Fireside Chat

Bugge Wesseltoft

Jazzland, ACT, Norway

Constantly pushing the envelope of what jazz music can be, this Norwegian mastermind is far beyond any tired ideas of ‘fusion’. Born in Porsgrunn and raised in the neighbouring city of Skien around 65 miles southwest of Oslo, jazz music filled Bugge's world from an early age by virtue of his guitarist father Erik Wesseltoft (who claims that his son was playing the piano at two years of age!). Inevitable as it seemed that young Bugge would grow up a musician, it wasn't all jazz jazz jazz however. Playing tuba and bass drum in his school marching band, he was in a punk band at the age of 16 and experimented with electronics in the early ‘80s when he bought his first synth. All of which might explain the breadth of styles he 'fused' in his New Conception Of Jazz in the early ‘90s, after making a name for himself in several jazz outfits and recording with Jan Garbarek for ECM. Wesseltoft has continued to collaborate and evolve ever since, most recently with his live project with Innervisions' Henrik Schwarz. Got the Bugge?