Ellen Brekken
{{short description|Norwegian jazz musician|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Ellen Brekken
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1985|06|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = Tynset, Hedmark, Norway
| image = Ellen Brekken Oslo Jazzfestival 2019 (202751).jpg
| caption = Ellen Brekken performing in 2019
| genre = Jazz, pop, rock, folk
| occupation = Musician, composer
| instrument = Double bass, bass guitar, tuba, backing vocals
| years_active = 2000–present
| label = Rune Grammofon, ta:lik
| associated_acts = Hedvig Mollestad Trio
Ellen Brekken Quartet
MAAR
Gruvar
Lise Hvoslef band
Caledonia jazzband
Du og jeg og vi 2 - 3 - 4
}}
Ellen Brekken (born 1985) is a Norwegian jazz musician who plays upright bass, bass guitar, and the tuba. She is also a composer.
Biography
Brekken was born in Tynset, Norway. She attended the Toneheim Folk High School in 2005, and completed a bachelor's degree in Improvised Music on the jazz program at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo from 2006 to 2010, including a period of exchange studies in Cape Town, South Africa.{{Cite web |title=Biografi Ellen Brekken |url=https://www.ellenbrekken.com/biografi |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=ellenbrekken |language=no}}
Brekken is a member of the Hedvig Mollestad Trio including Ivar Loe Bjørnstad. For the albums "All of them witches" (2013) and "Ding dong. You're dead." (2021) they were nominated to the Norwegian version of a Grammy award, Spellemannprisen, in the rock category.{{cite news |last=Mosnes |first=Terje |date=15 September 2011 |title=Skuddklar med debutplate: Hedvig Mollestad Thomassens powertrioalbum "Shoot!" vil overraske mange |url=http://www.dagbladet.no/2011/09/15/kultur/hedvig_mollestad_thomassen/musikk/album/shoot/17892757 |access-date=2013-11-18 |work=Music Reviews |language=no |agency=Dagbladet}}{{cite web |last=Kelman |first=John |date=18 May 2013 |title=Hedvig Mollestad Trio: All of Them Witches (2013) Review |url=http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=44559#.UlVIndK-2m4 |access-date=2013-11-18 |work=Music Reviews |publisher=All About Jazz}}{{cite news |last=Furu |first=Svein Magnus |author-link=Svein Magnus Furu |date=14 March 2013 |title=Enveisbillett til Bloksberg |url=http://morgenbladet.no/kultur/2013/enveisbillett_til_bloksberg#.UoorqHBWym4 |access-date=2013-11-18 |language=no |agency=Morgenbladet}}
In 2021, she released the first album under her own name, Ambush, with her quartet A tonic for the troops. Alongside Brekken, the band consists of Espen Berg (piano), Magnus Bakken (saxophones), and Magnus Sefaniassen Eide (drums).{{Cite web |title=Bass {{!}} Oslo, Norge {{!}} Ellen Brekken {{!}} A tonic for the troops |url=https://www.ellenbrekken.com/a-tonic-for-the-troops |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=ellenbrekken |language=no}} They released their second album, Realm of Opportunities, in 2023.
Ellen Brekken Quartet, including Dag-Filip Roaldsnes (piano), Eskil Sæter (guitar) and Jon Audun Baar (drums), did several gigs during the 2010s.{{cite web |title=Ellen Brekken Kvartett på Herr Nilsen |url=http://www.oslojazzforum.no/ellen-brekken-kvartett |access-date=2013-11-18 |publisher=OsloJazzforum.no |language=no}}{{Cite web |title=Ellen Brekken Kvartett |url=https://jazzinorge.no/arrangement/ellen-brekken-kvartett/ |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=Jazz i Norge |language=nb-NO}} Her band Du og jeg og vi 2 - 3 - 4 plays music for kids.
With the band MAAR she plays Norwegian folk music. They were nominated for Folkelarmprisen for their album "Vrangsvevd". She and Lars Jakop Rudjord are leading a 7-mans folk/jazz big band called Gruvar. The band plays newly composed music by Brekken and Rudjord, aiming to build bridges between folk- and jazz music.
She has been working regularly for Concerts Norway, different theatres in Norway (Nationaltheatret, Folketeatret, Oslo Nye Teater, Trøndelag Teater), in addition to playing with musicians such as Tord Gustavsen, Espen Rud, Staffan William-Olsson, Ketil Bjørnstad, Karl Seglem, Frode Nymo, Bugge Wesseltoft, Frode Alnæs, Jens Wendelboe, Aasmund Nordstoga, and Ine Hoem.{{Cite web |title=Bass {{!}} Oslo, Norge {{!}} Ellen Brekken Diskografi |url=https://www.ellenbrekken.com/diskografi |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=ellenbrekken |language=no}}{{Cite web |title=Ellen Brekken |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/2446174-Ellen-Brekken?superFilter=Instruments+&+Performance |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=Discogs |language=en}} She has also been a member of Caledonia jazzband.
Discography
= With A tonic for the troops =
- 2021: Ambush (ODIN)
- 2023: Realm of Opportunities (ODIN)
= Within [[Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen|Hedvig Mollestad Trio]] including with [[Ivar Loe Bjørnstad]] =
- 2011: Shoot! (Rune Grammofon)
- 2013: All of Them Witches (Rune Grammofon)
- 2014: Enfant Terrible! (Rune Grammofon)
- 2016: Black Stabat Mater (Rune Grammofon)
- 2016: Evil In Oslo (Rune Grammofon)
- 2018: Smells Funny (Rune Grammofon)
- 2021: Ding dong. You're dead. (Rune Grammofon)
- 2022: Maternity Beat – Hedvig Mollestad og Trondheim jazzorkester (Rune Grammofon)
= With Du og jeg og vi 2 - 3 - 4 =
- 2017: Krokodille i baksetet – Du og jeg og vi 2 - 3 - 4 (Curling Legs)
- 2021: Balkongfest – Du og jeg og vi 2 - 3 - 4 (Du og jeg records)
= Within MAAR =
- 2014: Vrangsvevd (ta:lik)
- 2015: Epleslang (ta:lik)
= Other =
- 2012: Crazy Heart (EP) – Sigrun and the Kitchen Band (HummingBird records)
- 2013: Uten at du vet det – Sigrun Loe Sparboe (Tylden & Co AS)
- 2013: Av en sliters memoarer – Erik Lukashaugen (Øksekar)
- 2013: The Island (EP) – Ine Hoem (Impeller recordings)
- 2014: Mapping the coincidence (EP) – Lise Hvoslef (Lise Hvoslef Records)
- 2015: Tel si ega tid – Erik Lukashaugen (Øksekar)
- 2015: Ein song til deg – Kjetil Flatland (Grappa musikkforlag)
- 2016: Finnskogvegen – Erik Lukashaugen (Øksekar)
- 2016: Just Being Part – Lise Hvoslef (Lise Hvoslef recordings)
- 2016: Syng min sorg, gråt min glede – Bjørn Anders Hermundstad (Kirkelig kulturverksted)
- 2016: Stifinner – Tone Hulbækmo (Heilo)
- 2017: Hyttetankar – Kjetil Flatland (Grappa musikkforlag)
- 2017: Out of silence – FriEnsemblet (Giraffa records)
- 2017: Tanken er fri – Trond Granlund (Trond Granlund records)
- 2017: Appily Ever After – Ava Freddy (Pretty young things)
- 2017: Hildersyn – Irene Tillung (Heilo)
- 2021: New constellations – Falkevik (Drabant)
- 2022: En egen ro – Lise Hvoslef (Lise Hvoslef records)
- 2022: Kyrkja – Carl Petter Opsahl (Visions and dreams)
- 2023: Når timen er blå – Kjetil Flatland (Cracker factory music)
- 2023: Min lille by – Hilde Brunsvik (Park Grammofon)
- 2023: Denna tida i fjor – Moddi (Propeller)
- 2024: Jag etter vind – Ketil Bjørnstad (Simax classic)
- 2024: Myth, path, hope – Karl Seglem (NorCD)
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Portal|Norway|Jazz}}
External links
- {{Official website|www.ellenbrekken.com}}
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9mbYMPOCRc Hedvig Mollestad Trio – Gun And The E-Kid – Steinkjerfestivalen 2012] on YouTube
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKjM3ulbQf4 Hedvig Mollestad Trio – European Tour 2013] on YouTube
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brekken, Ellen}}
Category:Norwegian women jazz musicians
Category:Norwegian Academy of Music alumni
Category:Norwegian jazz upright-bassists
Category:Norwegian jazz bass guitarists
Category:Norwegian jazz composers
Category:Norwegian women jazz composers
Category:Musicians from Tynset
Category:Women bass guitarists
Category:Norwegian jazz singers
Category:Norwegian women jazz singers
Category:21st-century Norwegian women musicians