Greetings and Salutations dear mailing list of my dear family of listeners and supporters,Since we are all essentially family and yes, cousins of some sorts spinning around on a pile of dirt on this wack-a-doodle planet, all bonded together more than ever by the constant virus and viral news, I thought I better get off my butt and get you some updates that aren’t second hand.How are you all doing?I am good. Busy learning, listening, writing, parenting, practicing, teaching, recording, gardening, running, yoga-ing and more.Yes, in the this incredible time, I have a new job. My former life as a professional knapsack and suitcase packer has shifted to a more home-based environment that has reaped so many exciting developments and doing things that I was forever putting off. From hanging the outdoor lights in our sweet backyard, to learning logic (music-recording software) on my speedy new computer, to recording in our fantastic new studio that my amazing Husband-drummer Jon Wikan has built to daily walks around the neighborhood block with our growing daughter Kårinna and her (our) new dog, Donny!My position at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music this year as Interim Dean and Director of Jazz  Arts officially began on July 1st and and the roller coaster ride of adjusting to this new time of teaching and learning is already well on its way.As many of my incredible peers have been doing, taking our musical and educator selves online has been the new norm. From playing live on our front lawn with my neighborhood groupings, to solo effect-laden concerts and zoom workshops in my home office, to live streaming and pre-recorded concerts in our basement, it’s been a wonderful ride with zero complaints. Wait, I have one complaint…We can’t see or feel you, our fans. Wow! Do I ever miss your person energy! The little emoji hearts and hand claps are lovely and much appreciated, but somehow- just not the same as live YOU!

❤️????????????????????????????????????????????✨????????????????????????????

As the fall approaches and I wrap my brain around all of the care involved in doing my best at both MSM and Purchase College, I am slightly grateful that travel will not have such a big role in my plans, at least until spring. IF WE ALL WEAR MASKS and stay vigilant with our health!As I write this I am thinking of the beautiful souls in our own jazz circle who have been taken by down by Covid complications. Trumpeter Roy Okutani, Ellis Marsalis, Lee Konitz, Bucky Pizzarelli and so many more. May they rest in Peace.

I foresee more live streams and fan-connections ahead via Zoom and more, so I guess we all have to just be extra patient, and let go of the old norm of jazz clubs and festivals. Lord knows there’s a lot in the old norm category in this country that needs to be purged and renewed!May the REAL work begin, and the summer soldiers be equipped with year round support and supplies! That means, please donate to any of the following to support real change!
BLM
NAACP
Girl Trek
The Bail Project
Black Girls Code

Speaking of work-time to go.Wishing all the best of health and good, healing sounds to all of you.
In the music and with heaps of gratitude for all of you support,

 Ingrid

Here are links to the numerous shows I did over the past few months.
NOTE- The Live From our Living Room Concerts will only be up for another week so watch soon (until July, 22nd).

1. Live from our Living Room
https://www.livefromourlivingrooms.com/tickets/#performances

2. The Staycation Festival hosted by Tom Marriott
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf1KhKh8xi8&feature=emb_logo

3. Jazz YYC with Christine Jensen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-Xd42BYlOY&feature=emb_logo

4. Featured in this amazing Fundraiser with Jazz House Kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3yWG7e7pdk&feature=emb_logo

Upcoming Events!

July 23rd- Workshop at the Maryland Summer Jazz – Virtual Edition! 2:30-3:45 PM EST

July 25th- Live Stream.  Family band Unit 1. Kris Davis- Rhodes, Nate Radley- guitar  Jon Wikan Drums- Ingrid Jensen  Trumpet and effects.  8:30 LONDON Time, 3:30 EST, 12:30 PST.

July 27th- Guest with Mark Dulin and the Atlanta Trumpet Academy  Facebook live sit-down and chat.

 ***Mark your calendars as Artemis releases their debut album on Blue Note Records. September 11/2020 ***

(March-April 2020)

Hello dear friends, family and fans,

My oh my, how the minutes, days and months fly by….

I have been beyond blessed to have had so many incredible projects on my plate these days and would be remiss to not reflect and share the riches of my  adventures with you all while giving a heads up to a few upcoming events.

After a wonderful Christmas break with the NY/Montreal family and some quality down time at  home, it’s back on the balancing trail teaching, playing and traveling.

The New Year began with a great night of music making at the BeanRunner in Peekskill with the wonderful Alex Smith Organ trio featuring Jessie Lewis (guitar). We played with such intensity that the Fire Alarm went off and yes, the Firemen were summoned! More ballads next time Alex!

A sold out Winter Jazz Fest hit was next and Artemis brought it, as we welcomed the great Nicole Glover on tenor and shared much of the music that will be released on Blue Note in September.

The band then travelled to Indiana to play for and clinic the inspiring young players at the Purdue Jazz Festival. 

Allison Miller getting mobbed by drummers after the trio clinic at the Perdue Jazz Fest in the photo below!

Week three of 2020 sent me to lovely Bern, Switzerland where I had the privilege of working with some of the finest up-and-coming players in the world. The FocusYear program is an incredible setting for players of all ages to come together and grow, and I was honored to be invited to mentor and play with them.

While there, I also connected with an old friend and student Babette Wackernagel, a truly inspiring woman who has started a music school for special needs students, giving them an outlet to improvise and create on any instrument they choose.

With jet-lag in my back pocket, I summoned the caffeine gods and made it to the Lower east side for a set of music written and sung by super-mom Brenda Earle Stokes. Her Motherhood Project both captivated and entertained the audience at Rockwood Music Hall and will hopefully be recorded soon so all can hear and enjoy this very special project.

Just when the constant 40 degrees and cloudy weather reading on my phone was starting to get to me it was time to go cruising! Whew. With family in tow, and Artemis on stage, we Jazz-cruised away.

So many wonderful memories, both personally (from the waterslide screams and laughs, to the quality hangs with family and friends), to the sweet moments on stage with Artemis and a number of special events I was invited to play on.

Home for a hot minute and then it was off to North Texas to play and teach  for a week with Terri-Lyne Carrington, Kris Davis, Tia Fuller and Linda Oh. What a treat to be in the presence of such wise and powerful forces of musical greatness as these women!!

Finishing out February, numerous airlines took me back and forth into the mid and south-west of this enormous country.

I had a wonderful time playing with the  beautiful string orchestra and quintet the my old pal and wonderful pianist, Johannes Wallmann put together at the University of Madison with Allison Miller and Dayna Stephens on deck.

Then it was back to the NY area  to play with the incredible Conackamack Middle school bands and their awesome director, Shamie Royston.
Heading into March meant heading to Indiana to play with the Ball State big band finishing up in Tucson, Arizona with the  awesome young folks at the University of Arizona led by their stellar director, Angelo Versace.

Since I have very little wit at this moment, I’ll leave this letter with a fun shot from one of my daughter’s many journals. I think she sums it up well.

Happy trails and safe journeys to all. In these times of heightened health alerts I hope we can all find a way to keep sharing live music moments and hugging away our blues as we celebrate all of the riches around us.

In the music,
Ingrid

Hello lovely friends, fans, and family,

It’s been an incredible summer run filled with quality family time, sparkling jazz camp energies and general great all-round music making. I feel more fortunate than ever to have been surrounded by inspiring young music-futures as well as sharing the bill and the teaching arena with so many of my wonderful peers.

I’ve done my best to keep track of all of the concerts and events and am sharing a few photos below.  From the all-star youngsters backstage at Dizzy’s who make up the Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Orchestra to the night of music-making at Sing Sing Kill Brewery with my combo from Purchase College (and special guest on mouthpiece, Kårinna Wikan) to teaching and playing at three unique jazz camps. 

Jazz camp West was as magical as Artist Director Allison Miller described it be and more. 
The Brubeck Summer Colony was overflowing with talent and future jazz inspirations. Banff was beyond description and I’ve returned home fully energized and motivated to share the wisdom and joy for music and more with my students at MSM and Purchase College.

I also had the pleasure of playing on mega-musician/singer, Kristin Berardi’s exciting new album and joining the awe-inspiring Melissa Gardener on her CD release at City Winery.
Stay tuned as my fabulous new website is nearing its final stages of completion, with a launch date happening in the next few weeks. 
Peace and good music to all and go to my Facebook fanpage (in the meantime) for all upcoming events.

All my best,
Ingrid

Dear sound and event followers,

Hello from Chicago where I’ll be playing tonight, Friday, June 7th, with Jon Faddis at the Symphony Center! 

I’ve finally found a moment to regroup, re-cap and update before my summer of camps and camping begin.

What an amazing spring this has been!

I started April with a bang! Recording with the John Daversa for an extremely exciting and important new project, the Suffragists, highlighting music from the suffragist movement. More on that later!

From playing  So What with Ravi Coltrane, Christian McBride, Jimmy Cobb and more, at the JazzHouse Kids Fundraiser in NYC, to a full-on teaching stint at the University of Miami, with family-time at Disney-world and more!

More, including playing with my dear sister-in-sound Tia Fuller and the wonderful Princeton Jazz ensemble at the inaugural Princeton Jazz Festival, my first visit to Oklahoma to play with the University Big band there, an awe-inspiring hit with Jim McNeely and his Tentet at Wesleyan University and finally finishing out April with a guest artist visit to Grand Rapids, Minnesota to work with some fine young musicians there.

More reflections to come, but first, a very exciting event to discuss!

This Sunday, June 9th, at 1 PM Eastern Time, I will present a live webinar for all to take part in. The topic I will be discussing is Meaningful and Effective Practicing. To see this webinar go to JazzHeaven.comand register to view. There is even a chance to have a 1-on-1 session with me during the live stream. 

Also, I am in the process of building a new and improved website, so stay tuned! All my live dates are available on my site and Facebook as well! 

In the music,
Ingrid

For those of us in the Northeast, we might even be get some true Spring weather in the next few weeks. Although my iPhone weather says snow on friday, definitely an April Fools joke.

As the winter wanes and the warmer weather amps up, so does my schedule.

No time for gardening just yet…Tonight, I am at Dizzy’s with the William Patterson Big band, tomorrow in the studio with Grammy winning John Daversa and his exciting Sufferagette Project featuring a host of exciting musicians.

Then it’s off to Akron, Ohio to play with Chris Coles and the Kent State folks.

Next weekend is the inaugural Princeton University Jazz Festival where I will perform with Tia Fuller and an amazing group of student players from the University.

Mid- April gets busy, ha! I’m honored to be on board to play at the Jazz House Kids fundraiser gala on the 17th at City Winery, then it’s off to Miami to teach for a few days at the Frost school of music.

I’ll be guest-artisting at the University of Oklahoma the following week, my first time in a state I have yet to discover!

The incredible Dena DeRose has invited me to join her at Birdland on the 26th and then it’s off to Weslyan University to play with the one and only Jim McNeeley and his nonet!

Rounding of the month I’ll make my way midwest again to play with the Duluth folks at the Grand Rapids Minnesota Jazz Festival.

Thank you all for following and supporting this lively life of mine!  

Peace and good sounds to all!

Ingrid