Terje Venaas (born 30 March 1947 in Molde, Norway) is a

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

jazz musician (

upright bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar ...

), known from dozens of recordings and a number of international cooperation.

Career

Venaas started playing music within several local bands in the Molde area from 1962, among others within his brother Åge Venås Orchestra (including Geir Schumann piano and Svein Jens Thorsø). He debuted on

Moldejazz Molde International Jazz Festival (MIJF) or Moldejazz (established 1961 in Molde) takes place annually in July, and is known as one of the oldest jazz festivals in Europe. It was initiated by the local Storyville Jazz Club. Since 1964 it has re ...

in 1967, and moved to Oslo where he joined the music scene Club 7 (1967–). There he started performing with musicians like

Jan Garbarek Jan Garbarek () (born 4 March 1947) is a Norwegian jazz saxophonist, who is also active in classical music and world music. Garbarek was born in Mysen, Østfold, southeastern Norway, the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war, Czesław ...

, Espen Rud and Carl Magnus Neumann, and debuted on record with

Terje Rypdal Terje Rypdal (born 23 August 1947) is a Norwegian guitarist and composer. He has been an important member in the Norwegian jazz community, and has also given show concerts with guitarists Ronni Le Tekrø and Mads Eriksen as "N3". Career Rypda ...

in 1968. He is one of the most prominent Norwegian jazz artists, recording with international jazz greats as within Per Husby Trio featuring Chet Baker (''The improviser'',

Cadence Jazz Records Cadence Jazz is an American record company and label specializing in noncommercial modern jazz. It is associated with '' Cadence Magazine''. Cadence Jazz was founded by Bob Rusch in Redwood, New York in 1980. By 2000 the label had issued mo ...

), and performed with

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gi ...

(Club 7, 1972),

Toots Thielemans Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans, was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for his chromatic harmonica playing, as well as his guitar and whistl ...

(1986),

Michel Petrucciani Michel Petrucciani (; ; 28 December 1962 – 6 January 1999) was a French jazz pianist. From birth he had osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and, in his case, short stature. He became one of the most accomplish ...

( Kongsberg Jazz Festival, 1986). Venaas has also been county musician in

Sogn og Fjordane Sogn og Fjordane (; English: "Sogn and Fjordane") was, up to 1 January 2020, a county in western Norway, when it was merged to become part of Vestland county. Bordering previous counties Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland, the cou ...

(1988–89), and has also collaborated with folk singer

Lillebjørn Nilsen Bjørn "Lillebjørn" Falk Nilsen (born 21 December 1950) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter and folk musician. He was born in Oslo, and is considered by some to be the leading "voice of Oslo", thanks to numerous classic songs about the city from th ...

with concert tours at home and abroad and recordings, such as "Stilleste Gutt på Sovesal 1".

Honors

Gammleng-prisen The Gammleng Award ( no, Gammleng-prisen) is a Norwegian culture award created by ''The Fund for Performing Artists'' in 1982, 25 years after the fund was established in 1957. The award's official name is the ''Rolf Gammleng award to performing art ...

1982 in the class Studio *Drøbak Jazzklubbs Reenskaug-pris 1984 * Buddyprisen 1988

Discography

*1968: ''Bleak House'', with

*1973: ''På Stengrunn'', with

*1983: '' The Improviser'', with Chet Baker *1984: '' Live at Jazz Alive'', with Thorgeir Stubø *1984: ''Daydreams'', with Laila Dalseth *1984: ''The Improviser Chet Baker'', within Per Husby Orchestra feat. Chet Baker *1986: '' Rhythm'A'Ning'', with Thorgeir Stubø *1986: ''I Hear a Rhapsody'', with Totti Bergh *1986: ''Tenor Gladness'', with Totti Bergh *1986: ''Travelling Light'', with Laila Dalseth *1988: ''Cherokee'', with Egil Kapstad *1988: ''

Flight Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight). This can be a ...

'', with Thorgeir Stubø *1988: ''Groovin' High'', with Per Nyhaug Studioband *1988: ''My Wonderful One'' (Gemini Records), classics with

Magni Wentzel Magni Wentzel (born 28 June 1945 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (vocals and guitar), the daughter of musicians Odd Wentzel-Larsen and Åse Wentzel, and known for a number of jazz recordings. Career Wentzel started in "Totenla ...

feat. Art Farmer *1989: ''Confessin' the Blues'', with

Knut Riisnæs Knut Riisnæs (born 13 November 1945) is a Norwegian jazz musician (saxophone and flute), arranger, and composer, son of pianist Eline Nygaard Riisnæs and brother of classical pianist Anne Eline Riisnæs (1951–) and jazz saxophonist Odd Riis ...

*1990: ''String Time'', with Louis Stewart *1992: ''Musikken Inni Oss'', with

Sigmund Groven Sigmund Groven (born 16 March 1946 in Heddal, Telemark) is a Norwegian classical harmonica player, today considered one of the world's leading classical harmonica players. He plays with a large number of the world's leading musicians and orches ...

*1993: ''Toner fra Romsdal'' (

Odin Records 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 ...

), with Ingeborg Hungnes *1994: ''Om Desse Steinane Kunne Tala'', with Glenn Erik Haugland *1999: ''Portrait of Jimmy Rosenberg'', with Jimmy Rosenberg *2001: ''Bjørn Johansen'', with Bjørn Johansen *2001: ''Einar Iversen'', with Einar Iversen *2001: ''Portrait of a Norwegian Jazz Artist: Bjarne Nerem'', with

Bjarne Nerem Bjarne Arnulf Nerem (31 July 1923 in Oslo, Norway – 1 April 1991 in Oslo), was a Norwegian jazz musician (tenor saxophone, alto saxophone and clarinet) among the foremost soloists in Norwegian jazz. He was in the tradition of Lester Young ...

*2002: ''Blåmann! Blåmann!'', with

Jan Erik Vold Jan Erik Vold (born 18 October 1939) is a Norwegian lyric poet, jazz vocal reciter, translator and author. He was a core member of the so-called "''Profil'' generation", the circle attached to the literary magazine ''Profil''. Throughout his care ...

feat. Chet Baker *2002: ''Larsen and Loutchek'', with

Jon Larsen Jon Larsen (born 7 January 1959) is a gypsy jazz guitarist, record producer, painter, and amateur scientific researcher. He is the founder of the group Hot Club de Norvège. In 2007 he received the Buddy Award for his lifelong contribution to ...

*2005: ''Swinging'', with Jimmy Rosenberg *2008: ''Leve Patagonia'' (Polygram Records), with

Ketil Bjørnstad Ketil Bjørnstad (born 25 April 1952) is a pianist, composer and author. Initially trained as a classical pianist, Bjørnstad discovered jazz at an early age and has embraced the emergence of "European jazz". Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian) ...

*2008: ''Nattønsker'', Sigmund Groven *2008: ''The Best of Jimmy Rosenberg'', with Jimmy Rosenberg *2009: ''Portrait of Jon Larsen'', with Jon Larsen *2011: ''Lukk Opp Kirkens Dører: A Selection of Norwegian Christian Jazz'' (Psych, Funk & Folk) 1970–1980

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Venas, Terje 1947 births Living people Jazz double-bassists Norwegian jazz upright-bassists Male double-bassists Musicians from Molde Gemini Records artists Barratt Due Institute of Music alumni 21st-century double-bassists 21st-century Norwegian male musicians Male jazz musicians