Mikkel Ploug & Mark Turner
Biography Mikkel Ploug & Mark Turner
Mikkel Ploug
Danish guitarist and composer Mikkel Ploug (b.1978) has performed all over Europe, Brazil and the US with his bands Mikkel Ploug Group, Mikkel Ploug Trio and Equilibrium. He has recorded 12 albums for internationally reknowned labels such as Sunnyside Records (USA), Whirlwind (UK) Fresh Sounds New Talent (ES) Songlines Recordings (CA). Mikkel has performed as a soloist with The Royal Ballet in Copenhagen and works with american choreographer and dancer Tilman O’Donnell.
His solo album Alleviation has over 2 million plays on Spotify and his 2018 album “Faroe” was selected for the Grammy category “Best Instrumental Jazz Album”.
He has worked as a sideman in Sean Carpio’s Wowos and for NYC alto player Pete Robbins Transatlantic and performed as an opening act for Wayne Shorter early in his career. Mikkel who started out on drums at the age of four has a master awarded with a distingtion for composition from the Royal Conservatory in the Hague, Holland, he has lived in Berlin, and now resides in Copenhagen.
“Mikkel Ploug is the latest sensation in European jazz guitar with a personal voice and sound that shines.” (La Vanguardia)
Mark Turner
is one of the most groundbreaking jazz saxophonists of our time. The thoughtful musician, who studied at the Berklee College of Music, owes the fact that he has long been one of the greats not least to his intensity and intellectual depth - but also to his attention to detail. Because with Turner, every note is spot-on. In addition to music, the saxophonist has an absolute soft spot for science fiction literature. The title of his latest album, "Return from the Stars," for example, was inspired by the novel of the same name by Polish author Stanisław Lem. A preference that can also be transferred to his music, hardly anyone knows how to combine tradition and novelty as well as he does.
Jeppe Skovbakke
was born in 1977 into a musical family and a house full of instruments. Music and instruments was always a playground and not until in his early teens did he decide on the bass as his main instrument.
Jeppe is almost entirely self-taught on the double bass, having no formal music education. However, on various occasions he has sought private studies and inspiration with artists from near and far.
Over the years he has toured and recorded with several generations of Danish jazz musicians and a number of international soloists including Chris Speed, Mark Turner, John Tchicai, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Peter Brötzmann and Rhys Chatham.
He is also involved with the national pop/rock scene, most notably as a part of the highly acclaimed P3 award winners I Got You On Tape and with sideman credits reaching from Oh Land, Per Vers and Teitur to Sebastian, Steffen Brandt and Benny Andersen.
With a touring schedule that regularly spans four continents and some fifty album releases earning several awards and nominations Jeppe likes to keep his calendar busy. This year is no exception with upcoming releases, tours and recordings with action-drone trio Homies, greenlandic singer Nive Nielsen, no-wave legend Rhys Chatham’s trio and the internationally esteemed jazz combo Mikkel Ploug Group.
Sean Carpieo
Born 1979 in Arequipa, Peru, and based in Churchtown, Dublin, Ireland, Seán Carpio is a multi-instrumentalist whose work incorporates song, sound and improvisation. Since 2005 he has been active as a soloist in Europe and the USA, and to this date has featured on twenty recordings.
Sean has collaborated with visual artists and practices in a number of contemporary art contexts and has performed, exhibited and undertaken residencies in a number of prestigious art venues including the Mattress Factory Art Museum in Pittsburgh, the Serpentine Gallery London, the MAC Belfast, Netwerk Centre for Contemporary Art Aalst, the Banff Centre Alberta, and the Model Arts Centre Sligo.
Sean is a member of collaborative bands Bog Bodies, Drift, Two Sleepers, Beauty, Zero Years Kid, Avdio Hostem, and Stella Maris.
