Ingrid and Christine Jensen have been touring the world together melding rich melodies with florid improvisations in a way that communicates beyond the telepathic. They both have had individually illustrious careers, with Ingrid tearing up the New York jazz scene with her effortless trumpet mastery, and Christine intertwining composition and saxophone performances with Montreal’s creative music scene.

Christine currently leads her own jazz orchestra as well as other diverse ensemble projects featuring her saxophone playing. She has won two Juno Awards for her recordings with her jazz orchestra, including Habitat (2014) and Treelines (2011) on Justin-Time Records. Habitat received five stars in Downbeat, along with being included at the top of several international critics’ polls, including Jazz Album of the Year in 2014. She was also profiled on NPR’s All Things Considered for her albums.  “Jensen writes in three dimensions, with a quiet kind of authority that makes the many elements cohere. Wayne Shorter, Maria Schneider and Kenny Wheeler come to mind.” –Downbeat.

Mentored by Clark Terry, Ingrid leads her own quartet out of New York, as well being heard as a guest artist and soloist with many ensembles, including Terri Lynn Carrington’s Grammy-Award winning Mosaic Project and Darcy James Argue’s critically acclaimed Secret Society. She has consistently been rated one of the top 10 jazz trumpet players by both the Downbeat Critics and Readers polls for the last decade.

“She is, without doubt, one of the most exciting trumpet players on the contemporary scene”- Jazz Journal UK. 

In the Fall of 2016, the sisters launched a recording entitled Infinitude with guitarist Ben Monder as guest.  A musician in the New York City area for over 30 years, Monder has performed with a wide variety of artists, including Jack McDuff, Marc Johnson, Lee Konitz, George Garzone, Paul Motian, Guillermo Klein, Maria Schneider, and Marshall Crenshaw. He also contributed guitar parts to the last David Bowie album, “Blackstar”. Ben has conducted clinics and workshops around the world, and has served on the faculties of the New England Conservatory, NYU and the New School.  He continues to perform original music internationally in solo and trio settings, and in an ongoing duo project with vocalist Theo Bleckmann. He has appeared on over 200 CDs as a sideman, and has released 6 as a leader: Amorphae (ECM, 2015), Hydra (Sunnyside, 2013), Oceana (Sunnyside, 2005), Excavation (Arabesque, 2000), Dust (Arabesque, 1997), and Flux (Songlines, 1995).

Christine & Ingrid Jensen with special guest Ben Mondor will perform on Friday, June 30 at L’Astral, (the Jazz Fest’s own funky club). Tickets: www.montrealjazzfest.com or 1-855-790-1245.

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