Ivar Antonsen | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 16, 1946 Fauske, Nordland, Norway |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupations | Musician, composer, band leader, music arranger, composer, jazz musician (piano) |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Labels | Ponca Jazz Records, Gemini/Taurus Records |
Ivar Antonsen (born April 16, 1946, in Fauske Municipality, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz pianist and composer and had his debut at the Oslo jazz scene in 1967 together with Jan Garbarek, Palle Mikkelborg, Arild Andersen, and Espen Rud. [1] [2]
Antonsen started early playing the accordion and organ, inspired by jazz musician Art van Damme. 18-year-old he came in touch with bassist Bjørn Alterhaug, and they started their first jazz band together in Mo i Rana. He moved to Oslo and studied modern composition at Norges Musikkhøgskole under Finn Mortensen and came in contact with major jazz profiles. All along he was inspired, both as jazz musician and composer, by the piano music of Johann Sebastian Bach and Igor Stravinsky. [1]
In the late 1960s he started his own Ivar Antonsen Trio including Espen Rud (drums) and alternately Terje Venaas, Sture Janson and Bjørn Alterhaug on bass. His strong contribution to guitarist Thorgeir Stubø's album Flight (1985) can be cited as a good example of Antonsen's sophisticated style. Here you can enjoy the hard swinging interaction with Thorgeir Stubø, Alex Riel (drums), Krister Andersson (tenor saxophone) and Jesper Lundgaard (double bass). [1]
Antonsen was principal of the "Tromsø Musikkskole" (1975–1977), and later, "Buskerud Musikkonservatorium". Then he relocated to San Diego in US (1985), where he was a music educator and later professor in Music at California State University (1995–2004). Since 2004 he has been associate professor at Norges Musikkhøgskole. With residence in San Diego for 19 years, Antonsen had many interesting collaborations, including with Ravi Shankar's tabla player Abhiman Kaushal, drummer Duncan Moore, guitarist Peter Sprague, bassist Bob Magnusson and pianist Andy LaVerne on the album Dream Come True (2000). [3]
Antonsen's compositions often consist of strong rhythmic patterns, harmonically sophisticated and melodically complex, yet logical. His works include modern jazz, and contemporary classical music. He is highly respected among both European and American musicians and has played with jazz greats such as Jon Christensen, Palle Danielsson, John Surman, Arild Andersen, Ben Webster, Jimmy Heath, Slide Hampton, Art Farmer, and Karin Krog. He established his own quartet in 2004 with Espen Rud, Knut Riisnæs and Terje Gewelt, documented as an EBU radio concert on NRK P2 "Jazzklubben" in 2006 and he subsequently appeared in many other quartets with saxophone players like Frode Nymo, Atle Nymo, and Morten Halle as well as with guitarist Hallgeir Pedersen.
Antonsen is considered one of Norway's foremost jazz pianists, and plays in a modern neo-bop style. His playing has a strong identity and is characterized by a sensitive approach, great imagination, complex harmony/rhythm and technical facility. [3]
An asterisk (*) indicates that the year is that of release.
| Year recorded | Title | Label | Personnel/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Double Circle | Gemini/Taurus Records | Quartet, with Knut Riisnæs (tenor sax), Bjørn Alterhaug (bass), Espen Rud (drums) [2] |
| 2000* | Dream Come True | Gemini/Taurus Records | Duo, with Andy LaVerne (piano) |
| 2007 | Antonsen Big Band | Ponca Jazz | Big Band, with Guests (various) |
| 2010 | Dialogues | Ponca Jazz/Musikkoperatørene | Duo, with Vigleik Storaas (piano) |
| 2011* | A Day at the Opera | Ponca Jazz | As Antonsen Hvalryg Olstad Trio; with Stig Hvalryg (bass), Tom Olstad (drums) [3] |
Frode Thingnæs was a Norwegian jazz composer, arranger, conductor and trombone player who formed the Frode Thingnæs Quintet in 1960.
Vigleik Storaas is a Norwegian jazz pianist and composer, and the younger brother of composer and bassist Gaute Storaas. He is known from a series of album releases and collaborations with jazz musicians such as Norma Winstone, Karin Krog, Terje Rypdal, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Chet Baker, Jack DeJohnette and Warne Marsh.
Kjersti Aasan Stubø is a Norwegian jazz musician vocalist, daughter and musical successor of Jazz guitarist Thorgeir Stubø (1943–1986), mother of elektronica musician Mathias Stubø, and sister of Jazz guitarist Håvard and theatre director Eirik Stubø.
Thorgeir Stubø was a Norwegian jazz musician (guitar) and composer. He was the father of Jazz guitarist Håvard Stubø, jazz singer Kjersti Stubø and theater director Eirik Stubø, and grandfather of electronica musician Mathias Stubø.
Bjørn Alterhaug is a Norwegian jazz bassist, arranger, composer and professor of music.
Hallgeir Pedersen is a Norwegian jazz guitarist, well known for his Thorgeir Stubø, Wes Montgomery and Coltrane inspired bop guitar performances and recordings like West Coast Blues (2002) with his own trio.
Buddyprisen is an award, given annually by the Norwegian Jazz Forum to a Norwegian jazz musician that has "been an excellent performer and significantly involved in Norwegian jazz by other means".
Odin Records is a Norwegian jazz record company and label founded in 1981 by the Norwegian Jazz Federation, when there were not many independent record labels in Norway. Only major international record companies were to be found in Oslo, so Odin soon became the most important national label for contemporary Norwegian jazz.
Jørn Øien is a Norwegian jazz pianist and keyboard player. He is known from a number of festival performances and record releases, and cooperations with the likes of Thorgeir Stubø, Kjersti Stubø, Ernst-Wiggo Sandbakk, John Pål Inderberg, Tore Brunborg, Knut Værnes, Kjell Karlsen, Terje Gewelt, Roger Johansen, Paal Nilssen-Love, Per Zanussi and Torstein Lofthus.
Knut Riisnæs was a Norwegian jazz musician, arranger, and composer, son of pianist Eline Nygaard Riisnæs and brother of classical pianist Anne Eline Riisnæs (1951–) and jazz saxophonist Odd Riisnæs (1953–). The brothers are both known from a variety of recordings in Norway and internationally.
Notice is a studioalbum (LP) by the Norwegian guitarist Thorgeir Stubø awarded Spellemannprisen 1981, as the Jazz album of the year.
Ernst-Wiggo Sandbakk is a Norwegian jazz musician (drums) and music teacher. Known from a series of concerts, festival performances and records with the likes of DumDum Boys, Thorgeir Stubø, Frode Alnæs, Palle Mikkelborg, Terje Bjørklund, Vigleik Storaas, Bjørn Alterhaug, Nils Petter Molvær, Knut Riisnæs, John Pål Inderberg, Sondre Meisfjord, Jan Gunnar Hoff, Kjersti Stubø and Henning Sommerro.
Espen Rud is a Norwegian jazz musician (drums), composer, and music arranger, and the son of Norwegian author Nils Johan Rud (1908–93). He is known from numerous recordings and in collaboration with Karin Krog and Dexter Gordon, within Terje Rypdal's trio Min Bul, or the absurd musical theater of Svein Finnerud Trio.
Terje Venaas is a Norwegian jazz musician, known from dozens of recordings and a number of international cooperation.
Ole Jacob Hansen was a Norwegian jazz musician (drums), known from a number recordings and international cooperation.
Konrad Kaspersen is a Norwegian jazz musician.
The following is a list of notable events and releases of the year 1981 in Norwegian music.
The following is a list of notable events and releases of the year 1970 in Norwegian music.
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