Where the Ragged People Go

Released in 2001, Where the Ragged People Go serves as the debut statement from Jørgen Munkeby's Shining. At this stage, the band was a strictly acoustic jazz quartet consisting of Munkeby on saxophone and flute, Asmund Prytz on guitar (though primarily piano-led here), Morten Qvenild on piano, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten on bass, and Torstein Lofthus on drums. The album is a stark contrast to the 'Blackjazz' sound that would later define them; here, the focus is on post-bop structures, modal exploration, and avant-garde flourishes that remain within the jazz idiom. Recorded with a focus on natural dynamics and room acoustics, the album highlights the members' backgrounds at the Norwegian Academy of Music. It received positive attention in the Scandinavian jazz community for its technical proficiency and its ability to balance traditional forms with a restless, modern energy. It remains a crucial document of the early 2000s Norwegian jazz explosion.