Bendik Hofseth Woodlands

Line-up:

Bendik Hofseth – vocals and saxophone
Frode Berg – bass
Per Oddvar Johansen – drums
Eivind Aarset – guitar
Helge Iberg – grand piano

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Newly knighted Bendik Hofseth sold out Oslo Opera House in record time on June 21. An extra concert has now been added at Cosmopolite, where he brings his regular band and continues the celebration of an exceptionally productive period.

As one of the most distinctive voices in Norwegian jazz over several decades, he moves seamlessly between pop, jazz, improvisation and open musical landscapes.

This year marks 35 years since the release of his debut album IX, and in 2025 he released no fewer than five albums. The 4LP box set Forest consists of four records representing different aspects of Bendik’s life, both musically and personally: the “jazz album” Trunks, the “pop album” Branches, the “contemporary/jazz/improv album” Roots, and the miniature collection Pollen and Leaves. The fifth album is titled Lux ex lacrimis — Latin for “light out of tears” — expressing the idea of finding hope or beauty in the midst of grief or suffering. The album is dedicated to Bendik’s late wife, and the music reflects precisely this theme: finding light after loss. According to Dagsavisen, it stands among the finest work of his career and was named one of the best jazz albums of 2025.

Bendik Hofseth began his career as a superstar in the jazz-rock band Steps Ahead, taking over the role from Michael Brecker. He was later launched internationally on Columbia Records as Norway’s answer to Sting — or perhaps Peter Gabriel — debuting with IX in 1991. Twenty years later, the album was ranked among the greatest Norwegian albums of all time in Morgenbladet’s Top 100 list. However, Hofseth chose not to be shaped by American market forces, returned to Norway, and went on to release a series of critically acclaimed albums across jazz and crossover genres — spanning pop, world music and contemporary music, often blending them all at once. In Norwegian, English and instrumental forms alike.

Hofseth has always followed his own path and is known among fellow musicians for giving his collaborators space to shine.