Danish jazz
Encyclopedia
Danish jazz goes back to 1923 when Valdemar Eiberg
formed a jazz orchestra and recorded what are thought to be the first Danish jazz records in August 1924 ("I've Got a Cross-Eyed Papa" and "In Bluebird Land"). However, jazz in Denmark is typically first dated to 1925, when bandleader Sam Wooding
toured in Copenhagen with an orchestra. This was the first time most Danes had heard jazz music. Some prominent early Danish jazz musicians include Erik Tuxen
who formed a jazz band and later was named conductor
of the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Bernhard Christensen
, an art music
composer who incorporated jazz elements into his pieces, and Sven Møller Kristensen, who was the lyricist
for many of Bernhard Christensen's pieces and who wrote a book on jazz theory in Danish
.
In the 1930s, jazz became quite popular in Denmark; major figures of the period are pianist Leo Mathisen
, violinist Svend Asmussen
, trombonist Peter Rasmussen, saxophonist Kai Ewans
, bassist Niels Foss, and pianist/vibraphonist Kjeld Bonfils
. Many of these musicians played in Valdemar Eiberg's band.
Jazz went underground in 1940 as a result of the Nazi occupation of Denmark
when jazz was discouraged by the regime. Nevertheless, it continued to be performed and recorded, even more so as Danish musicians began to fill the void created by the lack of foreign players touring through the area. Musicians such as Eiberg, Bonfils and Asmussen (who played in a band together), along with Bruno Henriksen and Bertel Skjoldborg continued to make jazz music as a form of political protest. Many singers, such as Freddy Albeck, Ingelise Rune, and Raquel Rastenni
, found it necessary to escape to Sweden
in the later years of the occupation.
Following World War II
, Danish jazz musicians began to split into an older guard, which maintained the style of traditional New Orleans jazz, and newer musicians who favored the bebop
style of Charlie Parker
and Dizzy Gillespie
that was emerging in America
. The former were represented by musicians such as pianist Adrian Bentzon, trombonist Papa Bue
, and trumpeter Theis Jensen, while the latter included saxophonist Max Brüel
, bassist Erik Moseholm
, and trumpeter Jørgen Ryg
.
In the early 1960s, a club called the Jazzhus Montmartre opened in Copenhagen, which was intended to recreate the atmosphere of jazz clubs in Paris
and New York City
. It became a major venue for both Danish and American jazz musicians. Many American jazz players moved to Copenhagen from the 1950s when Stan Getz
and Oscar Pettiford
moved there. They were followed by Dexter Gordon
, Kenny Drew
, and Ben Webster
in the 1960s, and Duke Jordan
, Horace Parlan
, Ed Thigpen
, Bob Rockwell
, and Thad Jones
(who became the leader of the DR Big Band
in 1977) in subsequent decades. Kenny Drew formed a trio with Alex Riel
and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
which became a staple at Jazzhus Montmartre.
In the 1960s, Danish musicians began to explore free jazz
with saxophonist John Tchicai
the most prominent proponent. In parallel, a more mainstream wing evolved, including saxophonist Jesper Thilo
.
As rock music became more popular in the 1970s, jazz's popularity waned, but it continues to be supported in venues such as the Copenhagen Jazzhouse and the annual Copenhagen Jazz Festival
.
Valdemar Eiberg
Valdemar Eiberg was a Danish jazz musician.Eiberg formed what is thought to be the first Danish jazz orchestra in 1923, and in 1924, his ensemble recorded the earliest known examples of Danish jazz, "I've Got a Cross-Eyed Papa" b/w "In Bluebird Land".Eiberg's band became a launching pad for...
formed a jazz orchestra and recorded what are thought to be the first Danish jazz records in August 1924 ("I've Got a Cross-Eyed Papa" and "In Bluebird Land"). However, jazz in Denmark is typically first dated to 1925, when bandleader Sam Wooding
Sam Wooding
Sam Wooding was an expatriate American jazz pianist, arranger and bandleader living and performing in Europe and the United States.Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he led several big bands in the United States and abroad...
toured in Copenhagen with an orchestra. This was the first time most Danes had heard jazz music. Some prominent early Danish jazz musicians include Erik Tuxen
Erik Tuxen
Erik Oluf Tuxen was a Danish big band leader, composer and arranger, who worked for most of his life in Denmark. From 1936 until his death by cancer on 28 August 1957 he was conductor at the Danish National Symphony Orchestra of Danish Radio.Along with Thomas Jensen and Launy Grøndahl, Tuxen...
who formed a jazz band and later was named conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
of the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Bernhard Christensen
Bernhard Christensen
Bernhard Christensen was a Danish composer and organist.He studied music at University of Copenhagen from 1926. In 1929 he graduated and was organist until 1945 at Christiansborg Slotskirke. Then he was hired as organist by Vangede Church from 1945-1976...
, an art music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
composer who incorporated jazz elements into his pieces, and Sven Møller Kristensen, who was the lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
for many of Bernhard Christensen's pieces and who wrote a book on jazz theory in Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
.
In the 1930s, jazz became quite popular in Denmark; major figures of the period are pianist Leo Mathisen
Leo Mathisen
Leo "The Lion" Mathisen was a Danish jazz pianist, composer, arranger, singer and bandleader. He was a leading figure of the thriving Danish scene during the years around World War II—a period which has been labelled the Golden Age of Danish Jazz—and he is considered to be one of most...
, violinist Svend Asmussen
Svend Asmussen
Svend Asmussen is a jazz violinist from Denmark, known as "The Fiddling Viking". Asmussen grew up in a musical family, starting violin lessons at age 7. At age 16 he first heard recordings by jazz violin great Joe Venuti and began to emulate his style...
, trombonist Peter Rasmussen, saxophonist Kai Ewans
Kai Ewans
Kai Peter Anthon Nielsen, better known as Kai Ewans was a Danish jazz reedist.Ewans played initially as a banjoist, but switched to saxophone in 1923 when he formed the Blues Jazz Band. The group disbanded in 1924, after which Ewans joined Valdemar Eiberg's ensemble from 1924-26...
, bassist Niels Foss, and pianist/vibraphonist Kjeld Bonfils
Kjeld Bonfils
Kjeld Bonfils was a Danish jazz pianist and vibraphone player.Bonfils was one of the figures involved in the "Golden Age" of Danish jazz in the 1930s...
. Many of these musicians played in Valdemar Eiberg's band.
Jazz went underground in 1940 as a result of the Nazi occupation of Denmark
Occupation of Denmark
Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark began with Operation Weserübung on 9 April 1940, and lasted until German forces withdrew at the end of World War II following their surrender to the Allies on 5 May 1945. Contrary to the situation in other countries under German occupation, most Danish...
when jazz was discouraged by the regime. Nevertheless, it continued to be performed and recorded, even more so as Danish musicians began to fill the void created by the lack of foreign players touring through the area. Musicians such as Eiberg, Bonfils and Asmussen (who played in a band together), along with Bruno Henriksen and Bertel Skjoldborg continued to make jazz music as a form of political protest. Many singers, such as Freddy Albeck, Ingelise Rune, and Raquel Rastenni
Raquel Rastenni
Raquel Rastenni , born Anna Rachel Rastén, was a popular Danish singer. She was born in Copenhagen, and grew up in a little apartment in the poor central part of the city. Her Jewish parents had immigrated to Denmark from Russia at the start of the 1900s...
, found it necessary to escape to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in the later years of the occupation.
Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Danish jazz musicians began to split into an older guard, which maintained the style of traditional New Orleans jazz, and newer musicians who favored the bebop
Bebop
Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
style of Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
and Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
that was emerging in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The former were represented by musicians such as pianist Adrian Bentzon, trombonist Papa Bue
Papa Bue
Arne "Papa" Bue Jensen , known as Papa Bue, was a Danish trombonist and bandleader, chiefly associated with the Dixieland jazz revival style of which he was considered an important proponent. He founded and led the Viking Jazz Band, which was active from 1956.-Early life and career:Arne Bue Jensen...
, and trumpeter Theis Jensen, while the latter included saxophonist Max Brüel
Max Brüel
Max Brüel was a Danish architect and jazz musician, an accomplished pianist and saxophonist.He is the designer of Denmark's tallest building, the Herlev Hospital in Copenhagen .-References:...
, bassist Erik Moseholm
Erik Moseholm
Erik Moseholm is a Danish jazz bassist, composer, bandleader and music administrator. He was the leader of the DR Big Band from 1961 to 1966 and the principal of the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen from 1992 to 1997....
, and trumpeter Jørgen Ryg
Jørgen Ryg
Jørgen Ryg was a Danish comedian, jazz musician and actor. Best known for his comical monologues on stage, he also appeared in 37 films between 1954 and 1978.He was born and died in Denmark.-Filmography:...
.
In the early 1960s, a club called the Jazzhus Montmartre opened in Copenhagen, which was intended to recreate the atmosphere of jazz clubs in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It became a major venue for both Danish and American jazz musicians. Many American jazz players moved to Copenhagen from the 1950s when Stan Getz
Stan Getz
Stanley Getz was an American jazz saxophone player. Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott...
and Oscar Pettiford
Oscar Pettiford
Oscar Pettiford was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer known particularly for his pioneering work in bebop.-Biography:...
moved there. They were followed by Dexter Gordon
Dexter Gordon
Dexter Gordon was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and an Academy Award-nominated actor . He is regarded as one of the first and most important musicians to adapt the bebop musical language of people like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell to the tenor saxophone...
, Kenny Drew
Kenny Drew
Kenneth Sidney "Kenny" Drew was an American jazz pianist.-Biography:Born in New York City, New York, he first recorded with Howard McGhee in 1949, and over the next two years recorded with Buddy DeFranco, Coleman Hawkins, Milt Jackson, Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, and Dinah Washington...
, and Ben Webster
Ben Webster
Benjamin Francis Webster , a.k.a. "The Brute" or "Frog," was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. Webster, born in Kansas City, Missouri, was considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young...
in the 1960s, and Duke Jordan
Duke Jordan
Irving Sidney "Duke" Jordan was an American jazz pianist.-Biography:An imaginative and gifted pianist, Jordan was a regular member of Charlie Parker's so-called "classic quintet" , featuring Miles Davis...
, Horace Parlan
Horace Parlan
Horace Parlan is an American hard bop and post-bop piano player.He is noted for his contributions to the classic Charles Mingus recordings Mingus Ah Um and Blues & Roots....
, Ed Thigpen
Ed Thigpen
Edmund Leonard "Ed" Thigpen was an American jazz drummer, best-known for his work with the Oscar Peterson trio from 1959 to 1965...
, Bob Rockwell
Bob Rockwell
Bob Rockwell is a jazz saxophonist. He was born in the United States but emigrated to Denmark in 1983, where he has lived since.-Biography:...
, and Thad Jones
Thad Jones
Thaddeus Joseph Jones was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader.-Biography:Thad Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan to a musical family of ten . Thad Jones was a self taught musician, performing professionally by the age of sixteen...
(who became the leader of the DR Big Band
DR Big Band
The Danish Radio Big Band , often referred to as the Radioens Big Band is a jazz big band founded in Copenhagen in 1964, when the Copenhagen jazz scene was particularly active, and the city was regularly visited by prominent jazz artists from the USA.- Band history :Originally called The New Radio...
in 1977) in subsequent decades. Kenny Drew formed a trio with Alex Riel
Alex Riel
Alex Riel, , is a Danish jazz and rock drummer. His first group Alex Riel/Palle Mikkelborg Quintet won Montreux Grand Prix Award at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1968 and it was published in Billboards June 1968 edition.-Biography:Riel has recorded with, among others, Kenny Drew, Kenny Werner, Bob...
and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
- Discography :* My Name Is Albert Ayler 1963 * Kirk in Copenhagen 1963 * Ben Webster in Denmark 1965-1971 Live at Danish Radio studios, Jazzhus Montmartre and Odd Fellow Palæet - Universal Music Denmark*One Flight Up 1964 *Sunday Walk 1969 - Discography :* My Name Is Albert Ayler 1963 (with...
which became a staple at Jazzhus Montmartre.
In the 1960s, Danish musicians began to explore free jazz
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
with saxophonist John Tchicai
John Tchicai
John Martin Tchicai is a Danish jazz saxophonist. He was one of the earliest European free jazz musicians. He is of Danish and Congolese descent....
the most prominent proponent. In parallel, a more mainstream wing evolved, including saxophonist Jesper Thilo
Jesper Thilo
Jesper Thilo is a Danish jazz musician, mainly known as a tenor saxophonist, alto saxophonist and clarinetist. He is considered to be one of the top European straight-ahead jazz musicians of the post-1970 period...
.
As rock music became more popular in the 1970s, jazz's popularity waned, but it continues to be supported in venues such as the Copenhagen Jazzhouse and the annual Copenhagen Jazz Festival
Copenhagen Jazz Festival
Copenhagen Jazz Festival is an annual Jazz event, taking place in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, each July. The first Copenhagen Jazz Festival was held in 1979. According to reports, around 240,000 people attended the festival in 2004...
.
Musicians
Prominent Danish jazz musicians today include:- Thomas Agergaard
- Svend AsmussenSvend AsmussenSvend Asmussen is a jazz violinist from Denmark, known as "The Fiddling Viking". Asmussen grew up in a musical family, starting violin lessons at age 7. At age 16 he first heard recordings by jazz violin great Joe Venuti and began to emulate his style...
, violinist - Nikolaj Benson
- Thomas BlachmanThomas BlachmanThomas Blachman is a Danish jazz musician, composer and five times Danish Music Awards-winner.In his home country he is best known as a judge in the Danish version of the TV show "X Factor".- External links :...
, drummer and composer - Jakob BroJakob BroJakob Bro is a Danish jazz guitarist. Bro has never received any musical training besides short periods spent at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, the Berklee College of Music in Boston and New School University in New York...
, guitarist - Papa BuePapa BueArne "Papa" Bue Jensen , known as Papa Bue, was a Danish trombonist and bandleader, chiefly associated with the Dixieland jazz revival style of which he was considered an important proponent. He founded and led the Viking Jazz Band, which was active from 1956.-Early life and career:Arne Bue Jensen...
, trombonist and bandleader - Thomas Clausen, pianist
- Carsten DahlCarsten DahlCarsten Dahl is a Danish Jazz pianist. "Dahl is a truly great pianist" Chris Mosey said, in his All About Jazz review of Dahl's CD In Our Own Sweet Way released in 2009 with Alex Riel and Mads Vinding.-Biography:...
, pianist - Jakob Dinesen
- Chris Minh DokyChris Minh DokyChris Minh Doky is a Vietnamese-Danish bassist living in Copenhagen and New York City. Though Doky has worked in many genres, his main area of music is jazz...
, bassist - Niels Lan DokyNiels Lan DokyNiels Lan Doky is a Danish jazz pianist and record producer.-Biography:He was born in Copenhagen of a Danish mother and Vietnamese father. His father worked as a doctor, but was also a classically trained guitarist so guitar was Niels's first instrument...
, pianist - Pierre DørgePierre DørgePierre Dørge is a Danish avant-garde jazz guitarist, bandleader and composer born in Copenhagen, Denmark. As leader of New Jungle Orchestra he created a unique and playful combination of traditional and modern jazz with Highlife west-African guitar music.Among his collaborators have been his...
, guitarist, bandleader and composer - Jørgen EmborgJørgen EmborgJørgen Emborg is a Danish jazz pianist and composer.-References:*...
, pianist and composer - Mikkel Ploug, guitarist
- Jacob FischerJacob FischerJacob Fischer is a self-taught Danish Jazz guitarist.Since 1992 he has been a member of the Svend Asmussen Quartet and he has founded his own Jacob Fischer Trio where he plays alongside Hugo Rasmussen on bass and Janus Templeton on drums...
- Lennart GinmanLennart GinmanLennart Ginman is a Danish bassist, composer and music producer.-References:*...
, bassist and composer - Ib GlindemannIb GlindemannIb Glindemann is a Danish jazz musician, the big band leader of the Ib Glindemann Orchestra . When in Europe, saxophonist Stan Getz was a frequent guest star of the orchestra.-External links:*...
- Ole Kock Hansen
- Jan Kaspersen
- Kristian Jørgensen
- Jesper LundgaardJesper LundgaardJesper Lundgaard is a Danish jazz bassist, bandleader, composer and recording studio. Since his debut in the mid 1970s, he has been among the most prominent bassists in Danish jazz and as a sideman he has appeared on more than 400 albums both with Danish and leading American jazz...
- Fredrik LundinFredrik LundinFrederik Lundin is a Danish jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader. Frank Lundin founded his own jazz quartet in 1981 and since then he has been one of the most expressive and used saxophoners in Danish jazz....
, saxophonist - Marilyn MazurMarilyn MazurMarilyn Mazur is a percussionist, drummer, composer, vocalist, pianist, dancer and bandleader. She was born in New York and has lived in Denmark from age six. She is of Polish and African-American descent. Since 1975, she has worked as a percussionist with various groups, among them Six Winds with...
, percussionist - Leo MathisenLeo MathisenLeo "The Lion" Mathisen was a Danish jazz pianist, composer, arranger, singer and bandleader. He was a leading figure of the thriving Danish scene during the years around World War II—a period which has been labelled the Golden Age of Danish Jazz—and he is considered to be one of most...
, pianist - Palle MikkelborgPalle MikkelborgPalle Mikkelborg , is a Danish jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger and record producer. He started playing professionally in 1960, and has since been a dominant figure on the Danish and international progressive jazz scene...
, trumpeter and composer - Erik MoseholmErik MoseholmErik Moseholm is a Danish jazz bassist, composer, bandleader and music administrator. He was the leader of the DR Big Band from 1961 to 1966 and the principal of the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen from 1992 to 1997....
, bassist, bandleader and composer - Cæcilie NorbyCæcilie NorbyCæcilie Norby is a Danish jazz and rock singer. She was born in Frederiksberg into a musical family. Her father is composer Erik Norby, and her mother is an opera singer. In 1985 she had her first commercial success as a singer of the jazz / rock band Frontline...
, vocalist - Thomas Ovesen
- Niels-Henning Ørsted PedersenNiels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen- Discography :* My Name Is Albert Ayler 1963 * Kirk in Copenhagen 1963 * Ben Webster in Denmark 1965-1971 Live at Danish Radio studios, Jazzhus Montmartre and Odd Fellow Palæet - Universal Music Denmark*One Flight Up 1964 *Sunday Walk 1969 - Discography :* My Name Is Albert Ayler 1963 (with...
, bassist - Mikkel Ploug, guitarist
- Niels Jørgen Steen, pianist, vandleader and composer
- Jesper ThiloJesper ThiloJesper Thilo is a Danish jazz musician, mainly known as a tenor saxophonist, alto saxophonist and clarinetist. He is considered to be one of the top European straight-ahead jazz musicians of the post-1970 period...
, saxophonist - Hans Ulrik, saxophonist
- Mads VindingMads VindingMads Vinding is a Danish jazz double-bassist.He is a Danish jazz musicians, and one of the 'aces of basses' with more than 600 recordings to his credit. Professional at age 16, Vinding became the house-bassplayer at Café Montmartre, the legendary jazz club in Copenhagen...
, bassist - Jens WintherJens WintherJens Winther was a Danish jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger and bandleader. He composed for and played in a long line of European big bands and other orchestras. His work includes compositions for symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles and choirs...
American expat musicians in Copenhagen
- Stan GetzStan GetzStanley Getz was an American jazz saxophone player. Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott...
, saxophone, clarinet, oboe, piano (1958–1961) - Oscar PettifordOscar PettifordOscar Pettiford was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer known particularly for his pioneering work in bebop.-Biography:...
, double bass, cello (1958 – to his death in 1960) - Kenny DrewKenny DrewKenneth Sidney "Kenny" Drew was an American jazz pianist.-Biography:Born in New York City, New York, he first recorded with Howard McGhee in 1949, and over the next two years recorded with Buddy DeFranco, Coleman Hawkins, Milt Jackson, Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, and Dinah Washington...
, piano (1961 – his death in 1993) - Dexter GordonDexter GordonDexter Gordon was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and an Academy Award-nominated actor . He is regarded as one of the first and most important musicians to adapt the bebop musical language of people like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell to the tenor saxophone...
, (1962–1976) - Ben WebsterBen WebsterBenjamin Francis Webster , a.k.a. "The Brute" or "Frog," was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. Webster, born in Kansas City, Missouri, was considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young...
, saxophone (1964 – his death in 1973) - Stuff SmithStuff SmithHezekiah Leroy Gordon Smith , better known as Stuff Smith, was a jazz violinist. He is known well for the song "If You're a Viper".-Biography:...
, (1965 – his death in 1967) - Richard B. BooneRichard B. BooneRichard Bently Boone was an American jazz musician and scat singer.Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Richard Boone sang in his Baptist church choir as a boy, then began playing the trombone at the age of twelve. He served with the U.S. Army from 1948 to 1953 where he played trombone in a military band...
, trombone (1970 – his death in 1999) - Horace ParlanHorace ParlanHorace Parlan is an American hard bop and post-bop piano player.He is noted for his contributions to the classic Charles Mingus recordings Mingus Ah Um and Blues & Roots....
, piano, (1972–present) - Thad JonesThad JonesThaddeus Joseph Jones was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader.-Biography:Thad Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan to a musical family of ten . Thad Jones was a self taught musician, performing professionally by the age of sixteen...
, trumpeter (1978–1984) - Duke JordanDuke JordanIrving Sidney "Duke" Jordan was an American jazz pianist.-Biography:An imaginative and gifted pianist, Jordan was a regular member of Charlie Parker's so-called "classic quintet" , featuring Miles Davis...
, piano (1978 – his death in 2006) - Ernie WilkinsErnie WilkinsErnest Brooks Wilkins Jr. was a jazz arranger and writer who also played tenor saxophone. He might be best known for his work with Count Basie. He also wrote for Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, and Dizzy Gillespie...
, saxophone (1979 – his death in 1999) - Bob RockwellBob RockwellBob Rockwell is a jazz saxophonist. He was born in the United States but emigrated to Denmark in 1983, where he has lived since.-Biography:...
, saxophone (1983–present)
Bands
- DR Big BandDR Big BandThe Danish Radio Big Band , often referred to as the Radioens Big Band is a jazz big band founded in Copenhagen in 1964, when the Copenhagen jazz scene was particularly active, and the city was regularly visited by prominent jazz artists from the USA.- Band history :Originally called The New Radio...
- Klüvers Big BandKlüvers Big BandKlüvers Big Band is a Danish big band. It was formed in 1977 by a group of young music students under the leadership of Jens Klüver. Since then the orchestra has worked with a long line of international and Danish soloists...
- Papa Bue's Viking Jazz Band
- Ernie Wilkins Almost Big BandAlmost Big BandThe Almost Big Band was a 13 piece jazz band formed by Ernie Wilkins in 1980 after his permanent move to Copenhagen, Denmark. Members included expatriate American such as Kenny Drew and Ed Thigpen as well as prominent Danish jazz musicians such as Jesper Thilo and Bent Jaedig.Mainly an arranger,...
- StoRMChaserStoRMChaser (band)StoRMChaser is a Danish jazz big band/orchestra led by British composer and keyboard virtuoso Django Bates.-History:StoRMChaser is Bates’ most recent project to date and is drawn from the young post-graduate students from the courses he leads at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, Denmark...
- Mames BabegenushMames BabegenushMames Babegenush is a Danish Klezmer band formed in 2004 Copenhagen. In the beginning it playing quite traditional Klezmer music—with inspiration from artists such as Naftule Brandwein, Abe Schwartz and Dave Tarras—but has increasingly developed its own sound.The name means "Mom's...
Venues
- Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen – Official website
- Copenhagen JazzHouse
- Paradise Jazz, 14 Magstræde, Copenhagen – Danish Jazz Venue of the Year 2010