Jacob Young

Jacob Young is a Norwegian jazz guitarist, composer, and band leader born on July 14, 1970, in Lillehammer. Inspired by jazz at an early age thanks to his American father, Young started teaching himself guitar at 12 and went on to study music at the University of Oslo and the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York, where he took private lessons with luminaries like Jim Hall. Steeped in both American and European jazz traditions, he’s developed a distinctive, lyrical style that’s clean, melodic, and subtly expressive, drawing on influences from artists like John Abercrombie and Jim Hall.

Young’s career took off in the mid-1990s, and he’s since released a string of critically acclaimed albums, many with ECM Records, including "Evening Falls," "Forever Young," and "Eventually" (2023), which highlights his talent for crafting strong melodies and delicate interplay in a trio setting. He’s collaborated with top Norwegian and international jazz musicians such as Mathias Eick, Mats Eilertsen, and Jon Christensen, and his music is celebrated for its blend of quiet lyricism, gentle grooves, and thoughtful, sometimes playful compositions.

Genres

Jazz

Contemporary Jazz

Fusion Music

Smooth Jazz

Post-bop

Experimental Jazz

Instrumental Jazz

World Jazz

European Jazz

Acoustic Jazz

Related Artists

Ed Sheeran

Hozier

Sam Smith

Vance Joy

Phoebe Bridgers

James Bay

Passenger

George Ezra

James Blunt

Sufjan Stevens

Nils Petter Molvær

Mathias Eick

Latest Release

Quiet March

Dino Saluzzi•

Jacob Young

Single - Released May 20, 2025