Career

Westerhus hold a bachelor in jazz from Middlesex University under Stuart Hall, and a master from the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium, (Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet, 2005). He was first recognised by a broader audience within the experimental jazz band Puma, with whom he released four albums. The soloalbum Pitch Black Star Spangled (2010) on Rune Grammofon got some attention in reviews.

On his latest album Didymoi Dreams (2012) is his debut duo with experimental jazz singer Sidsel Endresen, we experience insane guitar rhythms meeting with a gibberish vocal world.

They have been of great inspiration to new experimental Norwegian musicians like Natalie Sandtorv and Torgeir Standal in The Jist duo.

Achievements

• Spellemannprisen 2012, in the class Jazz together witn Sidsel Endresen, for the album Didymoi Dreams 2010 - Sparebank 1 SNM"s jazz scholarship awarded at Moldejazz. 2008 - British Broadcasting Corporation’s Award for Innovation in Jazz with Fraud (United Kingdom) 2007 - Sparebank 1 SNM"s jazz talent scholarship awarded at Moldejazz 2007 - Ronnie Scott"s Award for Best Newcomer 2007 (United Kingdom) with Fraud 2006 - Trondheim Jazz Festival"s talent prize with Bladed 2006 - Moldejazz"s young jazz musician of the year with Puma.