who

Kasper Tranberg (b. 1971 in Denmark)

is a composing improviser who plays cornet and trumpet and likes poetry.

Kasper took up the trumpet at the age of ten and was playing in local march and brass bands soon.

Early studies with Prof. Søren Emtoft from The Royal Conservatory of Music, Denmark. Aged 19 Kasper began studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston, US where his main teachers were legendary Herb Pomeroy and trumpeter Greg Hopkins. In 1993 Kasper returned to Copenhagen and got his first major gig with Mercer Ellington at The Duke Ellington Conference in 1994.

At the same time guitarist Niclas Knudsen and Kasper had formed the quartet “When Granny Sleeps” which recorded three successful albums with a.o. David Liebman and Ray Anderson. The band toured in Europe and also performed at The Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival in New York, US.

In the late 1990’s Kasper and guitarist Jonas Struck formed the band BUGPOWDER with space-trombonist Mads Hyhne and drummer Laust Sonne. The hard hitting unit recorded two albums, performed quite a bit and was nominated to a Nordic Music Council Award for the album “Autoabsence” released on Kaspers label Bugpowder Records formed in 1998.

Kasper also worked and recorded with many important Danish artists like : Pierre Dørge, Ib Glindeman, Hugo Rasmussen, Lars HUG, Bent Jædig, Paul Banks, Swan Lee, Mew, Fredrik Lundin, T.S Hawk, C.V. Jørgensen, John Tchicai, Savage Rose, Jesper Zeuthen and Jakob Anderskov among many others.

Kasper performed and recorded as a sideman with international artist like : Marc Ducret, Steve Swallow, Tim Berne, Michael Blake, Django Bates, Tyshawn Sorey, Gianluigi Trovesi, Yusef Lateef and Adam Rudolph.

Recent activities

KASPER TRANBERG : SUITE COBRA (solo cornet/trumpet and poetry)

KASPER TRANBERG TERZET w Nils Davidsen (b) and Frands Rifbjerg (drums)

KASPER TRANBERG STRAWBOSS w Tony Malaby (saxes) Pandelis Karayorgis (piano) Nils Davidsen (cello+bass) Adam P Melbye (bass) Yasuhiro Yoshigaki (drums and percussion)

Kasper Tranberg Tokyo Quartet w. Hiroshi Minami (piano) Hiroaki Mizutani (b) and Akira Sotoyama (drums)

Peter Bruun – All Too Human w. Bruun, Simon Toldam and Marc Ducret.

Frands Rifbjerg Quartet w Søren Kjærgaard, AC and Frands Rifbjerg

Damaztra : w Peter Danstrup and Marilyn Mazur

FOSTERCHILD w. Sebastian Gille, Jacob Anderskov, David Helm, Fabian Arends

SiiN w Tim Berne, Petter Eldh and Peter Bruun

Rasmus Krogh Quartet w Krogh, AC and Oliver Lauman

In trio with ADAM P. MELBYE (bass) and YASUHIRO YOSHIGAKI (drums)

Kasper performs in duo setting w. bassist Nils Davidsen : “Zone Bleue”

Kasper performs with Jacob Anderskov : http://www.jacobanderskov.dk

Kasper performs with Jesper Zeuthen : http://www.jesperzeuthen.com

Albums as a leader:

Kasper Tranberg : Terzet (ILK, 2018)

Kasper Tranberg : Strawboss (ILK, 2018)

w. Nils Davidsen : Zone Bleue (ILK)

The Universal Quartet feat Yusef Lateef  “LIGHT ” (ILK)

The Universal Quartet feat. Yusef Lateef (BlackOut Records)

Kasper Tranberg : Dreams and Blues for Toru Takemitsu (EWE)
Kasper Tranberg : Mortimer House (EWE, Japan)
Kasper Tranberg : Copenhagen Social Aid And Pleasure Club (EWE)
Kasper Tranberg : Terracotta ( Blackout Records)
Kasper Tranberg Yakuza Zhuffle (Storyville Records)
Kasper Tranberg : Panorama (Bugpowder)