The new jazz quartet Aileron introduce their musical universe with debut single “Granit”

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Aileron features British saxophonist Emma Rawicz, pianist and composer Espen Berg, bassist Kertu Aer and drummer Håkon Mjåset Johansen. The quartet came together for the first time in Trondheim in May 2025. Within just three days, they had recorded an entire album of Berg’s newly composed music, before making their live debut at Jazzfest in Trondheim.

Composed by Berg, “Granit” brings together several different musical expressions within a single piece. Independent and at times contrasting ideas are woven into a coherent whole, resulting in an ambitious and densely packed composition that still leaves ample space for the quartet’s intuitive and playful interaction.

“The music I have written for Aileron draws inspiration from a wide range of pianists and bands, and ‘Granit’ is no exception. Certain sections of the piece have clear parallels with the music of Tigran Hamasyan, but my primary aim has been to compose something that encourages interaction within the quartet and gives Aileron a distinct musical identity.

‘Granit’ encompasses several different musical expressions within a single piece, in which I have pursued a number of independent ideas and attempted to create a coherent whole out of elements that might initially seem disparate. The result is an ambitious, densely packed piece with a wealth of musical information, yet one that leaves room for us to collectively make the music our own.”
– Espen Berg

Across Aileron’s forthcoming debut album, Berg’s seven compositions draw inspiration from artists including Brad Mehldau, Gerald Clayton, Keith Jarrett and Jan Garbarek. Rooted in the African-American jazz tradition while looking towards the contemporary European jazz scene, the music is both energetic and lyrical, leaving plenty of room for attentive interplay and individual expression. Aileron brings together four outstanding soloists who, from their very first meeting, found the sound of a remarkably cohesive band.

Emma Rawicz is one of the most exciting young British saxophonists of her generation and has released three critically acclaimed albums, the two most recent on ACT. Espen Berg has established an international reputation as a pianist and composer through his solo work, Espen Berg Trio and numerous other projects. Estonian bassist Kertu Aer has emerged as a distinctive young voice on the Scandinavian and Estonian jazz scenes, while Håkon Mjåset Johansen has been a central figure in Norwegian jazz for nearly three decades, collaborating with artists including Chick Corea, Michael Brecker, Jan Garbarek and Mark Turner.

“Granit” is the first single from Aileron’s debut album, due for release on Svale Records in November 2026, with concerts at clubs and festivals across Norway to follow in 2027.