Jesper Lundgaard (born 12 June 1954) is a Danish

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 major ...

bassist, bandleader, composer and record producer. Since his debut in the mid-1970s, he has been among the most prominent bassists in

Danish jazz Danish jazz dates back to 1923 when Valdemar Eiberg formed a jazz orchestra and recorded what are thought to be the first Danish jazz records in August 1924 (" I've Got a Cross-Eyed Papa" and "In Bluebird Land"). However, jazz in Denmark is typic ...

and as a

sideman A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform live with a solo artist, or with a group in which they are not a regular band member. The term is usually used to describe musicians that play with jazz or rock artists, whether solo ...

he has appeared on more than 400 albums both with Danish and leading American jazz musicians.

Biography

Jesper Lundgaard was born in 1954 in

Hillerød Hillerød () is a Denmark, Danish town with a population of 35,357 (1 January 2022)Århus University Aarhus University ( da, Aarhus Universitet, abbreviated AU) is a public research university with its main campus located in Aarhus, Denmark. It is the second largest and second oldest university in Denmark. The university is part of the Coimbra Gr ...

and the same year he became part of

Århus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and approximately northwest ...

' jazz scene when he joined Bent Eriksen's trio. There he met Danish jazz musicians such as

Thomas Clausen Thomas Clausen may refer to: * Thomas Clausen (educator) (1939–2002), educator from Baton Rouge, Louisiana *Thomas Clausen (musician) (born 1949), Danish jazz pianist *Thomas Clausen (mathematician) (1801–1885), Danish mathematician and astrono ...

Alex Riel Alex Riel (born 13 September 1940) is a Danish jazz and rock drummer.''Jeg skal sgu sidde ved trommerne'' Af Bine Madsen. Dagbladenes Bureau, 9 February 2010. Same interview in Flensborg Avis, 17 February 2010, Side 18''Alex Riel'' Horsens F ...

Niels Jørgen Steen Niels is a male given name, equivalent to Nicholas, which is common in Denmark, Belgium, Norway (formerly) and the Netherlands. The Norwegian and Swedish variant is Nils. The name is a developed short form of Nicholas or Greek Nicolaos after Sai ...

Finn Ziegler The word Finn (''pl.'' Finns) usually refers to a member of the majority Balto-Finnic ethnic group of Finland, or to a person from Finland. Finn may also refer to: Places * Finn Lake, Minnesota, United States * Finn Township, Logan County, Nor ...

Jesper Thilo Jesper Thilo (born 28 November 1941) is a Danish jazz musician, mainly known as a tenor saxophonist, alto saxophonist and clarinetist. He is considered to be one of the top European straight-ahead jazz musicians of the post-1970 period. Ben Web ...

Jørgen Emborg Jørgen Emborg (born 29 March 1953) is a Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmar ...

and Jan Zum Vohrde as well as many American musicians, including

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gi ...

Harry Sweets Edison Harry "Sweets" Edison (October 10, 1915 – July 27, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. His most important contribution was as a Hollywood studio musician, whose muted trumpet can be heard back ...

Eddie Lockjaw Davis Eddie or Eddy may refer to: Science and technology * Eddy (fluid dynamics), the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle *Eddie (text editor), a text editor originally for BeOS and now ported to Lin ...

, Joe Newman,

Benny Waters Benjamin Waters (January 23, 1902, Brighton, Baltimore, Maryland – August 11, 1998, Columbia, Maryland) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. known in part for the longevity of his career. He began on organ, then switched to cl ...

Hal Singer Harold Joseph Singer (October 8, 1919 – August 18, 2020), also known as Hal "Cornbread" Singer, was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and jazz bandleader and saxophonist. Early life Harold Joseph Singer was born in Greenwood District, Tul ...

Thad Jones Thaddeus Joseph Jones (March 28, 1923 – August 20, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader who has been called "one of the all-time greatest jazz trumpet soloists". Biography Thad Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan, U ...

Mel Lewis Melvin Sokoloff (May 10, 1929 – February 2, 1990), known professionally as Mel Lewis, was an American jazz drummer, session musician, professor, and author. He received fourteen Grammy Award nominations. Biography Early years Lewis was ...

Pepper Adams Park Frederick "Pepper" Adams III (October 8, 1930 – September 10, 1986) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. He composed 42 pieces, was the leader on eighteen albums spanning 28 years, and participated in 600 sessions as a s ...

Howard McGhee Howard McGhee (March 6, 1918 – July 17, 1987) was one of the first American bebop jazz trumpeters, with Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro and Idrees Sulieman. He was known for his fast fingering and high notes. He had an influence on younger beb ...

Roy Eldridge David Roy Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), nicknamed "Little Jazz", was an American jazz trumpeter. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos exhibiting a departure from t ...

and

Doug Doug is a male personal name (or, depending on which definition of "personal name" one uses, part of a personal name). It is sometimes a given name (or "first name"), but more often it is hypocorism (affectionate variation of a personal name) which ...

and

Jimmy Raney James Elbert Raney (August 20, 1927 – May 10, 1995) was an American jazz guitarist, born in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, known for his work from 1951 to 1952 and then from 1953 to 1954 with the Red Norvo trio (replacing Tal Farlow) and ...

. Lundgaard soon established himself as one of the leading jazz bassists on the Danish jazz scene. In 1978 he became a member of the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra and went on a 3-month European tour which would become its last before

left the band and it changed its name simply to the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra. After the tour both Thad Jones and Jesper Lundgaard settled in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

. Lundgaard became bassist-in-residence at the ''La Fontaine Jazz Club'' and also played frequently at other venues such as

Jazzhus Montmartre Jazzhus Montmartre is a jazz club in Copenhagen, Denmark. Many jazz musicians, including Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, and Chet Baker, have performed there. It is sometimes called Cafe Montmartre. The Montmartre was located first in Dahlerupsgade, then ...

and Slukefter, accompanying musicians such as

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

Teddy Wilson Theodore Shaw Wilson (November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986) was an American jazz pianist. Described by critic Scott Yanow as "the definitive swing pianist", Wilson had a sophisticated, elegant style. His work was featured on the records of ma ...

Jay McShann James Columbus "Jay" McShann (January 12, 1916 – December 7, 2006) was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader. He led bands in Kansas City, Missouri, that included Charlie Parker, Bernard Anderson (trumpeter), Bernard A ...

Dorothy Donegan Dorothy Donegan (April 6, 1922 – May 19, 1998) was a classically trained American jazz pianist and occasional vocalist, primarily known for performing stride and boogie-woogie, as well as bebop, swing, and classical. Early life, family ...

Phineas Newborn Phineas Newborn Jr. (December 14, 1931 – May 26, 1989) was an American jazz pianist, whose principal influences were Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, and Bud Powell. Biography Newborn was born in Whiteville, Tennessee, and came from a musical fami ...

Mose Allison Mose John Allison Jr. (November 11, 1927 – November 15, 2016) was an American jazz and blues pianist, singer, and songwriter. He became notable for playing a unique mix of blues and modern jazz, both singing and playing piano. After moving to N ...

and

Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960, touched on jazz fusion dur ...

. In 1979 he also started recording for

SteepleChase Records SteepleChase Records is a jazz record company and label based in Copenhagen, Denmark. SteepleChase was founded in 1972 by Nils Winther, who was a student at Copenhagen University at the time. He began recording concerts at Jazzhus Montmartre, wh ...

, appearing on around 40 albums from this label. He was also a sideman for musicians such as

and

on albums released on

Storyville Records Storyville Records is an international record company and label based in Copenhagen, Denmark, specializing in jazz and blues music. Besides its original material, Storyville Records has reissued many vintage jazz recordings that previously appea ...

. He has also recorded with

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

and

Duke Jordan Irving Sidney "Duke" Jordan (April 1, 1922 – August 8, 2006) was an American jazz pianist. Biography Jordan was born in New York and raised in Brooklyn where he attended Boys High School. An imaginative and gifted pianist, Jordan was a regula ...

on some albums released by Japanese labels. Up through the 1980s, Lundgaard was a member of the ''Radiojazzgruppen'',

Ernie Wilkins Ernest Brooks Wilkins Jr. (July 20, 1922 – June 5, 1999) was an American jazz saxophonist, conductor and arranger who spent several years with Count Basie. He also wrote for Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, and Dizzy Gillespie. He was musical direc ...

Almost Big Band The Almost Big Band was a 13 piece jazz, jazz band formed by Ernie Wilkins in 1980 after his permanent move to Copenhagen, Denmark. Members included expatriate American such as Kenny Drew and Ed Thigpen as well as prominent Danish jazz musicians suc ...

and Thad Jones' Danish big band

Eclipse An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ce ...

, Parallel to this he went on numerous tours with American musicians. These included lengthy tours with

and

to the Netherlands, France and Germany and others with

Tommy Flanagan Thomas Lee Flanagan (March 16, 1930 – November 16, 2001) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He grew up in Detroit, initially influenced by such pianists as Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, and Nat King Cole, and then by bebop musicians. ...

and

Ed Thigpen Edmund Leonard Thigpen (December 28, 1930 – January 13, 2010) was an American jazz drummer, best known for his work with the Oscar Peterson trio from 1959 to 1965. Thigpen also performed with the Billy Taylor trio from 1956 to 1959. Biography ...

. In the mid-1980s he also became a member of

Bob Rockwell Bob Rockwell (born May 1945 in Miami, Oklahoma) is a jazz saxophonist. He was born in the U.S. but emigrated to Denmark in 1983. Biography Rockwell was raised in Minneapolis, and in his early career he toured the U.S. in rock and rhythm and blu ...

's quartet after Rockwell had become the third former The Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra-member to permanently move to Copenhagen in 1984. From 1989 to 1991 he was a member of the

DR Big Band The Danish Radio Big Band (aka: DR Big Band), often referred to as the Radioens Big Band is a radio ensemble and big band founded in Copenhagen in 1964 at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). Band history Originally called the New Radio ...

and in 1993 he joined

Svend Asmussen Svend Asmussen (28 February 1916 – 7 February 2017) was a Danish jazz violinist, known as "The Fiddling Viking". A Swing style virtuoso, he played and recorded with many of the other jazz musicians, including Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and S ...

's quartet in which he still plays. In 1994 he formed the Repertory Quartet which released six albums before it was dissolved in 2000. He has also taught and conducted master classes at educational institutions in Denmark as well as at conservatories in

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

Zürich Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...

and

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

Gallery

Image:Jesper-Lundgaard_DSC03488.jpg Image:jesper-lundgaard02.jpg Image:jesper-lundgaard_04.jpg Image:jesper-lundgaard_05.jpg

Loft Studio

Since 1986 Lundgaard worked with

audio engineering Audio most commonly refers to sound, as it is transmitted in signal form. It may also refer to: Sound * Audio signal, an electrical representation of sound *Audio frequency, a frequency in the audio spectrum * Digital audio, representation of sou ...

. Since 1991 he has operated his own

recording studio A recording studio is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing, and audio production of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large enoug ...

, the ''Loft Studio'', in which he has produced some 40 albums for other artists.

''ARCO-amplification''

Since 2004 he has developed a new

amplifier An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost the v ...

for double bass and electric bass which is small, lightweight, and very powerful and in 2007 he established a small company, ''ARCO-amplification'', which sells it.

Discography

As a leader

* ''Nuages'' with Boulou Ferre, Elios Ferre (SteepleChase, 1986) * ''Live'' with Paul Bley (SteepleChase, 1986) * ''Live Again'' with Paul Bley (SteepleChase, 1987) * ''This Bass Was Made for Walking'' (Music Mecca, 1994) * ''Playing in the Breeze'' with Thomas Fryland, Jacob Fischer (1995) * ''Fine Together'' with Anders Lindskog, Jacob Fischer (Touche, 1999) * ''Celebration'' with Alex Riel, Kenny Werner (Stunt, 2001) * ''Play the Music of Borge Roger Henrichens'' with Thomas Clausen (Music Mecca, 2002) * ''Two Basses'' with Mads Vinding (Touche, 2002) * ''Relaxin' with Horace'' with Horace Parlan, Ed Thigpen (Stunt, 2004) * ''Tributes'' with Jesper Thilo, Jan Lundgren (Music Mecca, 2005) * ''Coming in from the Dark '' with Mette Juul, Alex Riel, Heine Hansen (Cowbell, 2010) * ''Blue Rain'' with Thomas Clausen, Tomas Franck, Billy Hart (Stunt, 2015) * ''2016'' with Hans Ulrick. Niclas Knudsen (Storyville, 2016)

As sideman

With

Lotte Anker Lotte Anker (born 1958 Copenhagen) is a Danish jazz saxophonist, and composer. With pianist Marilyn Crispell, she serves as one of the co-leaders of the Copenhagen Art Ensemble. Musical career Anker studied music at the Copenhagen University f ...

– Mette Petersen Quartet * '' Beyond the Mist'' (Stunt, 1989) With

*''

When Sunny Gets Blue "''When Sunny Gets Blue''" is a song written by Marvin Fisher (music) and Jack Segal (lyrics), which has become a jazz standard. The song was originally recorded in September 1956 by Johnny Mathis backed by Ray Conniff and his Orchestra, releas ...

'' (SteeplChase, 1986) With

Paul Bley Paul Bley, CM (November 10, 1932 – January 3, 2016) was a jazz pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing and his early live performance on the Moog and ...

* ''

Questions A question is an utterance which serves as a request for information. Questions are sometimes distinguished from interrogatives, which are the grammar, grammatical forms typically used to express them. Rhetorical questions, for instance, are inte ...

'' (SteepleChase, 1985) * '' My Standard'' (SteepleChase, 1985) With

* '' Summer Serenade'' (Storyville, 1980

982 Year 982 ( CMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Emperor Otto II (the Red) assembles an imperial expeditionary force at Tara ...

With

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Edward F. Davis (March 2, 1922 – November 3, 1986), known professionally as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. It is unclear how he acquired the moniker "Lockjaw" (later shortened in "Jaws"): it is either said that ...

* '' All of Me'' (SteepleChase, 1983) With

Teddy Edwards Theodore Marcus Edwards (April 26, 1924 – April 20, 2003) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Edwards was born in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. He learned to play at a very early age, first on alto saxophone and then ...

* '' Out of This World'' (SteepleChase, 1980) With

* ''

Flanagan's Shenanigans ''Flanagan's Shenanigans'' is a live album by pianist Tommy Flanagan recorded at a concert celebrating his award of the 1993 Jazzpar Prize and released on the Danish Storyville label.Let's Play the Music of Thad Jones ''Let's Play the Music of Thad Jones'' is an album by pianist Tommy Flanagan featuring compositions by Thad Jones recorded in 1993 for the Enja Records, Enja label.Frank Foster * ''

The House That Love Built ''The House That Love Built'' is an album by saxophonist Frank Foster which was recorded in Copenhagen in 1982 and released on the SteepleChase label.Thad Jones Thaddeus Joseph Jones (March 28, 1923 – August 20, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader who has been called "one of the all-time greatest jazz trumpet soloists". Biography Thad Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan, U ...

* ''Live at Montmartre'' (Storyville, 1978) * ''Eclipse'' (Storyville, 1979) With

The Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra was a jazz big band formed by trumpeter Thad Jones and drummer Mel Lewis in New York in 1965.Lisik/Allen. 50 Years at the Village Vanguard:Thad Jone, Mel Lewis and the Village Vanguard Orchestra. Sky Deck M ...

* '' Body and Soul'' (West Wind, 1979) With

* '' Time on My Hands'' (SteepleChase, 1988) * '' As Time Goes By'' (SteepleChase, 1989) With

Kirk Lightsey Kirkland "Kirk" Lightsey (born February 15, 1937, Detroit, Michigan) is an American jazz pianist. Biography Lightsey had piano instruction from the age of five and studied piano and clarinet through high school. After service in the Army, Lights ...

* ''

Isotope Isotopes are two or more types of atoms that have the same atomic number (number of protons in their nuclei) and position in the periodic table (and hence belong to the same chemical element), and that differ in nucleon numbers (mass numbers) ...

'' (Criss Cross, 1983) With

Warne Marsh Warne Marion Marsh (October 26, 1927 – December 18, 1987) was an American tenor saxophonist. Born in Los Angeles, his playing first came to prominence in the 1950s as a protégé of pianist Lennie Tristano and earned attention in the 1970s as ...

* ''

A Ballad Album ''A Ballad Album'', is an album by saxophonist Warne Marsh which was recorded in 1983 and released on the Dutch Criss Cross Jazz label. Reception The Allmusic review states: Track listing # "I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby" (Jimmy ...

'' (Criss Cross Jazz, 1983) With

Phineas Newborn Jr. Phineas Newborn Jr. (December 14, 1931 – May 26, 1989) was an American jazz pianist, whose principal influences were Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, and Bud Powell. Biography Newborn was born in Whiteville, Tennessee, and came from a musical famil ...

* ''

Tivoli Encounter ''Tivoli Encounter'' is a live album by American jazz pianist Phineas Newborn, Jr. recorded in Denmark in 1979 at the first Copenhagen Jazz Festival but not released on the Dutch Storyville label until 1997.979 Year 979 ( CMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March 24 – Second Battle of Pankaleia: An Ibero-Byzantine expeditionary ...

1997) With

Horace Parlan Horace Parlan (January 19, 1931 – February 23, 2017) was an American pianist and composer known for working in the hard bop and post-bop styles of jazz. In addition to his work as a bandleader Parlan was known for his contributions to the Char ...

* ''

Like Someone in Love "Like Someone in Love" is a popular song composed in 1944 by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was written (along with "Sleigh Ride in July") for the 1944 film, ''Belle of the Yukon'', where it was sung by Dinah Shore. It was a hi ...

'' (SteepleChase, 1983) * '' Glad I Found You'' (SteepleChase, 1984) With

Doug Raney Doug Raney (August 29, 1956 – May 1, 2016) was an American jazz guitarist. He was the son of jazz guitarist Jimmy Raney. Career Raney was born in New York City. He began to play the guitar when he was 14, beginning with rock and blues. He was ...

* '' I'll Close My Eyes'' (SteepleChase, 1982) * '' Meeting the Tenors'' (Criss Cross, 1983) * '' Blue and White'' (SteepleChase, 1984) * ''

Lazy Bird Lazy Bird is a musical composition by John Coltrane, first appearing on his 1958 album '' Blue Train''. Its name is most likely a play on the title of the Tadd Dameron composition " Lady Bird": Coltrane biographer Lewis Porter has proposed a harm ...

'' (SteepleChase, 1984) * ''

Something's Up ''Something's Up'' is an album by guitarist Doug Raney recorded in 1988 and released on the Danish label, SteepleChase.

'' (SteepleChase, 1988) * ''

The Doug Raney Quintet ''The Doug Raney Quintet'' is an album by guitarist Doug Raney recorded in 1988 and released on the Danish label, SteepleChase.Jimmy Raney James Elbert Raney (August 20, 1927 – May 10, 1995) was an American jazz guitarist, born in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, known for his work from 1951 to 1952 and then from 1953 to 1954 with the Red Norvo trio (replacing Tal Farlow) and ...

* ''

Raney '81 ''Raney '81'' is an album by jazz guitarist Jimmy Raney with his son, Doug Raney, that was released by Criss Cross Jazz in 1981.Eric Ineke Eric Ineke (born Haarlem, April 1, 1947) is a Dutch jazz drummer who started his career in the 1960s. After a few years of lessons of John Engels, he gained his first experience as jazzdrummer with singer Henny Vonk and tenorsaxophonist Ferdina ...

* '' The Master'' (Criss Cross, 1983)

Awards

* 1982 Ben Webster Prize * 1992 JASA prize

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lundgaard, Jesper 1954 births Living people Bebop double-bassists Danish jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists SteepleChase Records artists DR Big Band members 21st-century double-bassists 21st-century male musicians Male jazz musicians Almost Big Band members People from Hillerød Municipality Olufsen Records artists Stunt Records artists

Biography

Gallery

Loft Studio

''ARCO-amplification''

Discography

As a leader

As sideman

Awards

See also

References