Atle Bakken
Encyclopedia
Atle Bakken is a composer, performer and producer from Norway, known on both sides of the Atlantic, through his work with Stevie Wonder
, Sting, Diana Ross
, Andy Summers
, Snoop Dog, Andrae Crouch
and scoring credits such as the Fox
/HBO award winning TV comedy series "Martin
", starring Martin Lawrence
.
He took up classical studies at 10 with Dr. Norbert Bojanowski, going though the repertoire of Grieg, Bach, Mozart and Liszt, and the likes.
At 14 Bakken started his own organ jazz trio and started to perform concerts in the spirit of Larry Young and Jimmy Smith, and recorded his first radio show (at NRK). He also started performing R&B and soul with a band a la Tower Of Power.
At age 15, Bakken was discovered by Sony Music A&R, Kristian Lindeman by having recorded his own material for local talent scout & manager, Fredrik Friis
.
Bakken was noted Nationally in Norway at age 19, at the annual Jazz Symposium in Søgne, Norway in 1980. Jazz notables such as Radka Toneff
, Arild Andersen and Jon Eberson heard his talent among other students such as Sidsel Endresen
and Eivind Aarseth. Eberson invited Atle to join his newfounded band, Jon Eberson Group, which through Kristian Lindeman went to break all records in terms of sales for a “jazz” group in Norway, and in general, selling more than 250.000 albums . Atle consequently joined Sony Music as a producer and arranger for their Norwegian roster.
From the beginning, Atle always made it a priority of utilizing electronic instruments and computers in a “human way” in his music.
In the mid-seventies, Atle was the first artist in Norway to use the Oberheim 4- voice polyphonic synthesizer . Later,in the mid-80s, he was the first artist in Scandinavia to record with the Synclavier Digital Music System. (Benny Anderson of ABBA was a close second.)
Atle joined ECM Records and the group Terje Rypdal & The Chasers, recording and traveling all over Europe, playing symphonic music and jazz . At the same time Atle would produce music for Schlager Records in Oslo with various artists, as well as composing music for dancetheatre, video and multimedia projects.
He would also assist Terje Rypdal in his classical scorings and orchestrations for the concert stage and theatre.
In 1991 Atle was invited to the US. by gospel legend Andrae Crouch to help him produce his album. He went on to work on multiple CD's and projects for Andrae Crouch, Helen Baylor, Phil Driscoll and others, winning a Grammy for Andrae Crouch's album and getting nominated for Baylor's. His longstanding collaboration with Crouch also resulted in the Gospel legends studio album Pray , which went to the top on the Billboard charts.
Atle went on to tour worldwide with Andy Summers for two years and teamed up with Sting, playing at the Montreaux Jazz Festival. Stevie Wonder requested Atle for work on Jungle Fever and Diana Ross' The Force Behind The Power.
At the same time, Atle attended the prestigious Dick Grove School of music in Los Angeles, Ca. , studying harmony and orchestration with Dr. Dick Grove
and movie composer Thom Sharp.
In the mid Nineties, Atle was involved with projects for Sony Music's European division and Stateside, Atle composed for three seasons on the now syndicated TV series Martin. Through his association with TV- and filmwork in Hollywood, Atle also polished his skills, working with the orchestras at various scoring sessions.
Atle then formed ALEX MUSIC, and started finding new artists for recording. One of the projects , produced in association with EMI/Toshiba, was released in Japan and sold over 1 million units. Atle & Alex was recently been charted on the top of the Billboard and the European lists by producing LEANA, a Swedish artist.
In 2006 Atle was requested to start the online music company, Castle Entertainment. The project, with bases in Zurich, Switzerland and Ibiza, Spain has Industry endorsers such as Ramon Hervey III and Andy Summers.
Atle is annually and recently named in “Who Is Who In Hollywood” in the Hollywood Reporters Film & TV issue, mentioning the top composers in the world.
Currently , of Atle is concentrating on a new personal music album and project, Future Sound Of Østerdalen with his deceased Great Grandfather, Ingulf Bakken, a recording which also features Wyclef Jean
, Andy Summers and others.
He is also involved with projects for Castle Entertainment in the US and Europe, Sony Music and EMI Music Japan (Asia).
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Sting, Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
, Andy Summers
Andy Summers
Andy Summers is an English guitarist born in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England. Best known as the guitarist for rock band The Police, he has also recorded twelve solo albums, collaborated with many other artists, toured extensively under his own name, published several books, and composed...
, Snoop Dog, Andrae Crouch
Andrae Crouch
Andraé Crouch is a seven-time Grammy Award-winning American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, recording artist, record producer, and pastor.-Early years:Born Andraé Edward Crouch in San Francisco, California....
and scoring credits such as the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
/HBO award winning TV comedy series "Martin
Martin (TV series)
Martin is an American sitcom produced by HBO Independent Productions that aired for five seasons, from August 27, 1992 to May 1, 1997 on Fox...
", starring Martin Lawrence
Martin Lawrence
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stand up comedian. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably the films Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House...
.
Biography
Atle Bakken started his music involvement at 5 years of age by copying Glen Miller's “Moonlight Serenade” on a Hohner Melodica.He took up classical studies at 10 with Dr. Norbert Bojanowski, going though the repertoire of Grieg, Bach, Mozart and Liszt, and the likes.
At 14 Bakken started his own organ jazz trio and started to perform concerts in the spirit of Larry Young and Jimmy Smith, and recorded his first radio show (at NRK). He also started performing R&B and soul with a band a la Tower Of Power.
At age 15, Bakken was discovered by Sony Music A&R, Kristian Lindeman by having recorded his own material for local talent scout & manager, Fredrik Friis
Fredrik Friis
Hans Fredrik Friis-Olsen, born 2 April 1923 in Sandefjord, Norway, died 15. mars 2008, was one of Norways first talent scouts, music manager and producer...
.
Bakken was noted Nationally in Norway at age 19, at the annual Jazz Symposium in Søgne, Norway in 1980. Jazz notables such as Radka Toneff
Radka Toneff
Ellen Radka Toneff was a Norwegian jazz singer. She is still considered one of Norway's most outstanding jazz singers....
, Arild Andersen and Jon Eberson heard his talent among other students such as Sidsel Endresen
Sidsel Endresen
Sidsel Endresen is a Norwegian jazz singer.She was part of the Jon Eberson Group from 1981 to 1987, resulting in five CDs and two "Spellemannprisen" awards...
and Eivind Aarseth. Eberson invited Atle to join his newfounded band, Jon Eberson Group, which through Kristian Lindeman went to break all records in terms of sales for a “jazz” group in Norway, and in general, selling more than 250.000 albums . Atle consequently joined Sony Music as a producer and arranger for their Norwegian roster.
From the beginning, Atle always made it a priority of utilizing electronic instruments and computers in a “human way” in his music.
In the mid-seventies, Atle was the first artist in Norway to use the Oberheim 4- voice polyphonic synthesizer . Later,in the mid-80s, he was the first artist in Scandinavia to record with the Synclavier Digital Music System. (Benny Anderson of ABBA was a close second.)
Atle joined ECM Records and the group Terje Rypdal & The Chasers, recording and traveling all over Europe, playing symphonic music and jazz . At the same time Atle would produce music for Schlager Records in Oslo with various artists, as well as composing music for dancetheatre, video and multimedia projects.
He would also assist Terje Rypdal in his classical scorings and orchestrations for the concert stage and theatre.
In 1991 Atle was invited to the US. by gospel legend Andrae Crouch to help him produce his album. He went on to work on multiple CD's and projects for Andrae Crouch, Helen Baylor, Phil Driscoll and others, winning a Grammy for Andrae Crouch's album and getting nominated for Baylor's. His longstanding collaboration with Crouch also resulted in the Gospel legends studio album Pray , which went to the top on the Billboard charts.
Atle went on to tour worldwide with Andy Summers for two years and teamed up with Sting, playing at the Montreaux Jazz Festival. Stevie Wonder requested Atle for work on Jungle Fever and Diana Ross' The Force Behind The Power.
At the same time, Atle attended the prestigious Dick Grove School of music in Los Angeles, Ca. , studying harmony and orchestration with Dr. Dick Grove
Dick Grove
Richard Dean "Dick" Grove was an American musician, composer, arranger and award-winning music educator. He performed with Alvino Rey, and worked with Paul Horn, Buddy Rich, and Nancy Wilson....
and movie composer Thom Sharp.
In the mid Nineties, Atle was involved with projects for Sony Music's European division and Stateside, Atle composed for three seasons on the now syndicated TV series Martin. Through his association with TV- and filmwork in Hollywood, Atle also polished his skills, working with the orchestras at various scoring sessions.
Atle then formed ALEX MUSIC, and started finding new artists for recording. One of the projects , produced in association with EMI/Toshiba, was released in Japan and sold over 1 million units. Atle & Alex was recently been charted on the top of the Billboard and the European lists by producing LEANA, a Swedish artist.
In 2006 Atle was requested to start the online music company, Castle Entertainment. The project, with bases in Zurich, Switzerland and Ibiza, Spain has Industry endorsers such as Ramon Hervey III and Andy Summers.
Atle is annually and recently named in “Who Is Who In Hollywood” in the Hollywood Reporters Film & TV issue, mentioning the top composers in the world.
Currently , of Atle is concentrating on a new personal music album and project, Future Sound Of Østerdalen with his deceased Great Grandfather, Ingulf Bakken, a recording which also features Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
, Andy Summers and others.
He is also involved with projects for Castle Entertainment in the US and Europe, Sony Music and EMI Music Japan (Asia).