Bengt Hallberg (13 September 1932 – 2 July 2013) was a Swedish
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...
pianist, composer and arranger.John Fordha "Bengt Hallberg obituary" theguardian.com, 7 August 2013
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"Bengt Hallberg" All About Jazz, 3 July 2013 and in 1949 he recorded with the Swedish alto saxophonist
Arne Domnérus
Sven Arne Domnérus (20 December 1924 – 2 September 2008) was a Swedish jazz saxophonist and clarinetist.
Career
He began to play the clarinet at the age of 11 but had taken up the saxophone by the time he left school and then turned profession ...
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
Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre o ...
, 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
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
in 1953. Jones first recorded arrangement featured Hallberg. 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
Leonard Joseph Tristano (March 19, 1919 – November 18, 1978) was an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and teacher of jazz improvisation.
Tristano studied for bachelor's and master's degrees in music in Chicago before moving to New Yo ...
, a Hallberg favourite 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
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...
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, ewas obviously affected by the general ambience, and here and there cuts loose with awesome force".Chris Mose "Arne Domnerus: Jazz at the Pawnshop - 30th Anniversary Edition (2007)" All About Jazz, 30 October 2007
Hallberg died from congestive heart failure.Doug Ramse Rifftides/Arts Journal, 2 July 2013
Discography
As leader
As sideman
With
Stan Getz
Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre o ...
* ''
Stan Getz in Stockholm
''Stan Getz in Stockholm'' is an album by saxophonist Stan Getz, recorded in Sweden in 1955 and first released on the Verve label.Imported from Europe'' (Verve, 1958)
With
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
Quincy's Home Again
''Quincy's Home Again'' is an album by Quincy Jones with performances by Harry Arnold's Orchestra. The album was recorded in Sweden in 1958 and released by Metronome label. The album was also released in the U.S. as ''Harry Arnold + Big Band + Qui ...
'' ( Metronome, 1958) also released as ''Harry Arnold + Big Band + Quincy Jones = Jazz!'' (EmArcy)