Mikkel Ploug Trio

Since the release of their debut album on Fresh Sound New Talent in 2006 Mikkel, Sean and Jeppe have toured all over the world performing in more than 25 countries including the US and Brazil. The trio is built on 18 years of experience interpreting Mikkel’s ever-evolving repertoire. With a strong Scandinavian heritage influence Mikkel's music is original, melody-driven and personal in harmonic character, yet approachable and inviting.

The trio has worked with of some of the jazz world’s greatest saxophonists including Americans Mark Turner and Loren Stillman. Mikkel has recorded 17 albums for renowned jazz-labels like Sunnyside Records (US), Fresh Sound (ES), Songlines (CA) and for Whirlwind Recordings (UK) and Mikkel's album “Faroe” was selected for the category “Best Instrumental Jazz Album” in the 2018 Grammy Awards. His album Balcony Lullabies won "Best Jazz Album Of 2020” by UK Newspaper Morningstar and received high praise in the Rolling Stone Magazine.

Mikkel has worked in varied settings such as a soloist with both the Royal Ballet and the Danish Radio Big Band in Denmark. He started on drums at the age of four but switched to the guitar in his teens. He graduated as Master of Jazz Guitar from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Holland with a distinction for his original composition.

Born in Arequipa, Peru and raised in Ireland, Seán Carpio is an award winning multi-instrumentalist whose diverse practice incorporates song, sound and improvisation. An in-demand drummer since 2005, he is featured on over thirty recordings to date, and has collaborated and shared the stage with diverse artists such as Louis Stewart, Mark Garry, Robert Stillman, Enda Walsh, Aoife Nessa Frances, Sam Amidon, Kit Downes, Henri Texier, Nina Hynes, Martin Hayes, Cian Nugent, Cillian Murphy, Eomac, Mark Turner, Sharon Phelan, Erik Friedlander, Ronan Guilfoyle and Ernst Reijseger.

Bassist Jeppe Skovbakke was born in 1977 into a musical family and a house full of instruments. Self-taught, over the years he has toured and recorded with several generations of Danish jazz musicians and a number of international soloists including Chris Speed, Mark Turner, John Tchicai, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Peter Brötzmann and Rhys Chatham. He is also involved with the Danish pop/rock scene, most notably as a part of the highly acclaimed P3 award winners I Got You On Tape and with sideman credits reaching from Oh Land, Per Vers and Teitur to Sebastian, Steffen Brandt and Benny Andersen.

"...the Danish guitarist Mikkel Ploug is on the way into the Champions League of contemporary jazz guitarists," - Jazzpodium DE

"Extreme beauty" - Downbeat US