See a Nordic Summer Jazz performance on July 23 with Jostein Gulbrandsen Trio! The acclaimed Norwegian guitarist and composer Jostein Gulbrandsen will be accompanied by bassist Mike McGuirk and drummer Adam Nussbaum for this live show in Victor Borge Hall.
About the Musicians
Originally from Norway, guitarist Jostein Gulbrandsen has lived in NYC for years and developed his musicianship and reputation as a versatile and virtuoso guitarist. He has released three albums as a leader and has played and recorded with Adam Nussbaum, Joe Farnsworth, Jon Irabagon. Mark Ferber and many others. He has performed at Rochester International Jazz Festival, Trondheim Jazz Festival, Viljandi International guitar festival, Faro guitar festival, Blues Alley, Blue Note NYC, The Kennedy Center and Birdland. He is endorsed by Collings Guitars, Quilter Labs, Eventide, Godin Guitars, Sadowsky guitars and Curt Mangan Strings. He is the author of Modern Jazz and Fusion Guitar released by Hal/Leonard, and a faculty member at Kaufman Music Center. He has given Masterclasses at Colleges and Festivals around the world and been profiled and interviewed by several major newspapers in his native Norway as well as the U.S. He has released three albums as a leader on labels such as Fresh Sound New Talent and Curling Legs Records.
Bassist Mike McGuirk grew up in Portland, Oregon, and received a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas, where he studied with Jeff Bradetich. In 1997, he won the International Society of Bassists jazz bass competition. He has played and/or recorded with John Abercrombie, Marc Copland, David Liebman, Tim Hagans, Don Friedman, Joey Baron, Andy Laverne, Eliot Zigmund, Adam Nussbaum, Bennie Wallace, Mulgrew Miller, Billy Drummond, Renee Rosnes, Walt Weiskopf and Eddie Henderson among others. Recently, he can be heard on Marc Copland’s Lunar featuring David Liebman, and Jed Levy’s Round and Round on Steeplechase records.
Adam Nussbaum was born in New York City and grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut. After five years of piano study, he got his first drum set when he was around 12 years old. He later studied music at the City College of New York, during which time he also played in local clubs. In 1978 he joined Dave Liebman’s quintet and did his first European tour with John Scofield. Nussbaum played with saxophonist Stan Getz in 1982-83, and in 1983 he also became a member of the Gil Evans Orchestra, touring Europe and Japan with it two years later. He later joined the Eliane Elias/Randy Brecker Quartet, Gary Burton, and Toots Thielemans. In 1987, he began touring with Michael Brecker’s band. He was a member of Brecker’s Grammy award-winning album Don’t Try This at Home. During 1992, Nussbaum was part of the Carla Bley Big Band and the previous year John Abercrombie hired him to complete his organ trio. Nussbaum has kept active in a wide variety of groups and as a freelance drummer. His recording debut as leader was in 2018, with The Lead Belly Project on Sunnyside Records. He has played with a virtual “Who’s Who” in the jazz world. Longtime associates have included: John Abercrombie, Bob Berg, Michael & Randy Brecker, Eliane Elias, Gil Evans, Stan Getz and Mike Gibbs. Further, Nussbaum performed and recorded with Vic Juris, Lee Konitz, James Moody, John Scofield, Joe Sample, Ohad Talmor, ‘Toots’ Thielemans and Kenny Wheeler & NHØP. As well as freelancing with prominent artists of every generation, being a major asset no matter where he appears. Adam Nussbaum has joined forces with other musicians to form such groups as BANN (with Seamus Blake, Jay Anderson & Oz Noy), We3 (with Dave Liebman & Steve Swallow), and The Nuttree Quartet (with John Abercrombie, Jerry Bergonzi & Gary Versace).
Jostein Gulbrandsen performance at Scandinavia House, 2019: