Bergen Big Band (BBB) is a Norwegian big band established 1991 as a continuation of

Knut Kristiansen Knut Johan Bratland Kristiansen (born 14 April 1946) is a Norwegian composer and jazz musician (piano), known from Bergen jazz life primarily for his many interpretations of the music of Thelonious Monk as orchestra leader his own bands with va ...

's Bergen Band. BBB is known from cooperations with musicians like

Phil Woods Philip Wells Woods (November 2, 1931 – September 29, 2015) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and composer. Biography Woods was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. After inheriting a saxophone at age 12, he began t ...

Paquito D'Rivera Francisco de Jesús Rivera Figueras (born 4 June 1948), known as Paquito D'Rivera, is a Cuban-American alto saxophonist, clarinetist and composer. He was a member of the Cuban songo band Irakere and, since the 1980s, he has established him ...

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and very occasional flute player. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day an ...

, Maria Schneider,

Diana Krall Diana Jean Krall (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including over six million in the US. On December 11, 2009, ''Billboard (magazi ...

Sissel Kyrkjebø Sissel Kyrkjebø (; born 24 June 1969), also known abroad as Sissel, is a Norwegian soprano. She is considered one of the world's top crossover sopranos. Her musical style ranges from pop recordings and folk songs to classical vocals and operati ...

, Andy Sheppard,

Martial Solal Martial Solal (23 August 1927 – 12 December 2024) was a French jazz pianist and composer. Life and career Solal was born in Algiers, French Algeria on 23 August 1927, to Algerian Jewish parents. He was persuaded to study clarinet, saxophone, ...

, Mathias Rüegg,

Gianluigi Trovesi Gianluigi Trovesi (born 1944) is an Italian jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He has won various Italian jazz awards. He also teaches in Italy. Early life Trovesi was born in Nembro near Bergamo in Lombardy in 1944. He studied harmony ...

Mathias Eick Mathias Eick (born 26 June 1979) is a Norwegian jazz musician, and the brother of the jazz musicians Johannes Eick and Trude Eick. He is mainly known from his releases on the jazz label ECM Records. His main instrument is the trumpet, but he als ...

, Ole Kock Hansen, Etta Cameron,

Karin Krog Karin Krog (born 15 May 1937) is a Norwegian Vocal jazz, jazz singer. Life and career Krog began singing jazz as a teenager and attracted attention while performing in jam sessions in Oslo. In 1955, she was hired by the pianist Kjell Karlsen ...

John Surman John Douglas Surman (born 30 August 1944) is an English jazz saxophone, Clarinet family, clarinet, and synthesizer player, and composer of free jazz and modal jazz, often using themes from folk music. He has composed and performed music for danc ...

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, Gustavo Bergalli,

Berit Opheim Berit Opheim Versto (born 18 June 1967 in Voss, Norway) is a Norwegian singer, known for her interpretations of folk music. Career Opheim studied at Bergen Musikkonservatorium (1987–90) and Norges Musikkhøgskole (1990–92), and has worke ...

, Jan Magne Førde,

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, Ab und Zu,

Vidar Johansen Vidar Johansen (born 17 December 1951) is a Norwegian former ice hockey player. He was born in Asker, Norway and represented the club Frisk Asker. He played for the Norwegian national ice hockey team at the 1980 Winter Olympics The 1980 Winte ...

Paolo Vinaccia Paolo Vinaccia (Camerino, 27 March 1954 – Oslo, 5 July 2019) was an Italian jazz drummer who lived in Norway. He died on 5 July 2019 after almost ten years of living with pancreatic cancer. Career Vinaccia worked with Terje Rypdal, Bendik Ho ...

Ståle Storløkken Ståle Storløkken (born 22 February 1969 in Dombås, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (keyboards, organ and piano) and composer, known for collaborations with artists like Terje Rypdal, BigBang, Supersilent and Motorpsycho. Store Norske ...

Palle Mikkelborg Palle Mikkelborg (born 6 March 1941) is a Danish jazz trumpet player, composer, arranger and record producer. He is self-taught on the trumpet, although he studied conducting at the Royal Music Conservatory in Copenhagen. He became a professio ...

and

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 Rypd ...

among others.

Biography

Olav Dale was musical leader of the band the entire period 1991-2014. In 1995, BBB,

Nattjazz Bergen International Jazz Festival or Nattjazz, is one of the largest jazz festivals of Norway. The festival has a musical profile with an emphasis on ethnic and jazz, contemporary jazz. It is held annually in late May, coinciding with Festspil ...

and

Vossajazz Vossajazz or Vossa Jazz (established 19 December 1973) is an international jazz festival in Voss, Norway, which takes place annually during the week before Easter, and which also includes concerts throughout the year. The festival has been led by ...

made an agreement to make an annual project with the band over a three-year period. The collaboration has continued thereafter. In 1999, the West Norwegian Jazz Center took over as administrative leaders of the band. In 2005 they released the studio album ''Seagull'', with Karin Krog conducted by John Surman. In 2007 they released the album ''Meditations on Coltrane'', from a concert at Nattjazz featuring

, the same year. ''Crime Scene'' (2010) recorded at Nattjazz 2910, featuring Terje Rypdal, Palle Mikkelborg, Ståle Storløkken and Paolo Vinaccia, at the ECM label. November 2, 2004 the band was joined by Karin Krog and John Surman, for a memorial concert for the bands late leader Olav Dale at USF, Verftet in Bergen.

Current members

;Woodwinds: * Elisabeth Lid Trøen * Jan Kåre Hystad * Ole Jakob Hystad * Zoltan Vincze * Michael Barnes ;Trumpets: * Martin Winter * Svein Henrik Giske * Are Ovesen * Reid Gilje ;Trombones: * Øyvind Hage * Sindre Dalhaug * Pål Roseth * Kjell Erik Husom ;Rhythm section: * Ole Thomsen guitar * Thomas T. Dahl guitar * Dag Arnesen piano * Magne Thormodsæter bass * Frank Jakobsen drums

Honors

* 2015: First Olav Dale's Memorial Award

Discography

Albums

*2003: ''Adventures In European New Jazz And Improvised Music'' (Europe Jazz Oddysey), with Mathias Rüegg "Art & Fun" on compilation with various artists *2005: ''Seagull'' ( Grappa Music), feat.

conducted by

recorded at the Nattjazz Festival, Bergen 2004 *2007: ''Meditations on Coltrane'' (Grappa Music), with

*2008: ''Som den gyldne sol frembryter'' (Grappa Music) *2010: ''Crime Scene'' (ECM Records), with

recorded at the Nattjazz Festival, Bergen 2009 *2014: ''Another Sky'' (Grappa Music), with

*2016: ''Kuria Suite'' (Grappa Music), with

*2017: ''Norwegian Song IV'' (Odin Records, Odin), with

Dag Arnesen Dag Syver Arnesen (born 3 May 1950) is a Norwegian jazz pianist with a series of album releases. Career Arnesen was born in Bergen, and studied classical piano under Jiri Hlinka at the Bergen Music Conservatory and got a commitment by Den ...

Contributors

Notes

External links

Knut Kristiansen + Bergen Big Band Jazzklubben

NRK The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (), commonly known by its initialism NRK, is a Norwegian state-run, government-influenced radio and television public broadcasting company. The NRK broadcasts three national TV channels and thirteen nat ...

.no {{Authority control Big bands Norwegian jazz ensembles ECM Records artists Grappa Music artists Musical groups established in 1991 1991 establishments in Norway Musical groups from Bergen