The Norwegian jazz-rock quartet The Verge met at the legendary Norwegian jazz school NTNU, and did their first concerts in 2019. The band consists of four still up-and-coming musicians who are all active members of the Norwegian and European jazz, improv and rock scene. Emil, Aksel, Alf and Ingvald have, as The Verge, only done some humble touring in Norway until this point, but recorded a truly vital and original album in Duper Studio in 2021. This was done with the aspiring young producer Vegard Lemme, and the album is now being released on the also Bergen-based label Is It Jazz? Records.

The album consists of seven original tracks composed by the different members of the band, which all sound very different from each other. Sonic landscapes that vary from fiery melodic jazz music to hysterical prog rock, atmospheric free-improvisation and heavy riffs are what define The Verge’s debut record. The hypnotic album encompasses a lot of different styles, but the ability of the four instrumentalists to weave it all together in a seamless manner makes it all take on a coherent form. The quartet’s way of improvising, spontaneous interplay, and a joyful attitude towards making music together make The Verge’s self-titled debut album worth a listen.

Line-up: Emil Storløkken Åse (Guitars), Aksel Rønning (Saxophone, flute), Alf Høines (Electric bass), Ingvald André Vassbø (Drums)