Lars Jansson (born 1951) is a Swedish jazz pianist and composer.

Life

Jansson grew up in Örebro, Sweden, where he was bored by his lessons at the community music school. In his early teens, a relative lent him records of Miles Davis, Ben Webster, and Mose Allison. During the 1960s, he followed the fashion and developed an interest in the organ. He listened to

Kjell Öhman Kjell Ingemar Öhman (3 September 1943 – 5 November 2015) was a notable Swedish jazz musician. He worked as band leader, musical director and arranger of music albums, and of TV programs, among them '' Notknäckarna'', ''Allsång på Skansen'' ...

play with the Telstars, to Jimmy Smith and

Jack McDuff Eugene McDuff (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001), known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era ...

, and to Hammond organ music. Drummer Sjunne Ferger became an important figure in his life, and together they formed a duo: "Takt & Ton" (Beat & Pitch). In 1970, after graduation from upper secondary school, he took a semester off, planning to go on and study medicine. He ended up at dental school, but after a year and a half he decided to switch to music. He was accepted at the Göteborg College of Music, where all the professional musicians had their jam sessions at night. That gave him the opportunity to play with

Ove Johansson Ove Claes Johansson (born March 31, 1948) is a former American football placekicker and the current holder of the record for the longest field goal ever kicked during an American football game, at , for Abilene Christian University in their Octo ...

, Jan Forslund, Conny Sjökvist, Gilbert Holmström,

Gunnar Lindgren Gunnar is a male first name of Nordic origin (''Gunnarr'' in Old Norse). The name Gunnar means fighter, soldier, and attacker, but mostly is referred to by the Viking saying which means Brave and Bold warrior (''gunnr'' "war" and ''arr'' "warrior ...

, and others, and he discovered

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...

, McCoy Tyner, Paul Bley,

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

, Lennie Tristano,

Keith Jarrett Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945) is an American jazz and classical music pianist and composer. Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey and later moved on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s, he has also been a ...

, and

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", " 500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and ...

. Lars became a member of

Björn Alke Bjorn (English, Dutch), Björn (Swedish, Icelandic, Dutch, and German), Bjørn (Danish, Faroese and Norwegian), Beorn (Old English) or, rarely, Bjôrn, Biorn, or Latinized Biornus, Brum (Portuguese), is a Scandinavian male given name, or less oft ...

's quartet, with

Gunnar Bergsten Gunnar is a male first name of Nordic origin (''Gunnarr'' in Old Norse). The name Gunnar means fighter, soldier, and attacker, but mostly is referred to by the Viking saying which means Brave and Bold warrior (''gunnr'' "war" and ''arr'' "warrior ...

. He also played with the Arild Andersen Quartet. He went on to play with Radka Toneff and various Norwegian musicians, including

Knut Riisnaes Knut (Norwegian and Swedish), Knud (Danish), or Knútur (Icelandic) is a Scandinavian, German, and Dutch first name, of which the anglicised form is Canute. In Germany both "Knut" and "Knud" are used. In Spanish and Portuguese Canuto is used whi ...

and Jan Garbarek, and then with Hawk On Flight, Equinox,

Red Mitchell Keith Moore "Red" Mitchell (September 20, 1927 – November 8, 1992) was an American jazz double-bassist, composer, lyricist, and poet. Biography Mitchell was born in New York City. His younger brother, Whitey Mitchell, also became a jazz ba ...

Joakim Milder Joakim or Joacim is a male given name primarily used in Scandinavian languages and Finnish. It is derived from a transliteration of the Hebrew יהוֹיָקִים, and literally means "lifted by Jehovah". In the Old Testament, Jehoiakim was ...

, Crystal Eagle, and many other groups, both Swedish and Danish. Today, the Lars Jansson trio is, and has long been, one of the most well-renowned jazz groups in Sweden. Originally, the other two members were Anders Jormin and Anders Kjellberg. Lars Danielsson succeeded Jormin as the trio's bass player in the mid-1980s, and since January 2005 he has been succeeded by Christian Spering. Lars Jansson Trios member are now Thomas Fonnesbaek-bass (Copenhagen) and his son Paul Svanberg (Stockholm) on drums.

Discography

As leader

Compilations

*''Ballads'' (Imogena, 1991–97)

As sideman

With Arild Andersen *'' Shimri'' (ECM, 1976) *''

Green Shading into Blue ''Green Shading into Blue'' is the third album by Norwegian jazz bassist and composer Arild Andersen recorded in 1978 and released on the ECM label.

'' (ECM, 1978) With

Hans Ulrik Hans Ulrik (born 28 September 1965) is a Danish jazz saxophonist and composer who has recorded with Gary Peacock, Adam Nussbaum, Niels Lan Doky, Audun Kleive, Marilyn Mazur, John Scofield, and Steve Swallow. Career Ulrik studied jazz sax ...

*'' Strange World'' (STUNT, 1994) Wit
Ove Ingemarsson
''
Heart of the Matter

New Blues

Gallery

Image:lars-jansson01.jpg Image:lars-jansson02.jpg Image:lars-jansson03.jpg

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jansson, Lars 1951 births Living people Swedish composers Swedish male composers Jazz fusion pianists Swedish pianists Swedish jazz pianists Male pianists 21st-century pianists 21st-century Swedish male musicians Male jazz musicians Storyville Records artists