We will continue our collaboration with gentlemen Bekken & Gjems in 2023. They led an exciting program on NBF’s new stage “Lille Blå” at the festival in 2022. That concept was so successful that we now want to continue it with the same leadership. Pianist Tor Einar ‘Dr.’ Bekken and harmonica player and guitarist Richard Gjems are two of Norway’s most uncompromising musicians, who convey blues, jazz and folk music with virtuosity and joy of playing – often with very smooth transitions between different genres. They have made critically acclaimed records together and as solo artists. Richard Gjems got a roll of the dice 6 in the magazine Blues News for his solo album “The You Tube Sessions 2020/21”. Dr. Bekken was honored with the Blues Prize by the Notodden Blues Festival in 2019. With musical roots from Finnskogen to Louisiana, they take the audience on a border-crossing journey through various tonal landscapes. “Lille Blå” is the festival’s smallest stage, and you will find it in the Notodden library in Bok & Blueshuset.Body