Håvard Wiik

Håvard Wiik
(Photo by Peter Stračina)
Background information
Birth name	Håvard Skarpnes Wiik
Born	10 March 1975 Kristiansund, Møre og Romsdal, Norway
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instruments	Piano

Håvard Skarpnes Wiik (born March 10, 1975) in Kristiansund, Norway is a Norwegian jazz pianist and composer, known from a number of recordings with bands like Atomic, and performances with musicians like Petter Wettre, Ola Kvernberg and Stian Carstensen.^[1]

Career

Håvard Wiik at Vossajazz 2014.
(Photo by Knut Andersen)

Wiik caused sensation at 17 years old in a concert at the Moldejazz, with bassist Steinar Raknes, as the "Wiikrak Duo". He attended the jazz program at Trondheim musikkonservatorium from 1994 to 96, where he and fellow students established the jazz band Element.^[2]

After moving to Oslo he has been a key player in many band projects, such as Atomic, "Free Fall", "Atomic Schooldays", a duo with Håkon Kornstad, a new project with Axel Dörner and Fredrik Ljungkvist. He has been an obvious choice as collaborator with giants in jazz, Kenny Wheeler, Lee Konitz, Joe Lovano representing the old school, and Ken Vandermark being a soul mate from the here and now., for example the band Motif. He also led the Håvard Wiik Trio with Mats Eilertsen (bass) and Per Oddvar Johansen (drums), to release Postures (Jazzland, 2003).^[1]

Wiik was recogniced as "Artist in residence" at the Moldejazz (2004). At the Kongsberg Jazz Festival (2006), he was awarded the Vital prize, giving him the opportunity to perform as solo artist, and release the album Palinode (2007). He also started his own H.W. Trio, releasing Postures (2003), performing his own compositions. He transformed the trio to The Arcades Project (2007). In this version of the trio we find Håkon Mjåset Johansen on drums and Ole Morten Vågan on bass. They have also been involved within bands such as Urban Connection, Come Shine, Bugge Wesseltoft’s New Conception of Jazz.^[2]

Honors

• 1999: Have no fear Award, by Oslo Jazzradio
• 2004: Artist in residence, at Moldejazz
• 2005: Artist of the year, at SoddJazz
• 2006: Spellemannprisen, in the class Jazz
• 2006: Kongsberg Jazz Award^[3]

Discography

Haavard Wiik
(Photo by Hreinn Gudlaugsson)

Solo albums

• Postures (2002)
• The Arcades project (2007), Havard Wiik Trio
• Palinode (2007), solo
• The Arcades Project (2007),

Collaborations

With Atomic

• Boom Boom (2002)
• Nuclear assembly hall (2003)
• The Bikini tapes (Jazzland Recordings, 2006)
• Happy new ears!» (2006), awarded Spellemannprisen 2006
• Distil (2006, Atomic & School Days in Chicago)
• Retrograde (2007-08)

Duo with Håkon Kornstad

• Eight tunes we like (2003)^[4][5]
• The bad and the beautiful (2006)

With Free Fall

• Amsterdam funk (2004)
• The point in a line (2006)
• Gray scale (2010)

Duo with François Houle

• Aves (Songlines Recordings, 2013)

As sideman

• Pig virus (1996), with Petter Wettre Quartet
• September song (1998), with Jens Arne Molvær
• Bjørn Johansen in memoriam (2003), with Petter Wettre
• Backwards into the Backwood (2004), with Stian Carstensen
• Playmachine (2004), with Wibutee
• Hallmark moments, with Petter Wettre
• À la Cour (2008), with Mads La Cour
• Apo Calypso (2008), with Motif^[3]
• A Fine Day In Berlin (Relay Recordings, 2013), with The Tim Daisy Trio featuring Clayton Thomas
• Die Anreicherung (Jazzwerkstatt, 2013), with Axel Dörner

References

1. "Håvard Wiik: Postures". Musical reviews. Norsk Musikkinformasjon Ballade.no. Retrieved 2014-11-10.
2. "The Arcades Project - Håvard Wiik Trio". Musical reviews. Jazzland Recordings. Retrieved 2014-11-10.
3. "Håvard Wiik årets prisvinner på Kongsberg Jazzfestival - Groove.no". (in Norwegian)
4. Varty, Alexander (February 11, 2010). "Pianist Havard Wiik says he enjoys a bit of struggle". Straight. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
5. Moserobie (October 2005). "Hakon Kornstad, Havard Wiik Eight Tunes We Like". Jazz Times. Retrieved August 14, 2012.

External links

Havard Wiik Trio: The Arcades Project (2007) at All About Jazz