The three band members were all established musicians, trumpeter and vocal artist Per Jørgensen from Bergen had been key in the new jazz emerging in Bergen since the early 1980s, Audun Kleive was playing with 'everyone', including Terje Rypdal. Jon Balke came to prominence already as a 19 year old, in the first quartet bassist Arild Andersen formed after returning from New York in 1973.

The band name was formed by the first letters of the members' family names, Jø(rgensen)Kle(ive)Ba(lke). The name originated with the album title of the trio's second album. The trio was started already in 1990. The trio released its first album, [m506087], in 1991. The band name was not taken before after the 1993 release of Jøkleba!, this was released with the artist collective Balke-Jørgensen-Kleive as originating artist. With this release, the album name was also taken as the band name. Following some years hiatus from c. 2004, the trio was relaunched in 2011 at the Vossa Jazz festival, with the subsequent launch of the release Jøkleba! / Nu Jøk?.