Tollef Østvang

About

Tolle Østvang profile photo

Tollef Østvang is a drummer, improviser and composer from Norway. He dedicates most of his artistic activities to jazz and other forms of improvised music and tours frequently with projects like Friends & Neighbors, The Way Ahead, Universal Indians and All Included.

 

His drumming reflects an endless curiosity for spontaneous music making and can be described as energetic, creative and impulsive. Besides his main projects he has toured and collaborated with musicians like: Joe McPhee, Trevor Watts, Jaimie Branch, John Edwards, Nick Mazzarella, Tomeka Reid, Ab Baars, Tobias Delius, Jason Stein, Mette Rasmussen, Mars Williams, Josh Berman, Keefe Jackson, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Wolter Wierbos, Wilbert de Joode, Michael Moore and Ben LaMar Gay among others. 

 

He currently lives in the small mountain town of Os in Østerdalen where he grew up. In addition, he continues to be a central figure in the jazz and improvised music scene in Trondheim where he studied and got his master’s degree in jazz performance at Jazzlinja, NTNU (2005 – 2012). He has also studied jazz performance at Conservatoire National Supérior de Musique et Danse in Paris and Coservatorium van Amsterdam. In Trondheim he curates the annual alternative music festival Fri resonans and the concert series FRI FORM. 

News

archer

US tour with ARCHER: April 5th - 13th 2024

Teaming up again with ARCHER together with Dave Rempis (saxophones), Terrie Ex (guitar) and Jon Rune Strøm (double bass) for the bands first US tour between April 5th - 13th 2024.

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5/4/24 • Constellation - Chicago, IL (US)
6/4/24 • BlueStem Jazz - Madison, WI (US)
7/4/24 • The Sugar Maple - Milwaukee, WI (US)
8/4/24 • Trinosophes - Detroit, MI (US)
9/4/24 • New Ghosts - Cleveland, OH (US)
10/4/24 • Hallwalls – Buffalo, NY (US)
11/4/24 • Ars Nova - Philadelphia, PA (US)
12/4/24 • Rhizome - Washington DC (US)
13/4/24 • Outside the Spotlight - Lexington, KY (US)

tur

EUROPEAN TOUR WITH TREVOR WATTS AND JOHN EDWARDS: FEBRUARY 10TH - 19TH 2024

Upcoming trio tour with Trevor Watts (saxophones) and John Edwards (double bass) in Norway, UK and Belgium between February 10th - 17th. 
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10/2/24 Tedans/Østre – Bergen (NO)
12/2/24 nyMusikk - Trondheim (NO)
13/2/24 Blow Out - Oslo (Norge) (NO)
14/2/24 Café OTO – London (Storbritannia) (UK)
15/2/24 Hexagon Theatre – Birmingham (UK)
16/2/24 Two Ship/The Nest – Hastings (UK)
18/2/24 L´Archiduc – Brussel (BE)
19/2/24 Parazzar – Brugge (BE)

circles

NEW ALBUM OUT ON CLEAN FEED! FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS - CIRCLES

Friends & Neighbors - Circles

New album by Friends & Neighbors is out on Clean Feed. André Roligheten (tenor saxophone), Thomas Johansson (trumpet), Oscar Grönberg (piano), Jon Rune Strøm (double bass), Tollef Østvang (drums and percussion). Recorded December 14th and 15th, 2022 by Dag Erik Johansen at Athletic Sound, Halden, Norway. Mixed by Ingar Hunskaar. Mastered by Fridtjof Lindeman. Produced by Friends & Neighbors. Executive production by Trem Azul. Design by Travassos.

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/no/album/circles/1726953209?l=nb

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2KzAIIgsFmOM6WYGBmPfhd?si=_Lpgjnl_TB23yC0O64smUw

CD: https://cleanfeed-records.com/product/circles/

trio

European tour with Trevor Watts and John Edwards: November 28th - December 7th 2023.

Teaming up again with Trevor Watts (saxophones) and John Edwards (double bass) for a European tour in November /December 2023. This trio started as a commissioned work for the Motvind festival in Norway in 2022. 

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28/11/23 • Martinsschlössl – Vienna (AT)
30/11/23 • Zentrifuge - Bonn (DE)
1/12/23 • Club Manufaktur - Schorndorf (DE)
3/12/23 Club W71 - Weikersheim (DE)
5/12/23 PRiMi – Copenhagen (DK)
7/12/23 FRIM - Stockholm (SE)

ben

US tour w/Nick Mazzarella, Ben LaMar Gay & Jon Rune Strøm

Really looking forward to play some concerts in Chicago, Madison and Milwaukee with Nick Mazzarella (alto saxophone), Ben LaMar Gay (cornet) and Jon Rune Strøm (double bass). Great to revisit this quartet and material again. First time since 2019, when we did a tour in Norway and Belgium. Thanks to BlueStem Jazz in Madison for making this tour possible!

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9/11/23  Constellation - Chicago, IL (US)
10/11/23  BlueStem Jazz - Madison, WI (US)
11/11/23  The Sugar Maple - Milwaukee, WI (US)

Concerts

Gutvik Ukentlig: w/Ketil Gutvik, Heidi Kvelvane & Eivind Opsvik

Projects