(CD)

“The Waiting Game" is the debut album of the band Ninjabeat. The band is led by Magnus Bakken (saxophone) and Bo Berg (bass), and has toured both Norway and the US. 

Ninjabeat has a renowned rhythm section that is acknowledged both in Norway and internationally. When beat musicians of high caliber join skilled jazz-improvisers, the original and innovative style of Ninjabeat is formed. 

With its large lineup, Ninjabeat carries a broad repertoire, ranging from calm and melodious, to heavy and full of attitude. The music is bridging genres such as jazz, fusion, pop, rock and soul. Even though the compositions can be both complex and detailed, the band performs with a playfulness and elegance that can even make an inexperienced listener catch the beat.

The band name is inspired by the Japanese ninjas, that use precision, craftsmanship and discipline in their profession. In Ninjabeat it is musical precision, craftsmanship and discipline that lays the foundation for improvisation, without further comparison to the ninjas. 

The compositions and interplay are what creates the exciting and original sound, more so than the individual voices of the musicians, like most jazz/fusion bands. The debut album features compositions that range from intense and progressive jazz, to calm and expressive ballads. 

The album was recorded in November and December 2015, in Audioskop, Whiteroom and Studiolab studios, and mixed and mastered in Spinner Studio, all located in Norway.

Magnus Bakken - saxophone, Bo Berg - electric bass, Pål Gunnar Fiksdal - trumpet, Kristian Wentzel - keyboards, Knut Løchsen - keyboards, Ture Janson - guitar, Svein Rikard Mathisen - guitar, Ole Morten Sommer - drums, Bjørn Einar Hanstveit - percussion

"A colorful and fresh debut by this confident norwegian jazz/funk band" - Puls (NO)