Nicolai Kaas
Claesson

Nicolai Kaas Claesson (b.1988) is an electric/acoustic bass player and teacher based in Copenhagen, Denmark. His primary musical focus is in the grey area between jazz, improv, classical and avantgardepop, working in the bands Horse Orchestra, Dødens Garderobe and Melt. As a bandleader he has released an album & poetrybook named Elektrisk Hvisken — Vrimmel, and made the avantgardejazz quartet Melt, which combines the spirit of 70's jazz with an abstract approach.

Nicolai has toured festivals and venues throughout Scandinavia, Germany, Italy, England, Serbia, South Korea, China and Hong Kong. He has won 4 awards at the Danish Music Awards Jazz with the group Horse Orchestra in 2016 and 2022, recorded 16 Christmas albums with Dødens Garderobe, and created the improv web album thehumthesong.net.

As a bassist, Nicolai has played with Vessel, Billie And The Bell, Lars Fiil New Ground, Las Nissen, Frk. Jacobsen, Kentaur, Penumbra Ensemble, Bisse, John Tchicai, Nástio Mosquito, Mellemblond, Jeppe Zeeberg, Niels Skousen and others. He has also played in theatre, musicals and churches, and traveled all over Denmark with the children's jazz band Jeppe & Jazzhyænerne.

In the past 15 years Nicolai has been teaching at several music schools, folk high schools, MGK and the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen (RMC). He is the co-creator of the educational project Universel Musik, and coordinator for the project "Vinyl" at Hygge Factory.