In conjunction with my new album End of a Beautiful Story, I made two music videos together with my quartet and photographer Morten Bjerk at the Musikloft studios in Asker, Norway. Have a look at my YouTube channel, subscribe and click the bell to get notifications when I post new videos! https://www.youtube.com/fgrorud
Frøydis Grorud releases her new album End of a Beautiful Story
Frøydis Grorud’s new album will be released on Jazzland Recordings February 2020. Together with three brilliant musicians, she recorded an ever so personal album with twelve of her own compositions, embedded in a melodious, improvisational, and open musical landscape. Her music evokes beautiful and wild emotions, with elements from classical, jazz, soul, gospel, Brazilian and Norwegian folk music.
Flutist and saxophonist Frøydis Grorud is one of Norway’s most active live music performers. In addition to having been the front figure in the national television NRK’s Beat for Beat music show programme, she has starred on numerous albums, concerts, tours and television recordings. End of a Beautiful Story is her 6th solo release.
Frøydis and her fellow musicians found the calm and inspiration to record new music, staying in a small prayer house in southern Norway, surrounded by old instruments and furniture from a bygone era. These surroundings attributed to a special sound and atmosphere on her album, with each of her musicians had the opportunity to unfold and take up space in the organic and warm soundscape.
“When we can be together over time, with everyone getting a personal ownership of this [musical] project, I think we are playing at our very best”, according to Frøydis.
Personal and vulnerable
The title End of a Beautiful Story came about as Frøydis experienced losing one of her closest friends to illness while writing on the album.
“Life is fragile and unpredictable, and we know little about what will happen tomorrow.” During this period she found strength and comfort in composing music.
“Music is for me medicine for the mind and soul and I am passionate about expressing myself personally through my instruments.”
Together with Torjus Vierli (piano), Hermund Nygård (drums) and Magne Thormodsæter (double bass), Frøydis formed the music into a solid compound, where all the musicians are given the freedom to develop and put their personal touch on the final result.
For high resolution pictures and other information, please visit www.froydisgrorud.no or contact Frøydis: mail@froydisgrorud.no, +47 916 34 848. Music videos: www.youtube.com/fgrorud
Christmass Jazz Night 2019 in Skien
This year’s Christmas jazz night is once again being held at the magnificent and beautiful Skien church on December 28. This concert has been a huge success since its inception 6 years ago. Here, a range of the finest musicians from Telemark county gather for a unique and warm Christmas concert out of the ordinary.
This year’s artists: Torun Eriksen, Synne Sanden, Karin Okkenhaug, Frøydis Grorud, Thomas Johansson, Bjørn Klakegg, Rune Klakegg, Jan Olav Renvåg, Sindre Bakkåker and sound designer Espen Mjøen.
Buy tickets at Tikkio.com
Julenatt, record release with Plan Beat and more!
Frøydis has been a busy bee. She’s come a long way recording a new jazz album, finalising rehearsals for Julenatt 2019 (the Christmas concert series) with Jørn Hoel, Lisa Stokke, Lise Meland, Emil Solli-Tangen and Trond Lien, and releasing the song Who can tell together with the original Beat for Beat band.
Follow Frøydis on her Facebook page!
Folk music workshop with Blåsang
The duo project Blåsang (Frøydis Grorud and Anne Gravir Klykken) will be holding folk music seminars for the sixth graders with primary schools in the Drammen municipality 12 March to 9 May 2019. The duo started as a master’s thesis project in traditional art at the University of South-Eastern Norway. For the past four years, the ladies have been working on interaction, arranging, toning and improvising over old recordings made from 1911 to the present. The sources are mainly traditional culture carriers from Telemark and Buskerud. Using two melodic instruments, Blåsang takes listeners through atmospheres, descriptive musical features and a rhythmic drive that can be associated with bygone times, while innovative elements form the basis of the music’s design.
At the folk music seminars, we meet the pupils in the classroom. We talk about concepts in functional folk music, discuss the genre of folk music and play examples of traditional music and examples of how we have worked with this music for improvisation and free play. We also activate the students with lullabies, kulning, dance, stories and local verses. During the folk music lesson, we also invite students to a small dance.
The main purpose of these lessons is to inspire students to use folk music in their own everyday lives, in their work in music and with their own musical expression.
The folk music workshop is also intended as an inspiration to the teachers in the different classes we visit, so that they can get ideas and new thoughts on how folk music can become part of music education and other teaching.
Blåsang released a album called Blåsang in 2015. It can be listened to at this link: https://itunes.apple.com/en/album/blasang/id1040247781?l=nb