Norwegian jazz rockers The Verge sign to Is It Jazz? Records

The Verge
(Image credit: The Verge)

Norwegian jazz rock quartet The Verge are the latest band to sign with the increasingly prolific Is It Jazz? label, the Bergen-based offshoot of Karisma Records, home to the likes of Wobbler, Airbag, Seven Impale, Major Parkinson, Meer and more.

The Verge comprise of Emil Storløkken Åse (Phoenix, Emil Storløkken Åse solo) on guitars , Aksel Rønning (Cosmic Swing Orchestra, Aksel Rønning Trio) on saxophone and flute, Alf Høines (Caramel 11, Leon Røsten Trio)on electric bass and Ingvald Vassbø (Kanaan, Juno) on drums.

"Myself, Emil, Alf and Akse are really looking forward to releasing our debut album on Is It Jazz? Records," says Vassbø. "I've been a long time fan of Karisma Records and it's an honour and a privilege to be on the same label as so many other great artists that we admire and draw inspiration from."

"Together they have  created an intense and energetic debut album that draws its inspiration from extreme improvisational rock and dreamy noise/dronescapes, and offers more than a nod in the direction of free form jazz," the label add. "It is an album that promises to be vibrant and multifaceted, one where the ability of the individual musicians to interact with one another is front and centre."

Jerry Ewing

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.