Music pairing for this story: Nils Petter Molvaer, Khmer (ECM Records). Listen here .
This spring, when I informed people that I was headed back for my annual pilgrimage to the Vossa Jazz Festival in Western Norway, those who have known my habits responded with, “Oh, is this the sheep’s head dinner festival?”
Well, yes, it is, but so much more. I come for the music, basking in the unique palette of sounds of Norwegian jazz (and jazz-adjacent), mixing jazz, Norwegian folk, impressionistic fjord-side airs, and more. But digging into a delectable sheep head delicacy is icing on the experiential cake at Vossa Jazz.