Bengt Hallberg
Template:Short description Template:Infobox musical artist Bengt Hallberg (13 September 1932 – 2 July 2013)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> was a Swedish jazz pianist, composer and arranger.<ref name="Fordham">John Fordham "Bengt Hallberg obituary", theguardian.com, 7 August 2013</ref>
Born in Gothenburg, he studied classical piano from an early age, and wrote his first jazz arrangement at the age of 13. At the age of 15 he recorded his first record as a member of a group led by bassist Thore Jederby<ref name="AAJ">"Bengt Hallberg", All About Jazz, 3 July 2013</ref> and in 1949 he recorded with the Swedish alto saxophonist Arne Domnérus for the first time, and the two musicians continued to play together for several decades.
During the 1950s, Hallberg played with leading visiting American players, including the tenor saxophonist Stan Getz, recording "Dear Old Stockholm" (originally "Ack Värmeland du sköna") with him, and alto player Lee Konitz in 1951, and trumpeters Clifford Brown and Quincy Jones in 1953. Jones first recorded arrangement featured Hallberg.<ref name="Fordham"/><ref name="Allmusic">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the same period he worked with baritone saxophonist Lars Gullin, another leading Swedish player of the time. Both players were associated with the 'Cool Jazz' scene in their country, influenced by the American school around pianist Lennie Tristano, a Hallberg favourite<ref>Luca Cerchiari, Laurent Cugny, Franz Kerschbaumer (eds.) Eurojazzland: Jazz and European Sources, Dynamics, and Contexts, Northeastern University Press, 2012, p.220</ref> with whom Konitz was associated.
Hallberg had a versatile style and in his later years he wrote music for film and television, as well as choral arrangements, and he also played the accordion. With Domnerus and Georg Riedel among others, he participated in the Jazz at the Pawnshop sessions in December 1976. According to Chris Mosey, while Hallberg was: "usually an extremely delicate and very measured player, [he] was obviously affected by the general ambience, and here and there cuts loose with awesome force".<ref>Chris Mosey "Arne Domnerus: Jazz at the Pawnshop - 30th Anniversary Edition (2007)" All About Jazz, 30 October 2007</ref>
Hallberg died from congestive heart failure.<ref name="Ramsey">Doug Ramsey "Bengt Hallberg RIP", Rifftides/Arts Journal, 2 July 2013</ref>
DiscographyEdit
As leaderEdit
| Year recorded | Title | Label | Personnel/Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950–51 | New Sounds from Sweden, Vol. 2 | Prestige | Some tracks trio, with Gunnar Almstedt (bass), Anders Burman (drums); some tracks quartet, with Lars Gullin (baritone sax), Gunnar Almstedt (bass), Jack Noren (drums)<ref name="disco" /> | |
| 1952 | Bengt Hallberg Quartet | Metronome | One track trio with Yngve Akerberg (bass), Jack Noren (drums); some tracks trio with Gunnar Johansson (bass), Kenneth Fagerlund (drums); some tracks quartet, with Arne Domnérus (clarinet) added to each of the trios; reissued by Prestige as New Sounds from Sweden, Vol. 6<ref name="disco" /> | |
| 1953 | Bengt Hallberg Swedish All-Stars | Prestige | With Ake Persson, (trombone), Arne Domnérus (alto sax, clarinet), Lars Gullin (baritone sax), Simon Brehm (bass), William Schiopffe (drums)<ref name="disco">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| 1953 | Piano Moderns | Prestige | Trio, with Gunnar Johnson (bass), Robert Edman (drums); album shared with Reinhold Svensson<ref name="disco" /> | |
| 1957? | Dinah | Universal | ||
| 1957? | Bengt Hallberg | Epic | ||
| 1959? | Two Jazzy People | |||
| 1959 | Kiddin' on the Keys | Trio, with Gunnar Johnson (bass), Anders Burman (drums)<ref name="Penguin1">Template:Cite book</ref> | ||
| 1962 | At Gyllene Cirkeln | Trio, with Lars Pettersson (bass), Sture Kallin (drums); in concert<ref name="Penguin1" /> | ||
| 1965? | Bengt Hallberg Piano | Odeon | ||
| 1968 | P som i piano | Columbia | Trio, with Lasse Pettersson (bass) and Sture Kallin (drums)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| 1970? | Bengt Hallberg's a la Carte | CBS | ||
| 1973? | Live at Cervantes | Odeon | Duo, co-led with Red Mitchell (bass); in concert | |
| 1977 | Hallberg's Happiness | Phontastic | Solo piano<ref name="Penguin1" /> | |
| 1977 | The Hallberg Treasure Chest: A Bouquet from '78 | Phontastic | Solo piano<ref name="Penguin3">Template:Cite book</ref> | |
| 1978? | Downtown Meeting: Two Swedes in New York | Phontastic | ||
| 1979 | The Hallberg Touch | Phontastic | Solo piano<ref name="Penguin1" /> | |
| 1980–81 | Hallberg's Hot Accordion | Phontastic | With Arne Domnérus (alto sax, clarinet), Rune Gustafsson (guitar), Georg Riedel (bass); Hallberg plays accordion<ref name="Penguin3" /> | |
| 1982 | Bengt Hallberg in New York | Phontastic | With Tom Harrell (trumpet, flugelhorn), Jan Allan (trumpet), Jimmy Knepper (trombone), Arne Domnérus (clarinet), Jerry Dodgson and Gerry Niewood (alto sax), Rune Gustafsson (guitar), Georg Riedel (bass), Magnus Persson (drums)<ref name="Penguin1" /> | |
| 1980–83 | Kraftverk | Phontastic | Most tracks duo, with Arne Domnérus (alto sax); some tracks quartet, with Rune Gustafsson (guitar), Georg Riedel (bass) added<ref name="Penguin3" /> | |
| 1984 | Hallberg's Yellow Blues | Phontastic | Solo piano<ref name="Penguin1" /> | |
| 1987 | Spring on the Air | Phono Suecia | With big band<ref name="Penguin1" /> | |
| 1987 | Hallberg's Surprise | Phontastic | Solo piano<ref name="Penguin1" /> | |
| 1991 | Skansen in Our Hearts | Aquila | With Gustaf Sjokvist (piano), Gavleborg Symphony Orchestra<ref name="Penguin3" /> | |
| 1992 | The Tapdancing Butterfly | Aquila | Trio, with Ronnie Gardiner (bass), Sture Akerberg (drums)<ref name="Penguin3" /> | |
| 1994 | 5 x 100 | Improkomp | With Ad Libitum Choir<ref name="Penguin3" /> | |
| 1994–95 | Time on My Hands | Improkomp | Solo piano<ref name="Penguin3" /> | |
| 1996 | In a Mellow Tone | Improkomp | Duo, with Hans Backenroth (bass)<ref name="Penguin9">Template:Cite book</ref> | |
| 1999 | Stardust in My Heart | Improkomp | Solo piano<ref name="Penguin9" /> | |
| 2011? | Back 2 Back | Volenza | Duo, co-led with Jan Lundgren (piano)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| 2011? | Cabin in the Sky | Gazell | Co-led with Karin Krog (vocals) | |
| 2012? | Solo | Gazell | Solo piano; in concert |
As sidemanEdit
With Stan Getz
- Stan Getz in Stockholm (Verve, 1955)
- Imported from Europe (Verve, 1958)
With Quincy Jones
- Jazz Abroad (EmArcy, 1955)
- Quincy's Home Again (Metronome, 1958) also released as Harry Arnold + Big Band + Quincy Jones = Jazz! (EmArcy)
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 0356303
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