I am a 49 year old pianist and composer from Bodoe in Northern Norway. I play in different bands and styles. My background includes classical piano, progressive rock and jazz. My career as a jazz musician started in 1976 with piano trio and continued as a backing musician for drummer Jon Christensen and other jazz artists at local clubs. I became a professional musician in 1979 and toured with Arild Andersen and Nils Petter Molvær in 1982.
Since 1993 I have worked with my own band, the Jan Gunnar Hoff Group including drummer Audun Kleive, saxophone player Tore Brunborg and bassist Bjørn Kjellemyr. From 2005 trumpeter Mathias Eick has fronted the band in different projects, also including Maria Joao and Mike Stern. Major band events: Vossajazz, 1995. Molde International Jazzfestival and Oris London Jazzfestival 1996. Stavanger and Bergen festivals 1998. Concerts in Paris november 2000. Collaboration with Pat Metheny, Molde 2001.
I work part time as a professor at the Tromsø University College and at UIA in Kristiansand. I am artistic head of the TGV Jazzcamp , an annual event that takes place in Beiarn Valley, Northern Norway first week of August.
As a composer I have made works for chamber orchestra, choir and other settings, in addition to music for my solo recordings "Syklus" (1993), "Moving" (1995), "Crosslands" (1998), "In town" (2003) and "Magma" (2008). In 2008 I have collaborated with Mike Stern, Maria Joao and Alex Acuna and have done projects in Russia, Ukraine, Croatia, Iceland, Austria, Italy and Norway.
I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4
