Ole Henrik Giørtz (born 10 January 1955 in

Bærum Bærum () is a list of municipalities of Norway, municipality in the Greater Oslo Region in Akershus County, Norway. It forms an affluent suburb of Oslo on the west coast of the city. Bærum is Norway's fifth largest municipality with a populatio ...

) is a Norwegian

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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

pianist, arranger and

bandleader A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a dance band, rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhyth ...

, the older brother of jazz singer Anne-Marie Giørtz. He is known from a number of recordings, and has contributed to several recordings and tours within bands such as Bazar, Chipahua, Erik Wøllo Quintet, Terje Rypdal Trio and

Anne Grete Preus Anne Grete Preus (22 May 1957 – 25 August 2019) was a Norwegian rock singer in Norway in the 1980s and 1990s, first as member of the bands Veslefrikk and Can Can and later as a solo act. She released nine solo albums and won the Spellemannprise ...

, and festival debut at

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 ...

1977 and attended

Moldejazz Molde International Jazz Festival (MIJF) or Moldejazz (established 1961 in Molde Municipality) takes place annually in July, and is known as one of the oldest jazz festivals in Europe. It was initiated by the local Storyville Jazz Club. Since 1 ...

1979, within the band Lotus.

Career

Giørtz was within his sister's band Ab und Zu, where he also was a composer and arranger. He accounted for the commissioned work ''Den akustiske skygge'' (

, 1993), and composed the music for

Lars Saabye Christensen Lars Saabye Christensen (born 21 September 1953 in Oslo) is a Norwegian-Danish author. Saabye Christensen was raised in the Skillebekk neighbourhood of Oslo, but lived for many years in Sortland Municipality in northern Norway; both places pl ...

's ''Skrapjern og silke'' (1998) commissioned work for Moldejazz, which led to

Edvard Prize The Edvard Prize is a Norwegian music award in given by TONO, copyright organization for musicians and composers. The honor, which was given for the first time in 1998, is given each year and is only given to organization members. The goal is to e ...

nomination 1999. To "Sandvika Storbandfestival" skrev han ''Rhymes at Midnight'' (2004), fremført med Ab und Zu and Prime Time Orchestra. Giørtz played within the Brazilian-Norwegian Claudio & Cristina Latini Band, also here as arranger and producer in addition to musical performances. This cooperation gave rise to album releases ''Sol e Cachaça'' (1988) and ''Cor de Dendê'' (1990). «Horns for hire". Giørtz leads his own Quartet featuring

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 ...

(saxophone),

Tine Asmundsen Tine Asmundsen (born 8 April 1963) is a Norwegian jazz bassist, known from her own band, Lonely Woman, playing with David Murray at Kongsberg Jazzfestival 2010. Career Asmundsen was born in Kongsberg, Norway. She started playing bass in Kongsb ...

(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). Melodic jazz, playing compositions of

Wayne Shorter Wayne Shorter (August 25, 1933 – March 2, 2023) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader. Shorter came to mainstream prominence in 1959 upon joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, for whom he eventually became the primary comp ...

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...

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 ...

Charlie Haden Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than fifty years. Haden helped to revolutionize the harmonic concept of bass playin ...

, and others. In addition he wrote the book ''Noter og andre nøtter – en brukerveiledning i pop- og jazzharmonikk'' (2006).

Discography

;Within Bazar *1973: ''Det er ikke enkelt'' (Samspill) *1974: ''Drabantbyrock'' (Mai) ;With Anne-Marie Giørtz *1983: ''Breaking Out'' (Odin Records) ;Within Claudio & Cristina Latini Band *1988: ''Sol e Cachaça'' (IPE Records) *1990: ''Cor de Dendê'' (Bums Records) ;Within Ab und Zu *1989: ''Ab und Zu'' (

Curling Legs __NOTOC__ Curling Legs Productions A/S (established 1992 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian record label with a catalogue encompassing all styles of jazz and improvised music. It was started by Knut Værnes and Morten Halle to release their own m ...

) *1996: ''Totally'' (Curling Legs) *2002: ''Spark of life'' (Curling Legs) ;With

, Ole Henrik Giørtz, Anne Marie Almedal, Kristin Kajander & Elin Rosseland *1999: ''Skrapjern og silke'' (

Grappa Music Grappa Musikkforlag (established 1983 in Norway) is a Norwegian music company initiated and directed by Helge Westbye. It is one of the oldest and biggest independent record companies in Norway today. The company represents prominent Norwegian a ...

)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Giortz, Ole Henrik 20th-century Norwegian pianists 21st-century Norwegian pianists Norwegian jazz pianists Norwegian jazz composers 1955 births Living people Musicians from Bærum Ab und Zu members