. The album was recorded by Birgir Jón Birgisson at Sundlaugin Studio, Iceland Jan 18-19, 2020. Mixed and mastered by Hafþór “Tempó” Karlssonc at Dallas Studio. Sigurður Flosason : alto saxophone Andrés Thor : […]

Óskar Guðjónsson has been an in-demand saxophone player since his teens. Jazz and improvised music is, and has always been, very close to his heart. He tends to keep busy and is a founding member of the critically acclaimed group ADHD which tours regularly throughout Europe. He has also collaborated with bassist Skúli Sverrisson in the past which so far has produced two albums and countless concerts. With an urge to explore the classic jazz sound of a horn accompanied by a piano trio, Óskar formed the quartet MOVE with pianist Eyþór Gunnarsson, bassist Valdimar Kolbeinn Sigurjónsson and drummer Matthías M.D. Hemstock. Since 2017 the group has got together on a weekly basis for rehearsals and exploration of their compositions and collective sound. The members are all well established on the Icelandic music scene and are known for their distinctive sound and personal approach to the various projects they take on.   Óskar Guðjónsson : tenor saxophone Eyþór Gunnarsson : piano Valdimar Kolbeinn Sigurjónsson : bass Matthías M.D. Hemstock : drums

Reykjavík Jazz and Center Hotels invite you to a happy hour at Jörgensen Kitchen & Bar. DÓH trio was founded in 2013. The members have played together for many years in different projects and joined together in DÓH trio to explore the guitar, saxophone and drums combination. Their first concert was at Reykjavík Jazzfestival 2013 and the trio has played in many different settings since. Their debut album was released in 2018 with a release concert at the Reykjavík Jazzfestival that same year. The following year the album was nominated as jazzalbum of the year at the Icelandic Music Awards and the group was also nominated as performers of the year at the same awards. Their music is an exploration of many different genres and is threaded together by improvisation and the joy of making music together. The band will release their sophomore album this year. Helgi R. Heiðarsson – saxophone Daníel Helgason – guitar, bass guitar Óskar Kjartansson – drums