Jazz drummer, alto saxophonist, composer and band leader
Ousbäck has been described as ”the biggest drum talent ever produced in Sweden” by Copenhagen Jazz. New York based drummer Karl-Henrik Ousbäck is constantly searching for new ways to express himself through the sound of the drums. With an explosive approach to the instrument combined with a strong sense of harmonic consciousness he provides the audience with an honest musical statement. He began his musical journey with a snare drum at three years of age and quickly started to take his first lessons shortly after. He has become one of the leading forces of jazz drums in Europe and is now starting to establish himself as a part of the New York jazz scene.
In 2005, at the age of 12, Ousbäck was invited to be a featured artist at the prestigious Bass and Drum Festival in his native town of Stockholm. Some of the other performers included Virgil Donnati, Ian Pace and Morgan Ågren. The same year he also made his first appearance at Fasching Jazz Club in Stockholm and got a lot of attention in the Swedish music press. In 2008 he was accepted to participate as the youngest student ever in Sligo Jazz Project in Ireland to study for Paul Wertico (Pat Metheny Group) and the year after he was invited back as a special guest.
He is a graduate of The Royal Collage of Music in Stockholm, and has since then returned to served as a proffesor there.
Ousbäck has shared the stage with (in no specific order): Lage Lund, Simon Moullier, Jonas Kullhammar, Svante Thuseresson, Ulf Wakenius, Ben Patterson, Ambrose Akinmusire, Christian Winther, Melissa Aldana, Baptiste Herbine, Håkan Broström, among others.
He regularly travels the world performing, from Tromsø, Norway in the north to South Africa in the south and China in the east.
