Instruments Saxophones Siblings Jon Balke | Role Musician Name Erik Balke | |
Occupation(s) Musician, band leader and composer Similar People Jon Balke, Torbjorn Sunde, Morten Halle, Ole Jacob Hansen, Jon Eberson | ||
The Thirteenth Tribe: THE CAGE THE LAKE THE OFFICE
Erik Balke (born 7 November 1953 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (saxophone), known as leader of the "Lille Frøen Saksofonkvartett" with Vidar Johansen, Arne Frang and Odd Riisnæs/Tore Brunborg/Olav Dale, as member of his younger brother Jon Balke's early orchestras, and for cooperations with Don Cherry, Ed Blackwell, Per Jørgensen, Audun Kleive, Nils Petter Molvær, Torbjørn Sunde, Tore Brunborg, Paolo Vinaccia, and Bugge Wesseltoft.
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Career
Balke was in Jon Balke's lineups in 1973–74. Later he was musically educated at the University of Oslo, where he took part in the big band, as well as at Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts (1977–79).
He played with "Carl Morten Iversen Trio" (1980–81), in "The Gambian/Norwegian Friendship Orchestra" (1982), with Miki N'Doye in "E'Olen" and "Tamma" (Finn Sletten, Miki N'Doye, Per Jørgensen & Sveinung Hovensjø), and established "Lille Frøen Saksofonkvartett" (1979–89), played with Jazzpunkensemblet (1983–), Oslo 13 og Extended Noise (1983–94). He also chaired the Foreningen norske jazzmusikere, before he moved to Berlin. Now, back in Norway, he has participated in "Baktruppen" and "Ignore". Along with his brother Jon Balke he composed the commissioned work Palmevinsdrankeren for Kongsberg Jazz Festival (1984).
Balke was a sentral part of the band E'Olen together with his younger brother Jon Balke, Miki N'doye (percussion), Sveinung Hovensjø (bass), Finn Sletten (drums) and Zahir Helge Linnaae (percussion).