Kongsberg Jazzfestival Reviewed

Source: Downbeat.

Of the jazz festivals that Norway sponsors throughout the year, Kongsberg Jazzfestival is one of the oldest and most ambitious. And it continues to manage a balancing act that addresses the needs of several different audiences. For this year’s 59th-annual event, held July 5–8, it brought in pop acts and held a weekend street festival that lasted late into the night. For jazz audiences, Kongsberg Jazzfestival hosted performers of international renown as well as new, homegrown talent. And it also presented two intertwined events — Særingfest and Avanthagen — that featured top free improvisers and experimental musicians.