The Weight of Bloom - When I Return
Within When I Return’s intimate musical universe, seven searching and deeply attentive musicians meet in a space where their individual voices are both nurtured and tested. The music unfolds in open, breathing forms, allowing each player the freedom to move within melodic frameworks where lines intertwine, separate, and reconnect in a constantly shifting collective expression.
The ensemble is led by saxophonist Brede Sørum and trombonist Jørgen Bjelkerud, who together compose music marked by a clear youthful urgency. While drawing on the lineage of the American jazz tradition, their work also reflects a distinctly Nordic sensibility — one that embraces texture, space, and the expressive outer edges of instrumental sound. Since its inception, the band has performed at leading venues including Dokkhuset Scene in Trondheim, Victoria National Jazz Scene and Kampenjazz in Oslo, and Jazzmatazz Neukölln in Berlin.
In February, When I Return releases its long-awaited debut album, The Weight Of Bloom, on Jazzland Recordings. The album brings together material shaped and refined through live performance over several years. Across its arc, the music invites reflection and longing, while never losing its sense of play, openness, and forward motion.
The septet’s members are all active and distinctive voices within Norway’s emerging jazz generation, with parallel work in ensembles such as Schemes, Lightning Trio, Dafnie, and Trondheim Jazz Orchestra. In the compositions of Bjelkerud and Sørum, these varied musical identities converge, forming a shared sound that is at once unified and exploratory — a living, breathing expression of When I Return.
Brede Sørum - alto sax & compositions
Jørgen Bjelkerud - trombone & compositions
Åsne Ausen Fossmark - tenor sax
Ola Lømo Ellingsen - trumpet
Sondre Moshagen - piano
Kertu Aer - bass
Steinar Heide Bø - drums