Trygve Seim

Trygve Seim is a Norwegian jazz saxophonist and composer. Seim has released numerous albums since 1992, including over 20 albums for ECM Records as a composer, band-leader or co-band-leader.

WWW Official Site

Career

Seim was born in Oslo and in 1985 was inspired to learn saxophone upon hearing Jan Garbarek's Eventyr by chance on a family excursion. Seim went on to study music at Foss videregående skole. In between his studies, Seim spent a year in nearby Denmark, during which time he began a short-lived group with pianist Carsten Dahl and became increasingly influenced by the playing of Dexter Gordon. Upon returning to Norway, Seim attended the Jazz program of the Trondheim Musikkonservatorium, where he completed studies in jazz saxophone. Seim's jazz education was supplemented by participation in New York jam sessions during his frequent overseas trips to visit his father, who worked in the Norwegian diplomatic service.
In 1991, he founded the group Airamero with fellow student, the pianist Christian Wallumrød. Bassist Johannes Eick and drummer Per Oddvar Johansen completed the group line-up, and in 1994 their eponymously named album was released.
Seim became a member of Jon Balke's band Oslo 13 in 1992 and soon after was instrumental in forming the jazz quartet, The Source, with fellow Trondheim Musikkonservatorium alumni Øyvind Brække, Mats Eilertsen and Per Oddvar Johansen. Considered to be a highly creative ensemble, The Source released a series of critically successful albums, including several on ECM Records and have remained an active ensemble throughout Seim's career, collaborating with other musicians for specific projects, including Edward Vesala and Kenny Wheeler.
Seim's debut release as a leader came in 2000, with Different Rivers, released on the German record label ECM Records. Receiving positive reviews upon release, Different Rivers won the German Record Critics Prize, "Jahrespreis – Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik" in 2001, and began Seim's long association with ECM Records, both as a leader and as a sideman, including for Jacob Young, Manu Katché, Iro Haarla, Sinikka Langeland, and Mats Eilertsen.
While jazz critics have suggested that Seim's performing and composing aligns within the ECM lineage, many have also noted that he has cultivated a unique style of performance and composition, making his work difficult to categorize. Seim is noted for making unconventional choices in his ensemble instrumentation, frequently using large ensembles but also working in smaller contexts, including duos. His unique contribution to the legacy of ECM recordings was celebrated in 2010 when his composition and arrangement, 'Ulrikas Dans', was selected for inclusion in Arild Andersen's Celebration album, alongside those of Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, Dave Holland, Chick Corea, and Andersen himself. Recorded with Tommy Smith and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, Celebrations was devised as a contribution to ECM's 40th anniversary celebrations. He won Grammy Awards with Nidarosdomens jentekor, Trygve Seim & TrondheimSolistene Best Immersive Audio Album at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards 2020 https://shop.2l.no/products/lux-nidarosdomen

Personal life

Seim has two children with the Norwegian journalist and writer Åsne Seierstad.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Christmas Songs w/Andreas Utnem ...But Swinging Doesn't Bend Them Down Helsinki Songs Rumi Songs The Source: of Summer Purcor w/Andreas Utnem Yeraz w/Frode Haltli The Source: of Christmas Live The Source Sangam The Source and Different Cikadas Different Rivers Decoy w/Decoy - Havard Lund / Njål Ølnes / Audun Kleive The Source: of Christmas Olemanns Kornett Airamero w/Christian Wallumrød / Johannes Eick / Per Oddvar Johansen

As sideman/collaborator

With 1300 Oslo Live In The North
With Jon Balke BatagrafDelights Of Decay Oslo 13 – Live
Bodega BandEn Flik Av...
With Mats EilertsenRubicon
With Harr & HartbergDøden er dårlig gjort
With Iro HaarlaAnte Lucem Vespers Northbound
With Manu KatchéTouchstone for Manu Playground
With Sinikka LangelandThe Magical Forest The Half-Finished Heaven The Land That Is Not Starflowers
With Håvard LundLetters
With Geir Lysne Listening EnsembleAurora Borealis
With MotorpsychoThe MotorSource Massacre w/The Source Trust Us
With Odd Nordstoga Og Det Norske KammerorkesterJul Bestevenn
With Jørn SkogheimAbove Water
With SquidSuper
With Christian WallumrødSofienberg Variations
With Petter WettreMystery Unfolds with Jacob YoungForever Young Glow Pieces of Time''