Jostein Gulbrandsen performing at DC9 with Motel in 2007, photo by Jamie Onderdonk

Jazz guitarist Jostein Gulbrandsen‘s career has been on the upswing since the 2007 release of his debut, Twelve. The album was named one of the year’s top five by The Village Voice and as a result, Gulbrandsen is slowly making a name for himself in New York’s crowded jazz scene. He is also a friend of the District, coming to the city several times a year to perform with local musicians. Gulbrandsen will return to our fair city with performances on Sunday at the vibrant Bossa Bistro & Lounge and Monday at Blues Alley, a performance sponsored by the Norwegian Embassy.

“I know a lot of what’s going on in the D.C. scene and there’s a lot of great stuff happening” he told DCist, “but my music might bring in some different elements.”

Gulbrandsen’s musical journey began in his native Norway, when he first picked up a guitar at the tender age of nine. After formal studies in Norway and the University of North Texas, he moved to New York in 2001 for graduate studies at the famed Manhattan School of Music. There, he encountered bassist Matt Grason, a frequent collaborator who will join Gulbrandsen for both performances. Local music fans will recognize Grason as the leader of the jazz/hip-hop collective, Motel, which was a featured performer at Unbuckled 7.