Bio
Haftor Medbøe is a Norwegian-born guitarist, composer and educator living in Edinburgh, Scotland.
With his eponymous group, Haftor has recorded five albums and subsequently released albums with Will of the People (Pete Furniss - clarinet and Tom Bancroft - drums), Jacob Karlzon (piano), Espen Eriksen (piano) and Gunnar Halle (trumpet), Anneke Kampman (ex Conquering Animal Sound, ANAKANAK).
As a composer, Haftor has scored music for numerous film and television productions including Building a Nation (Wark Clemmens for C4) and the multi award-winning Tartan Short, Cry For Bobo (David Cairns). Other composition credits include the 2014 son et lumiere production, A Night at The Botanics, collaborative installation pieces with artists Alan Kilpatrick and Michele Marcoux, dance/video productions by choreographer/film-maker Katrina MacPherson and commissioned responses to a number of exhibitions for the National Galleries of Scotland.
Haftor is Professor of Music at Edinburgh Napier University, where he gained his doctoral degree in 2013. He is an internationally published researcher in the field of new jazz studies and has presented conference papers throughout Europe for, amongst others, the International Society of Musicologists, Rhythm Changes, KISMIF, HEA and the Nordic Research Network. Haftor is founding Chair of the Scottish Jazz Archive and a Director of the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival.
Recordings
MEDBØE/MCKENZIE – REUNITED
February 20, 2024 | Copperfly Records
A long overdue reunion of Haftor Medbøe on electric guitar and effects and Sue McKenzie on soprano and alto saxophones. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Graham Coe.
MEDBØE/WISZNIEWSKI – POIESIS
February 2, 2023 | Subcontinental Records
A freely improvised suite featuring Haftor Medbøe on electric guitar and effects alongside Konrad Wiszniewski on soprano and tenor saxophone. Engineered by Garry Boyle at Slateroom, mixed and mastered by Graham Coe.
HAFTOR MEDBØE [Scandinavian] GROUP, Live in Edinburgh
November 2, 2019 | Subcontinental Records
Featuring Gunnar Halle (trumpet), Espen Eriksen (piano), Eva Malling (bass) and Benita Haastrup (drums). Recorded live at Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival 2013. Engineered, mixed and mastered by Michal Jankowski.
WILL OF THE PEOPLE
July 1, 2019 | Copperfly Records
Featuring Pete Furniss (bass clarinet) and Tom Bancroft (drums) in a sonic response to ongoing political frustrations. Recorded live at the Reid Concert Hall in 2017.
News
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Medbøe/Eriksen/Halle – The Space Between – Release Date
Almost there! The new album is released in all territories on November 20th. We’ve been getting some lovely reviews and radio play. You can listen again at Jazz FM, The Cutting Edge with Mike Chadwick. We’re first on.
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Medbøe/Eriksen/Halle debut album coming soon on Losen Records
Delighted to announce that we have recently signed a deal with Norwegian label, Losen Records who will be releasing our debut album The Space Between in early November. More details soon.
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Photo by Colin Holmes
Photographer Colin Holmes stopped by the studio during overdubs for the new album with Espen Eriksen and Gunnar Halle.
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Two July gigs for the diary
On Saturday 26th July, I play with a new trio line-up featuring Espen Eriksen (piano) and Gunnar Halle (trumpet). We’re performing a set of box-fresh new tunes at the Festival Theatre Studio just ahead of recording them for a new album for Autumn release. As an extra-special bonus, we are joined by piano-maestro Steve Hamilton…
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Album Release – Thursday 21st May
Pete and I are super executed to be releasing the debut album of our project, Bitter Together with a live performance of similar material*. The cover art has been created by design-maestro Danny Crighton Where: The Atrium, Alison House, 12 Nicolson Square, University of Edinburgh When: Thursday 21st May at 7:30. Admission is free and…
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New project with Espen Eriksen and Gunnar Halle
Work is underway on writing an entirely new set of material for a project that I’m very excited about indeed. On 25th July 2015, peerless pianist, Espen Eriksen and tip-top trumpeter Gunnar Halle join me in premiering the new work at the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival – There will be no after-show shenanigans as we’re…
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Summer releases
Gearing up for a summer of album releases. First, in May, comes the album Bitter Together with bass-clarinetist Pete Furniss on Fabrikant Records. Then, in Autumn, the debut album of a new trio featuring pianist Espen Eriksen and trumpeter Gunnar Halle.
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