Einar "Pastor'n" Iversen (27 July 1930 – 3 April 2019) was a Norwegian jazz pianist and composer and the son of a "pastor." He went into jazz after World War II ended. Through more than sixty years, he played with everyone in Norwegian jazz.

Career

Iversen was raised in Oslo where he studied classical piano under Inge Rolf Ringnes, Artur Schnabel and Finn Mortensen, and quickly established himself at the Oslo jazz scene (1949). He released his first album with

Rowland Greenberg Rowland Charles Wentworth Greenberg (28 August 1920 in Oslo – 2 April 1994) was a Norwegian jazz musician (trumpet), seen by many as one of the foremost names in Norwegian jazz in the 1940s and 1950s. Career With a style inspired by the Engl ...

's orchestra (1953), and became one of the most respected Norwegian jazz musicians, awarded

Buddyprisen Buddyprisen (established 1956 in Oslo, Norway) is an award, given annually by the Norwegian Jazz Forum to a Norwegian jazz musician that has "been an excellent performer and significantly involved in Norwegian jazz by other means". The award was a ...

(1958). He played in a number of theaters, with

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

at Birdland (1952), on the America Boat with Anthony Ortega (1954) and

Modern Jazz Quartet The Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ) was a jazz combo established in 1952 that played music influenced by classical music, classical, cool jazz, blues and bebop. For most of its history the Quartet consisted of John Lewis (pianist), John Lewis (piano), ...

(1955), and was a regular pianist at Metropol Jazz Club, where he played with jazz greats such as Dexter Gordon (1962), Coleman Hawkins (1963), Johnny Griffin (1964), and with Svend Asmussen and Stuff Smith in Sweden 1965. He recorded an album with his own trio (''Me and My Piano'' 1967, reissued 2010). He co-operated with Swedish

Putte Wickman Putte Wickman (10 September 1924 – 14 February 2006) was a Swedish jazz clarinetist. Career He was born Hans Olof Wickman in Falun, and grew up in Borlänge, Sweden, where his parents hoped he would become a lawyer. He nagged them to allow h ...

and Monica Zetterlund, and Povel Ramel on tour in 1978. In Norway, he participated in a number of releases with Bjarne Nerem, Egil Johansen,

Totti Bergh Theodor Christian Frølich Bergh known as Totti Bergh (5 December 1935 in Oslo – 4 January 2012 in Oslo) was a Norwegian jazz musician (saxophone), the younger brother of the jazz journalist Johannes (Johs.) Bergh (1932–2001). He was married ...

, Nora Brockstedt and Ditlef Eckhoff. He led his own "E. I. Trio" with Tor Hauge (bass) and

Jon Christensen Jon Christensen may refer to: * Jon Christensen (musician) Jon Ivar Christensen (20 March 1943 – 18 February 2020) was a Norwegian jazz drummer. He was married to actress, minister, and theater director Ellen Horn, Store Norske Leksikon (in ...

(drums). They released Norway's first jazz trio recording, ''Me and my piano'' in 1967, "Ponca Jazz Records" 2005), containing Jazz standards. On "Gemini Records" he released the album ''Jazz på norsk'' (1990), ''Who can I turn to'' (1991), ''Portrait of a norwegian jazz artist – Einar Iversen'' (2001), and ''Seaview'' ("Hazel Records", 2001) With Tine Asmundsen (bass) and

Svein Christiansen Svein "Chrico" Christiansen (6 August 1941 – 25 November 2015) was a Norwegian jazz musician (drums), known from a number of recordings, and central on the Oslo Jazz scene. Career Christiansen started early to play drums in various ban ...

(drums). Iversen's recent works have been published in ''Twelve compositions'' ("Norsk jazzforlag", 2005). He died on 3 April 2019, aged 88.

Honors

1958 *Knight of First Class of the Order of the St. Olavs * Gammleng-prisen in the class Veterans in 1997

Compositions

*''Twelve Compositions'', music by Einar Iversen, ISMN M-706695-05-1

Selected discography

Solo albums

*1967: ''Me and my piano'' (Ponca Jazz Records, 2005), "E. I. Trio" including Tor Hauge &

*2001: ''Seaview'' (Hazel Records), trio" including Tine Asmundsen &

*2001: ''Einar Iversen''

Collaborative works

*2007 ''About Time'' (Hazel Jazz HJ4), with Lill Holen

References

;Bibliography * *

Notes

External links

Tribute to the 75th anniversary written by Bjørn Stendahl
at Ny Tid
Einar "Pastor'n" Iversen
on YouTube
Einar Iversen, Part 1 of 3
on YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Iversen, Einar 1930 births 2019 deaths 20th-century Norwegian pianists 21st-century Norwegian pianists Norwegian jazz pianists Norwegian jazz composers Male jazz composers People from Mandal, Norway Ponca Jazz Records artists Gemini Records artists Musicians from Oslo Norwegian male pianists 20th-century Norwegian male musicians 21st-century Norwegian male musicians