
Gard Nilssen (born 24 June 1983) is a
Norwegian jazz drummer and
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and def ...
, and member of the bands
Bushman's Revenge and
Puma.
Career
Nilssen was born in
Skien
Skien () is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the Norsjø area and Bø. The administrative ...
, and got his musical education on the Jazz program at
Trondheim Musikkonservatorium (2003). He was voted this year's young jazz musicians in 2006 with the group
Puma. Otherwise Nilssen is very active in bands like ''Bushman´s Revenge'', ''Lord Kelvin'', and ''Heidi Skjerve Kvintett''.
Nilssen was chosen to represent Norway in the artist development program ''Take Five'', a music developer program promoted by the London-based concert promoter ''Serious''.
Honors
*''This year's young jazz musicians'' 2006, with the band
Puma by
Rikskonsertene
Concerts Norway () was established in 1967 on the initiative of the Arts Council Norway (), with its main purpose described as follows: "Concerts Norway is to make living music of high artistic quality accessible to all people in the country." The ...
and ''Norsk Jazzforum''
Discography
Solo albums
;Gard Nilssen's Acoustic Unity, including
André Roligheten
André Roligheten (born 2 January 1985) is a Norwegians, Norwegian jazz musician (saxophone) and composer, known from a series of recordings and bands like Albatrosh and Eirik Hegdal, Team Hegdal. He has also played with musicians like Andrew D' ...
and
Petter Eldh
Frans Petter Eldh (born 19 September 1983 in Gothenburg) is a Swedish jazz bass player and composer, who predominantly has worked first in Denmark, and since 2009 he has lived in Berlin.
Biography
Eldh was raised in a family of artists. At t ...
*2015: ''Firehouse'' (Clean Feed Records)
*2017: ''Live in Europe'' (Clean Feed Records)
*2019: ''To Whom Who Buys a Record'' (Grappa Musikkforlag AS)
*2022: ''Elastic Wave'' (
ECM Records
ECM (Edition of Contemporary Music) is an independent record label founded by Karl Egger, Manfred Eicher and Manfred Scheffner in Munich in 1969. While ECM is best known for jazz music, the label has released a variety of recordings, and ECM's a ...
)
Band releases
;Within
Puma trio including
Øystein Moen
Øystein Moen (born 16 August 1980) is a Norwegian jazz pianist and composer known for his participation in the bands Jaga Jazzist, Puma and Highasakite.
Career
Moen was born in Steinkjer Municipality, and studied music on the Jazz program at ...
and
Stian Westerhus
Stian Westerhus (born 2 April 1979) is a Norwegian guitarist known for his experimental style, explored with keyboardist Øystein Moen in the bands Jaga Jazzist and Puma and with Sidsel Endresen, Nils Petter Molvær, Arve Henriksen, Jan Bang, a ...
*2007: ''Isolationism'' (Bolage Records)
*2008: ''Discotheque Bitpunching'' (Bolage Records)
*2009: ''Fist Full of Knuckles'' (Knuckleman Records), with
Lasse Marhaug
Lasse Marhaug (born 10 September 1974) is a Norwegian musician who primarily works in the field of noise music but frequently drifts into other areas such as improvisation, jazz, rock and extreme metal. Marhaug has also been involved in creating ...
*2010: ''Half Nelson Courtship'' (
Rune Grammofon
Rune Grammofon is a Norwegian record label founded in 1998 by Rune Kristoffersen. Rune Grammofon's reputation for lovingly issued experimental electronic music, jazz, and improvised music by Norwegian artists has grown over the years with its a ...
)
;Within
Bushman's Revenge trio including
Rune Nergaard and
Even Helte Hermansen
Even Helte Hermansen (born 13 February 1982 in Skien, Norway) is a Norwegian guitarist, known from several orchestras playing experimental jazz.
Career
Hermansen has a background in heavy metal and rock, and studied music at Norges Musikkh� ...
*2007: ''Cowboy Music'' (
Jazzaway Records
Jazzaway is a Norwegian record label founded by saxophonist Jon Klette in Oslo, Norway. He is also the main composer/leader in the band Jazzmob. Their CD ''Pathfinder'' (2003) was the first release from the label.
The label includes artists ...
)
*2009: ''You Lost Me At Hello'' (Rune Grammofon)
*2010: ''Jitterbug'' (Rune Grammofon)
*2012: ''A Little Bit Of Big Bonanza'' (Rune Grammofon)
*2012: ''Never Mind The Botox'' (Rune Grammofon)
*2013: ''Electric Komle – Live!'' (Rune Grammofon)
*2016: ''Jazz, Fritt Etter Hukommelsen'' (Rune Grammofon)
*2016: ''Bushman's Fire'' (Rune Grammofon), live LP with
Kjetil Møster
Kjetil Traavik Møster (born 17 June 1976) is a Norwegian jazz musician ( tenor and soprano saxophones, clarinet and bass clarinet) and composer, known from bands like The Core, Ultralyd, Brat, Zanussi 5, and performance with Chick Corea at Mol ...
and
David Wallumrød
David Wallumrød (born 1977) is a Norwegian pianist, known from cooperations with artists such as Knut Reiersrud, Torun Eriksen, Jarle Bernhoft, Marit Larsen, Maria Solheim, Vidar Busk, Bigbang, Maria Mena, Thomas Dybdahl and Bjørn Eidsvåg.
...
;Within Lord Kelvin trio including
Eirik Hegdal
Eirik Hegdal (born 3 October 1973 in Gjøvik, Norway) is a Norwegians, Norwegian Jazz musician (saxophone), composer, arranger and music teacher, known from the band Dingobats (1995-2005) and as leader of Trondheim Jazz Orchestra (from 2002).
Ca ...
and
Erik Johannessen
*2009: ''Dances In The Smoke'' (
Jazzland Recordings
Jazzland Recordings is a Norwegian jazz and improvised music label based in Oslo, Norway, often associated with nu jazz.
It was founded in 1996 by pianist Bugge Wesseltoft to release his "New Conception of Jazz" and operate as a standalone label ...
)
*2011: ''Radio Has No Future'' (Gigafon Records)
;Within Cortex quartet including
Ola Høyer,
Kristoffer Berre Alberts and
Thomas Johansson
Karl Thomas Conny Johansson (; born 24 March 1975) is a Swedish former professional tennis player and coach. He reached a career-high Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) world No. 7 singles ranking in May 2002. His career highlights in si ...
*2011: ''Resection'' (Bolage Records)
*2012: ''Göteborg'' (Gigafon Records)
Collaborations
;With
Marita Røstad
*2007: ''Silent Sunday'' (Magica Records)
;Within Team Hegdal quartet including
Eirik Hegdal
Eirik Hegdal (born 3 October 1973 in Gjøvik, Norway) is a Norwegians, Norwegian Jazz musician (saxophone), composer, arranger and music teacher, known from the band Dingobats (1995-2005) and as leader of Trondheim Jazz Orchestra (from 2002).
Ca ...
,
André Roligheten
André Roligheten (born 2 January 1985) is a Norwegians, Norwegian jazz musician (saxophone) and composer, known from a series of recordings and bands like Albatrosh and Eirik Hegdal, Team Hegdal. He has also played with musicians like Andrew D' ...
and
Rune Nergaard
*2010: ''Vol 1'' (Øra Fonogram)
*2011: ''Vol 2'' (Øra Fonogram), sextet including additional
Mattias Ståhl
Mattias Ståhl (born 11 December 1971 in Oskarshamn, Oskarshamn, Sweden) is a Swedish jazz Vibraphone, vibraphonist (also marimba, glockenspiel, clarinet, harmonica, synthesizer, percussion) and composer.
Biography
Ståhl plays with Eirik Hegda ...
and
Ola Kvernberg
Ola Kvernberg (born 16 June 1981) is a Norwegian jazz musician known for his virtuosic string swing violin playing and his international performances. He is the son of traditional musicians Liv Rypdal Kvernberg and Torbjørn Kvernberg, and the br ...
;Within Scent Of Soil quintet including
Tore Brunborg
Tore Brunborg (born 20 May 1960) is a Norwegians, Norwegian jazz musician and composer who plays saxophone. He was born in Trondheim but grew up in Voss where a jazz environment was flowering. Known from numerous appearances with international g ...
,
Kirsti Huke
Kirsti Huke (born March 6, 1977, in Melhus Municipality, Norway) is a Norwegian singer and composer. Huke was best recognized as the lead singer for Norwegian doom metal/experimental band The 3rd and the Mortal in the final line-up.
She is also ...
,
Petter VÃ¥gan
Petter Vågan (born 6 July 1982 in Brønnøysund, Northern Norway) is a Norwegian singer, guitarist, composer, and the younger brother of double bass player Ole Morten Vågan. He is the bandleader, singer, and guitarist of the Norwegian indie ...
and
Rune Nergaard
*2011: ''Scent Of Soil'' (Hubro Music)
;With
Obara International
*2013: ''Komeda'' (For Tune)
*2013: ''Live At Manggha'' (For Tune)
*2015: ''Live In Mińsk Mazowiecki'' (For Tune)
;With
Elvira Nikolaisen
Elvira Nikolaisen (born 16 July 1980 in Moi) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter signed for Sony BMG. She released her debut single ''Love I Can't Defend'' in December 2005, it reached the number 3 spot on the Norwegian singles list. She followed up ...
and
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 ...
* 2013: ''I Concentrate On You'' (
Grappa
Grappa is an alcoholic beverage: a fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy of Italian origin that contains 35 to 60 percent alcohol by volume (70 to 120 Alcohol proof, US proof). Grappa is a protected name in the European Union.
Grappa is made by ...
)
;With
Arild Andersen
Arild Andersen (born 27 October 1945) is a Norwegian jazz musician bassist, known as the most famous Norwegian bass player in the international jazz scene.
Career
Andersen was born at Strømmen, Norway. He started his musical career as jazz g ...
and
Helge Lien
*2016: ''The Rose Window'' (Deutsche Media Productions), live at Theater Gütersloh
;With
Maciej Obara Quartet
*2017: ''Unloved'' (ECM Records)
*2019: ''Three Crowns'' (ECM Records)
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nilssen, Gard
1983 births
Living people
Musicians from Skien
20th-century Norwegian drummers
21st-century Norwegian drummers
Norwegian jazz drummers
Norwegian male drummers
Norwegian jazz composers
Avant-garde jazz musicians
Norwegian University of Science and Technology alumni
Rune Grammofon artists
Hubro Music artists
Norwegian male jazz composers
20th-century Norwegian male musicians
21st-century Norwegian male musicians
Puma (band) members
Bushman's Revenge members