Montmartre's artistic director
Jan Lundgren
Swedish-born internationally recognized jazz pianist and composer. At the same time, Jan has been Jazzhus Montmartre's artistic director since December 2016, and as such head of the artistic council. Jan has also been an external lecturer at the Malmö Conservatory of Music since 1991, from which he also originally graduated. He is also artistic director of the Ystad Sweden Jazz Festival since, and appointed as an official Steinway artist.
His international career began in 1994 when his first album, Conclusion, was released. In the year 2000 he played for the first time at Carnegie Hall in New York, and among the big international names he has played with are Paolo Fresu, Richard Galliano, Eric Alexander, Herb Geller, Benny Golson and Johnny Griffin.
Montmartre Artistic Council
Advises the artistic director in booking and artistic line.
Caecilie Norby
One of Denmark's greatest vocalists. She began her career as a pop and rock singer in famous bands such as Frontline and One-Two. Since the 1995s, she has had an international solo career in jazz, after she released her first album on Blue Note.
Cæcilie has played with a string of great international artists such as David Kikoski, Joey Calderazzo, Terri Lyne Carrington, Scott Robinson, Randy Brecker and Michael Brecker.
Over the years, she has received several major jazz awards, including The Ben Webster Prize in 1985 and the Wilhelm Hansen Music Prize in 2000.
Morten Lund
One of Denmark's most recognized jazz drummers, who has had an international breakthrough together with the great Italian pianist Stefano Bollani. As a sideman, he has appeared on over 60 albums, and has played with numerous international artists.
Morten is educated at the music conservatory in Aarhus, and began his career in Klüver's Big Band, with whom he also recorded his first album. He received the Ben Webster Award in 2006, and has since toured the world's biggest jazz clubs and concert halls. Alongside his career as a musician, he also hosts a podcast about drums.
Kathrine Windfeld
As an innovative bandleader, composer and arranger, Kathrine has established herself in record time as one of Denmark's most innovative jazz artists, not least within the modern big band genre. She received the Ben Webster award in 2022. The Danish magazine Jazz Special named her album "Latency" in 2018 as "Danish Jazz Album of the Year". Several major international media outlets have also noticed Kathrine's innovative abilities, the British newspaper The Guardian calls her compositions "a rare combination of strength and tenderness". Internationally, she has already collaborated with e.g. Frankfurt Radio Big Band and Swedish Bohuslän Big Band, in addition to the home DR's Big Band, and she has performed with, among others, Mike Stern, Seamus Blake and Gilad Hekselman.
Mathias Heise
Internationally considered to be one of the world's absolute leading harmonica artists. He started at the age of seven and hasn't been able to stop since - and always in high spirits and with a twinkle in his eye, Mathias has so far released five albums under his own name. The prices have been calculated for him, i.a. in 2017 the Ben Webster Award as the youngest recipient ever, and the year before the Crown Prince Couple's Star Sprinkle award in 2016.
The reviewers do not hold back in praising Mathias as "fantastic, both as a composer, arranger and entertainer - probably one of the best on his instrument", as Henrik Palle has noted in Politiken.
Steen Rasmussen
Steen Rasmussen is educated at the conservatory in Aarhus, and has had a versatile career. As a pianist, Steen has played with artists as diverse as Søs Fenger, Lis Sørensen and Sanne Salomonsen. But he is best known for his collaborations with international stars such as Airto Moreira, Toninho Horta, Robertinho Silva, Silvana Malta, Nicola Stilo, Charlie Watts, Josefine Cronholm and Leo Minax.
A distinctive feature of Steen Rasmussen is that he manages to combine Nordic melancholy with Brazilian saudade.
"Steen Rasmussen has a unique eye for Latin and manages to add the Nordic sound, which can open up the material in the most beautiful way," wrote Musikmagasinet Gaffa. In addition to being diligent on the Danish jazz scene, Steen has toured Spain many times, Brazil, Ecuador and Columbia Over the years he has appeared in over 75 publications.
Morten Lund
En af Danmarks mest anerkendte jazz-trommeslagere, der bl.a. har fået et internationalt gennembrud sammen med den store italienske pianist Stefano Bollani. Som sideman har han medvirket på over 60 albums, og har spillet med talrige internationale kunstnere.
Morten er uddannet på musikkonservatoriet i Aarhus, og begyndte sin karriere i Klüvers Big Band, som han også indspillede sit første album med. Han modtog Ben Webster Prisen i 2006, og har siden turneret verdens største jazzklubber og koncertsale. Ved siden af sin karriere som musiker bestyrer han også en podcast om trommer.
Thomas Fonnesbaek
Thomas Fonnesbæk is one of Denmark's leading bass players. He started playing the double bass at the age of 12 and received lessons from both Bo Stief and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. After he graduated from Rytmisk Musikkonservatorium in 1998, he worked as an independent musician. Among the musicians he has regularly performed with are Jacob Christoffersen, Kristian Jørgensen, Lars Jansson, Nikolaj Bentzon, Thomas Clausen, Alex Riel and Sinne Eeg
Mathias Heise
Anses internationalt for at være en af verdens absolut førende mundharmonika-kunstnere. Han begyndte som syv-årig og har ikke kunnet holde op siden - og altid i højt humør og et glimt i øjet, Mathias har foreløbig udgivet fem albums i eget navn. Priserne er regnet ned over ham, bl.a. i 2017 Ben Webster Prisen som yngste modtager nogensinde, og året før Kronprinsparrets Stjernedrys-pris i 2016.
Anmelderne holder sig ikke tilbage med at prise Mathias som “fantastisk, både som komponist, arrangør og entertainer - formentlig en af vedens bedste på sit instrument”, som Henrik Palle har konstateret i Politiken.
Steen Rasmussen
Steen Rasmussen er uddannet på konservatoriet i Aarhus, og har haft en alsidig karriere. Som pianist har Steen spillet med så forskellige kunstnere som Søs Fenger, Lis Sørensen og Sanne Salomonsen. Men han er mest kendt for sit samarbejde med internationale stjerner som Airto Moreira, Toninho Horta, Robertinho Silva, Silvana Malta, Nicola Stilo, Charlie Watts, Josefine Cronholm og Leo Minax.
Et særkende for Steen Rasmussen er, at han formår at forene den nordiske melankoli med brasiliansk saudade.
"Steen Rasmussen har et enestående blik for latin og formår netop at tilføre den nordiske klang, som på flotteste vis kan åbne materialet,” skrev Musikmagasinet Gaffa. Ud over at være flittig på den danske jazz-scene har Steen mange gange turneret i Spanien, Brasilien, Ecuador og Columbia. Gennem årene har han medvirket på over 75 udgivelser.
Thomas Fonnesbæk
Thomas Fonnesbæk er en af Danmarks førende bassister. Han begyndte at spille kontrabas som 12-årig og modtog undervisning af både Bo Stief og Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. Efter han var færdig på Rytmisk Musikkonservatorium i 1998 har han virket som selvstændig musiker. Af musikere, han jævnligt har optrådt med kan nævnes Jacob Christoffersen, Kristian Jørgensen, Lars Jansson, Nikolaj Bentzon, Thomas Clausen, Alex Riel og Sinne Eeg
I 2018 indspillede Fonnesbæk det internationale duo-album Blue Waltz sammen med Enrico Pieranunzi, og i 2021 udgav de The Real You - A Bill Evans Tribute.