Bendik Hofseth – vocals and saxophone
Mats Eilertsen – bass
Per Oddvar Johansen – drums
Jarmo Saari – guitar
Helge Iberg – grand piano
In April, Bendik Hofseth was appointed Knight 1st Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav.
As one of the most distinctive voices in Norwegian jazz over several decades, Bendik moves between pop, jazz, improvisation, and open musical landscapes.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the release of his first album, *IX*, and in 2025 he released no fewer than five albums.
The 4LP box set *Forest*, consisting of four records that represent four different aspects of Bendik’s life, both musical and personal.
The “jazz album” *Trunks*, the “pop album” *Branches*, the “contemporary/jazz/improv album” *Roots*, and finally the miniature collection *Pollen and Leaves*. The fifth album is titled *Lux ex lacrimis*. It is Latin and means “light out of tears” (or “light from tears”), expressing the idea of finding hope or beauty in the midst of grief or suffering.
The album is dedicated to Bendik’s late wife, and the music expresses precisely this theme: finding light after loss.
According to Dagsavisen, this is among the finest work he has produced, and the newspaper named the album one of the best jazz albums of 2025.
Bendik Hofseth began his career as a superstar in the jazz-rock band Steps Ahead, when he took over from Michael Brecker.
He was then launched as Norway’s Sting—or perhaps Peter Gabriel—on Columbia Records itself in the U.S., where he made his solo debut with *IX* in 1991.
Twenty years later, the album was named one of the best Norwegian albums of all time in Morgenbladet’s Top 100 list.
But Bendik refused to be dictated to by American market forces; he moved back home and released a series of critically acclaimed albums, both in the jazz genre and in the crossover segment of pop/world music/contemporary music… and often all at once. In Norwegian, English, and as instrumental works.
Hofseth has always forged his own path and is known among fellow musicians for giving his bandmates plenty of space.
In the ’90s, he collaborated with musicians such as Knut Reiersrud, Audun Erlien, Eivind Aarset, Paolo Vinaccia, and Øystein Sevåg. Relatively unknown at the time, but world-renowned stars in the years since.
Look forward to an exciting encounter with beautiful music and fantastic musicians!
