# Dark Season Blues in Longyearbyen on Svalbard: Photos, Video

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2019/10/25/dark-season-blues-in-longyearbyen-on-svalbard-photos-video/
- Published: 2019-10-25T17:31:36+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**Wednesday night started this year’s Dark Season Blues in Longyearbyen on Svalbard.
The spirits of Espen Helgesen, Gry Sneltvedt (pictured) and the other five members
of the board of Longyearbyen Bluesklubb have organized a festival with a total of
more than 30 individual concerts on big and small stages around Longyearbyen. (Photo:
Hans Andenæs).**

![Årets bluesfest i isbjørnens rike er igang](https://i0.wp.com/bluesnews.no/Files/
Images/festivaler/festivaler19/gry_espen19.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

This year’s blues party in the polar bear realm is underway
 Espen Helgesen and 
Gry Sneltvedt.

The board of Longyearbyen Bluesklubb has spent a long year of preparation, and this
week may for the seventeenth time welcome guests from far and near. Several of the
artists were already in place on Wednesday, and then of course it was late evening
jam at the bar with the sounding name “Svalbar”. And cool it is – almost 10 minus
and with a lovely thin and chalky white cover of dry snow all over the city and 
the majestic terrain all around.

Mr. Notodden Blues, Jostein Forsberg, hosted the jam where the first out was Brazilian
Igor Prado & Just Groove. This is a very good band with their own style, and when
they brought Earl Thomas on vocals it really took off at the cool bar. Suddenly 
Earl climbed over the gear boxes that were stored next to the stage and began singing
duets with a lady among the audience. It sounded incredibly good. It turned out 
to be Danielle Nicole! Not long after, the former Trampled Under Foot singer had
picked up her bass, brought along Monster Mike Welch and several others. Together
they created a euphoric mood.

Over an hour later, Danielle was still competing on the bass while Dave Fields played
piano, Jostein Forsberg played harmonica and Jan Tore Lauritsen with several songs.
It all was a fantastic start to this year’s festival.

When we walk out into the dark blue Svalbard night and are greeted by a fantastic
northern light over the mountains, suddenly comes a majestic reindeer antelope walking
along the main road below the center. He pauses for a moment, wondering what is 
going on up there at the bar, before lounging quietly on.

This promises well for this year’s Dark Season Blues on Svalbard. New of the year
is that they will also have a concert in Ny Ålesund. JT Lauritsen & friends are 
playing in Kings Bay.

![Jam session på Svalbar med Trez Gregory og Earl Thomas.](https://i0.wp.com/bluesnews.
no/Files/Images/festivaler/festivaler19/jam_svalbar.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

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