Christian Wallumrød is a Norwegian jazz musician and composer, and is considered one of the most prominent musicians of the younger Norwegian generation, known from releases with his own Christian Wallumrød Ensemble on the German label ECM Records, while regularly touring and appearing in festivals in Norway, elsewhere in Scandinavia and Europe, and in the US. He is the brother of jazz vocalistSusanna Wallumrød and the drummer Fredrik Wallumrød, and cousin to the pianistDavid Wallumrød.
Career
Wallumrød was educated on the Jazz Program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium, where he cooperated with the bands Airamero, Nutrio together with Eldbjørg Raknes and Arve Henriksen, as well as in a trio with drummer Espen Rud and bassist Johannes Eick, among others. After moving to Oslo he has played in a quartet with Petter Wettre, composed the commissioned work Eight Thirty for Kongsberg Jazz Festival with Ståle Storløkken, and operated the trio Close Erase with Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and Per Oddvar Johansen, with four releases. He has also contributed on recordings within a wide range of musical expressions, like Odd Børretzen & Lars Martin Myhre, Jon Eberson's Jazzpunkensemblet, Jacob Young, with Arve Henriksen, Jan Bang and Erik Honoré, and last but not the leased Audun Kleive's Generator X Wallumrød has continued the cooperation with Henriksen, in a trio with Hans-Kristian Kjos Sørensen with the albums No birch and Birth wish, and in his own Christian Wallumrød Ensemble with Per Oddvar Johansen releasing Sofienberg variations and A year from easter, all on the German label ECM. In the autumn 2006 he toured with his own Christian Wallumrød Sextet, consisting of the personnel from his Christian Wallumrød Ensamble reinforced with string trioTanja Orning, Gjermund Larsen and Giovanna Pessi. Other prominent partnership include Ketil Gutvik, Sidsel Endresen and Jan Bang, resulting in a series of album releases. On his latest albums Fabula Suite Lugano and Outstairs with Christian Wallumrød Ensamble, he leads a virtuoso ensemble at low speed. It is a beautiful but unsettling experience. We get a mixture of catchy songs with recognizable melodies and simple harmonies, combined with idea-based compositions where the musicians' improvising abilities are expressed. John Kellman of the All About Jazz magazine recognized Christian Wallumrød Ensemble's appearance at TD Ottawa Jazz FestivalJune 2013, as no. 8 of his "Best Live Shows of 2013".
