Jon Balke

Jon Balke started as a professional at the age of 19 in Arild Andersen quartet, and went on forming collaborative groups like E´olén (afro fusion group) Oslo 13 mini bigband, Masqualero (w Jon Christensen, Nils Petter Molvær , Tore Brunborg and Arild Andersen). From 1988 he started forming his own original projects like Jøkleba, Magnetic North Orchestra, Batagraf, and Siwan. Jon also performs solo under the title Warp, referring to the acclaimed ECM release where the piano is sorrouded by a subtle architecture of electronic sound. He has collaborated with visual artists and choreographers like Kjell Bjorgeengen, Tone Myskja, Francesco Scavetta, Giorgio Rossi etc. His history as musician include accompanying singers like Radka Toneff, Sidsel Endresen, Anne Li Drecker, Karin Krogh, and Trine Lise Vaering, as well as live and studio sessions with people like Archie Shepp, John Surman, Airto Moreira/Flora Purim, Michael Urbaniak, Enrico Rava, George Russel, Paolo Fresu,Nguyen Le, Marilyn Mazur, etc. See also: www.magnetic.no, www.siwan.no, www.batagraf.org