Jon Balke

Jon Georg Balke (born 7 June 1955) is a Norwegian jazz pianist who leads the group Siwan. He is the younger brother of saxophonist Erik Balke.

Career

Balke started playing classical piano but switched to blues at 12, though he performs within several genres. At the age of 18 he joined Arild Andersen's quartet. By the mid-1980s he worked on his own and would become one of Norway's leading jazz composers. He was active in the groups of Radka Toneff and in the Afrofusion group E'olén before joining Oslo 13 and Masqualero in the early 1980s. From 1989 he focused on his own projects, such as JøKleBa (with Audun Kleive and Per Jørgensen) and the Magnetic North Orchestra for which he composed the commissioned work Il Cenoneat to Vossajazz 1992. NRK.no (in Norwegian)

Balke formed the percussion group Batagraf in 2002, and created the concept work Siwan with singer Amina Alaoui in 2007. He is also the creator of a series of multimedia concerts at Vossajazz festival, labeled Ekstremjazz. The concerts involve various practitioners of extreme sports, such as parachuting, paragliding, hanggliding, and BMX biking. In 2012 he was artist in residence at Moldejazz. In 2016 he launched the solo piano concept Warp the use of live electronics accompanying the grand piano in live performances.

Awards and honors 1984: Buddyprisen 1993: Jazz Musician of the Year 2000: Edvard Prize in popular music – major works, for the album Solarized 2003: Oslo Bys kulturstipend 2008: Gammleng-prisen in the class jazz 2009* Jahrespreis der Deutschen Musikkritiker 2012: Artist in Residence at Moldejazz

Discography

As leader An asterisk (*) indicates year of release.

Year recordedTitleLabelPersonnel/Notes1994FurtherECMWith Morten Halle (sax), Per Jørgensen (trpt), Tore Brunborg (sax) Anders Jormin (bass) Marilyn Mazur (perc) Audun Kleive (perc)1997RotorCurling LegsWith Morten Hannisdal (cello), Marek Konstantynowicz (viola), Henrik Hannisdal and Odd Hannisdal (violin)1998*SaturationJazzland/EmArcyWith Nils-Olav Johansen (guitar, vocals), Fredrik Lundin (sax, flute), Sidsel Endresen (vocals)1999Solarized EmArcyMagnetic North Orchestra2002Kyanos ECMMagnetic North Orchestra2004Diverted Travels ECMMagnetic North Orchestra2006Book of VelocitiesECMSolo piano2007–08SiwanECMWith Amina Alaoui (vocals), Jon Hassell (trumpet, electronics), Kheir-Eddine M'Kachiche (violin), Helge Andreas Norbakken (percussion), Pedram Khavar Zamini (zarb), Bjarte Eike, Per Buhre, Peter Spissky, Anna Ivanovna Sundin and Miloš Valent (violin), Rastko Roknic and Joel Sundin (viola) Tom Pitt (cello), Kate Hearne (cello, recorder), Mattias Frostensson (double bass), Andreas Arend (theorboe, archlute), Hans Knut Sveen (harpsichord, clavichord)2009Say and PlayECMWith Helge Andreas Norbakken (sabar, gorong, djembe, talking drum, shakers, percussion), Emilie Stoesen Christensen (vocals), Erland Dahlen (drums), Torgeir Rebolledo Pedersen (poetry reading)2012Magnetic Works ECMMagnetic North Orchestra2014WarpECMSolo piano and keyboards with field recordings2017Nahnou HoumECMSecond album with the Siwan concept2020DiscoursesECMSolo album that further develops the methodology introduced on the Warp album 2022HaflaECMThird album with Siwan featuring Mona Boutchebak, Derya Turkan and Pedram Khavarzamini.2025SkrifumECMSolo album that further develops the methodology introduced in the Warp and Discourses albums

As co-leader With Jøkleba 1991: On and On (Odin) 1993: JøKleBa! (Norsk Plateproduksjon) 1996: JøKleBa Live (Curling Legs) 2011: Nu Jøk? (EmArcy, Universal Music Norway) 2014: Outland (ECM) (by Tomas Lauvland Pettersen) 2012: Magnetic Works 1993-2001 (ECM), compilation

With Batagraf 2005: Statements (ECM) 2011: Say and Play (ECM) 2016: On Anodyne (Grappa) 2018: Delights of Decay (Jazzland)

As sideman With Radka Toneff 1979: It Don't Come Easy (PolyGram) 2008: Butterfly (Curling Legs), recorded 1976–77

With Masqualero 1983: Masqualero (Odin) 1985: Bande a Parte (ECM)

With Oslo 13 1983: Anti-Therapy (Odin) 1987: Off Balance (Odin) 1992: Nonsentration (ECM) 1994: Oslo 13 Live (Curling Legs)

With others 1975: Clouds in My Head (ECM), with Arild Andersen Quartet 1977: Hi-Fly (Compendium), with Karin Krog and Archie Shepp 1978: Høysang (NorDisc), with Lars Klevstrand and Guttorm Guttormsen Kvintett 1978: Club 7 jubileumsplate (Club 7), with Kråbøl and E'olén 1979: E'Olen (Mai), with E'Olen 1986: A Hip Hop (Dragon), with Göran Klinghagen 1991: Live at Rockefeller (Odin), with Jazzpunkensemblet 2002: Joko (ACT), with Miki N'Doye Orchestra feat. Paolo Vinaccia, Bugge Wesseltoft and Cissokho 2003: Trialogue (Imogena), with Lars Møller and Morten Lund - trio 2007: The Door (ECM), with Mathias Eick 2010: The Adventures of a Polar Expedition (Cowbell Music), with Hans Ulrik, Benjamin Koppel, Palle Danielsson and Alex Riel

Jon Balke

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