Eje Thelin
Encyclopedia
Eje Thelin (June 9, 1938 - May 18, 1990) was an innovative Swedish
trombonist
, widely admired among fellow trombonists for his facile technique and rhythmic intensity. He was, perhaps, the first jazz
trombonist to translate that technique into the so-called "sheets of sound" style that characterized much of the music of tenor saxophonist John Coltrane
and, in general, Free Jazz
of the late 1960s and 1970s.
Thelin started his own quintet in 1961. From 1969 to 1972 he was on the faculty of the Music Academy in Graz, Austria. For the rest of the 1970s, he led his own Eje Thelin Group in Sweden. In the 1980s he expanded into composition, writing commissioned works for large European orchestras, sometimes featuring himself as soloist. In spite of the attention given to the obvious technical side of his playing, Thelin was also known for his warm approach to traditional ballads, a somewhat retro-romanticism that comes through in his later playing.
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....
trombonist
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, widely admired among fellow trombonists for his facile technique and rhythmic intensity. He was, perhaps, the first jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trombonist to translate that technique into the so-called "sheets of sound" style that characterized much of the music of tenor saxophonist John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
and, in general, 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...
of the late 1960s and 1970s.
Thelin started his own quintet in 1961. From 1969 to 1972 he was on the faculty of the Music Academy in Graz, Austria. For the rest of the 1970s, he led his own Eje Thelin Group in Sweden. In the 1980s he expanded into composition, writing commissioned works for large European orchestras, sometimes featuring himself as soloist. In spite of the attention given to the obvious technical side of his playing, Thelin was also known for his warm approach to traditional ballads, a somewhat retro-romanticism that comes through in his later playing.
As leader
- So Far-Eje Thelin Quintet (1963) Columbia EMI Swenska AB
- Eje Thelin Quintet at the German Jazz Festival (1964) Dragon of Sweden DRCD 374
- Eje Thelin with Barney Wilen (1966) Dragon of Sweden DRCD 366
- Rolf & Joachim Kühn: Monday Morning (1969) HörZu; with Rolf KühnRolf KühnRolf Kühn . is a jazz clarinetist and saxophonist.He lived in the United States from 1956–59 and drew favourable reviews, for example a comparison with Benny Goodman by John H. Hammond....
, John SurmanJohn SurmanJohn Douglas Surman is an English jazz saxophone, bass clarinet and synthesizer player, and composer of free jazz and modal jazz, often using themes from folk music as a basis...
, Joachim KühnJoachim Kühn-Biography:Kühn was a musical prodigy and made his debut as a concert pianist, having studied classical piano and composition with Arthur Schmidt-Elsey. Influenced by his elder brother, clarinetist Rolf Kühn, he simultaneously got interested in jazz. In 1961 he became a professional jazz musician....
, Barre PhillipsBarre PhillipsBarre Phillips is a jazz and free improvisation bassist. A professional musician since 1960, he migrated to New York City in 1962, then to Europe in 1967. Since 1972 he has been based in southern France....
, Stu MartinStu Martin (drummer)Stu Martin was an American jazz drummer.Martin began playing in 1956. He was appearing with the orchestras of Quincy Jones, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Slide Hampton, Maynard Ferguson and with Herbie Hancock...
, Jacques Thollot - Joachim Kühn/Eje Thelin Group- In Paris (1970) Metronom; with Adelhard Roidinger, Jacques Thollot
- Eje Thelin Group (1974) Caprice CAP 1091
- Eje Thelin Group-Live (1976) Caprice CAP 2007:1-2
- Eje Thelin Group-Hypothesis (1978)
- Clarinet Summit You better fly away (1980) with John CarterJohn Carter (jazz musician)John Wallace Carter was an American jazz clarinet, saxophone, and flute player.-Biography:Born in Fort Worth, Texas, he played with Ornette Coleman and Charles Moffett in the 1940s. From 1961, Carter was based mainly on the West Coast. There he met Bobby Bradford in 1965, with whom he...
, Gianluigi TrovesiGianluigi Trovesithumb|200px|Gianluigi Trovesi in 2006.Gianluigi Trovesi is an Italian jazz saxophonist, clarinetist and composer.A native of Nembro near Bergamo in Lombardy, he studied harmony and counterpoint under Vittorio Fellegara. Since then he has been a major player in the Italian and European jazz scene....
, Theo JörgensmannTheo JörgensmannTheodor Franz Jörgensmann is a jazz and free-improvising Basset clarinet player and composer. He has been a professional musician since 1975.-Activities:...
, Bernd Konrad, Perry RobinsonPerry RobinsonPerry Morris Robinson is an American jazz clarinetist and composer. He is the son of the noted composer Earl Robinson. -Biography:...
, Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, Didier LockwoodDidier LockwoodDidier Lockwood is a French jazz violinist. He played in the progressive rock/jazz fusion band Magma in the 1970s and is known for his use of electric amplification and experimentation on different sounds on the electric violin....
, Stan TraceyStan TraceyStanley William Tracey CBE is a British jazz pianist and composer, most influenced by Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk.-Early career:...
, Kai Kanthak, J. F. Jenny-Clark, Günter "Baby" SommerGünter SommerGünter Baby Sommer is a German jazz drummer.He studied music in Dresden. He rose to fame in the GDR. He is part of the European free jazz avantgarde. He was part of the trio with Conny Bauer and Peter Kowald...
, Aldo RomanoAldo RomanoAldo Romano is a jazz drummer. He also started a rock group in 1971.-Biography:He moved to France as a child and by the 1950s he was playing guitar and drums professionally in Paris, but his career gained notice when he started working with Don Cherry in 1963. He recorded with Steve Lacy and... - Eje Thelin-Bits and Piece (1980) Phono Suecia PSCD 9
- Eje Thelin-Polyglot (1981) Caprice CAP 1291
- Eje Thelin-E.T. Project (1986) Dragon of Sweden DRLP 128
Links
- Eje Thelin's official website (under construction)