Harald Gill Johnsen (19 March 1970 – 24 July 2011) was a Norwegian jazz double bassist, known for his contributions in bands like Køhn/Johansen Sextet and

Tord Gustavsen Trio Tord is a given name, derived from the elements 'thor' meaning thunder, thunder god; and '' meaning peace, beautiful, fair. The name developed as a short form of Thorfrid (Old Norse). Notable people with the name include: * Tord Andersson (born 19 ...

, and a series of recordings with such as

Sonny Simmons Huey "Sonny" Simmons (August 4, 1933 – April 6, 2021) was an American jazz musician. Biography Simmons was born on August 4, 1933, in Sicily Island, Louisiana. He grew up in Oakland, California, where he began playing the English horn. (Along ...

, Sigurd Køhn,

Nils-Olav Johansen Nils-Olav Johansen (born 12 April 1966 in Bjugn Municipality, Norway) is a major Norwegian entertainer and jazz musician (guitar and vocals), known from several recordings and as orchestra leader. He is with Jarle Vespestad (drums) and Stian ...

Jan Erik Kongshaug Jan Erik Kongshaug (4 July 1944 – 5 November 2019) was a Norwegian sound engineer, jazz guitarist, and composer. Career Kongshaug was born in Trondheim, the son of guitarist John Kongshaug. Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian) During his ch ...

, Frode Barth,

Per Oddvar Johansen Per Oddvar Johansen (born 1 March 1968) is a Norwegian Jazz musician (drummer), most recognized for his work with Trygve Seim, Christian Wallumrød, The Source, Solveig Slettahjell and Vigleik Storaas, but has also been awarded the Spellemann ...

and Ditlef Eckhoff.

Career

Johnsen was a graduate of the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium (NTNU, 1989–92). He participated in the "two basses event" with the

Trygve Seim Trygve Seim (born 25 April 1971) is a Norwegian jazz saxophonist and composer. Seim has released numerous albums since 1992, including over 20 albums for ECM Records as a composer, band-leader or co-band-leader. Career Seim was born in Oslo a ...

led ''Trondheim Art Orchestra'' later called ''Trygve Seim Ensemble''. He played a key role in a variety of jazz bands, including Nils-Olav Johansen Trio, Christian Belt Trio, Svein Olav Herstad Trio, Jan Erik Kongshaug Quartet and Køhn/ Johansen Sextet. He was a member of several bands, including

Erlend Skomsvoll Erlend Fredrik Skomsvoll (born 12 May 1969) is a Norwegian jazz musician (piano, keyboards, accordion, and tuba), band leader, composer and arranger, known from his own band Skomsork and the band Wibutee with Live Maria Roggen, Madrugada, and ...

's "Hvorfor Ikke?" in 1994, Erik Wesseltoft Quartet from 1995, "Appaloosa Nova" from 1996, and collaborated on the album ''You'll always need friends'' (1997) within The Alf Kjellman Project, and ''Choice'' (1998) with Monica Borgen. He has also played a while with Ditlef Eckhoff, releasing an album ''Impressions of Antibes'' (1997). In the last years of his life he had great success in the

. Johnsen has participated on several recordings, such as with Ditlef Eckhoff and Eric Reed on the album ''Impressions of Antibes'' (1997), and on the Einar Iversen led album ''Merry Christmas'' (1999) by Ditlef Eckhoff. Around the turn of the millennium, he joined Silje Nergaard Band and

, which led to international releases. In addition he has played on recordings with, among others Karl Sundby (2004). Johnsen also played with guitarist and composer Frode Barth since 1984. Their trio TAPE (guitar, bass and drums) along with drummer Tom Erling Lie, won the Youth Festival, Norwegian final, in 1988. They also released the album, ''Blue Spheres'' (2007). Johnsen got an illness that prevented him gradually from playing actively. He died on 24 July 2011 at the age of 41.

Discography (in selection)

;With

*2002: '' Changing Places'' (

ECM ECM may refer to the following: Economics and commerce * Engineering change management * Equity capital markets * Error correction model, an econometric model * European Common Market Mathematics * Lenstra's Elliptic curve method for factor ...

) *2004: '' The Ground'' (ECM) *2006: ''

Being There ''Being There'' is a 1979 American satirical comedy-drama film starring Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, and Melvyn Douglas. Directed by Hal Ashby, it is based on the 1971 novel '' Being There'' by Jerzy Kosiński, and adapted for the scr ...

'' (ECM) ; ;With Svein Olav Herstad Trio ;*1993: ''Dig'' (Ponca Jazz Recordings), trio including Torbjørn Engan ;*1997: ''Sommerregn'' (Ponca Jazz Recordings), trio including

;*2006: ''Suite for Simmons'' ( Jazzaway), trio including Johnsen/Johansen feat.

live from Festiviteten Hall, Sildajazz in

Haugesund Haugesund () is a municipalities of Norway, municipality and List of towns and cities in Norway, town on the North Sea in Rogaland county, Norway. As of December 2023, the municipality of Haugesund has a population of 37,855. The vast majority of ...

(2005), performing a commission in six parts ;With Silje Nergaard Band ;*2000: ''Port of call'' (

EmArcy EmArcy Records is a jazz record label founded in 1954 by Bob Shad for the American Mercury Records. The name is a phonetic spelling of "MRC", the initials for Mercury Record Company. During the 1950s and 1960s, musicians such as Max Roach, Cli ...

) ;*2001: ''At first light'' (EmArcy) ;*2003: ''Nightwatch'' (EmArcy) ;With Ditlef Eckhoff ;1997: ''Impressions of Antibes'' (Gemini Records) ; ;With The Alf Kjellman Project *1997: ''You'll Always Need Friends'' (Gemini Records) ;With Monica Borgen *1998: ''Choice'' (Midnight Blue Music) ;With

*1998: ''The Other World'' (ACT) *2003: ''All These Years'' (

Hot Club Records Hot Club Records is a jazz record label established 1982, by guitarist Jon Larsen in Oslo, Norway.Dregni, Michael (2008) ''Gypsy Jazz: In Search of Django Reinhardt and the Soul of Gypsy Swing'', OUP USA, , p. 229 The label has released over 35 ...

) ;Within "Køhn/Johansen Sextet» *1999: ''Woman's Got to Have It'' *2003: ''Angels'' ;With Einar Iversen & Ditlef Eckhoff *1999: ''Merry Christmas'' (Hi-Di Music) ;With Erik Wesseltoft Quintet *2004: ''Con Amor'' (Normann Records) ;;With Trond Bjertnes & Frode Barth ;*1993: ''Egentlig'' (Ponca Jazz Records) ;*1997: ''JEG'' (MTG) ;Duo with Frode Barth *2007: ''Blue spheres'' (MTG) ;With other projects *1988: ''Hummer og kanari'', Frode A. Danielsen *1996: ''Østkantblues'', Karl Sundby / Erik Wesseltoft *1999: ''Together'', Inge Stangvik / Eivind Sannes

References

External links

Biography: Johnsen, Harald – Norsk musikkinformasjon Ballade.no

Biografi Harald Johnsen in Store norske leksikon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnsen, Harald 1970 births 2011 deaths Norwegian jazz upright-bassists Norwegian male double-bassists Norwegian University of Science and Technology alumni Musicians from Kristiansand ECM Records artists Norwegian male jazz musicians Tord Gustavsen Ensemble members