Rolf Ericson (August 29, 1922 – June 16, 1997) was a Swedish jazz trumpeter. He also played the flugelhorn. Yanow, Scott. Biography ''

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

Early career

Ericson was born in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, Sweden. He moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in 1947 and, in 1949, joined Charlie Barnet's big band and then with Woody Herman in 1950. Later, he worked with Paul Gonsalves,

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz Saxophone, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of beb ...

, and Charles Mingus. Returning to Sweden in 1950, he recorded as a leader and with Arne Domnérus, as well as for Leonard Feather's Swinging Swedes and Lars Gullin, He returned to the U.S. during 1953–1956, and played with the big bands of Charlie Spivak,

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band to great commercial success from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947, but ...

, the Dorsey Brothers, and Les Brown, and was with the Lighthouse All-Stars. In 1956, he toured Sweden and played with Ernestine Anderson and Lars Gullin.

Later career

From 1956 to 1965, he was back in the U.S., working with Dexter Gordon, Harold Land,

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though ...

, Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich, Benny Goodman, Gerry Mulligan, Dan Terry, Max Roach and Charles Mingus, among others. He was with the

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

Orchestra from 1963 until 1971. In the early 1960s, he made three recordings as a member of the Rod Levitt orchestra (octet). Ericson played with the Al Porcino Big Band in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Discography

As leader or co-leader

* 1956 (May): ''Rolf Ericson & The American Stars'' ( EmArcy, 1958) – Recordings originally issued by Metronome in Sweden, reissued on CD by Fresh Sound. * 1956 (June): ''Rolf Ericson & The American Stars 1956 with Ernestine Anderson'' ( Dragon, 1995) – Sessions also issued on CD by Fresh Sound * 1972: ''Oh Pretty Little Neida'' (Gazell) * 1975: '' Don't Get Around Much Anymore – Live at Bullerbyn'' (Polydor Grammofonverket) * 1978: ''Sincerely Ours'' (Four Leaf Clover) – co-led with Johnny Griffin * 1985: ''Stockholm Sweetnin'' (Dragon) * 1989: ''My Foolish Heart'' (Interplay) – with Lex Jasper * 1997: ''I Love You So...'' (Amigo) * 1998: ''Beautiful Love'' (Four Leaf Clover) – with the Metropole Orchestra, recorded in Hilversum, Netherlands, 1980–1989

As sideman

With Jan Allan * ''Jan Allan ’70'' (MCA, 1970) With Chet Baker * ''

Witch Doctor A witch doctor (also spelled witch-doctor), or witchcraft doctor, is a kind of magical healer who treats ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. The term is often misunderstood, and they could more accurately be called "anti-witch doctors ...

'' ( Contemporary, 1953 985 With Curtis Counce *'' Exploring the Future'' (Dooto, 1958) With Arne Domnérus * ''Arne Domnérus And His Orchestra 1950/1951 With Rolf Ericson Featuring Lars Gullin'' (Dragon, 2003) * ''In Concert With Bengt Hallberg & Rolf Ericson'' (Phontastic, 1978 984 With Kenny Dorham * ''Scandia Skies'' (SteepleChase, 1963 980 With

* ''Duke Ellington in Grona Lund 1963'' (Storyville, 2014) * ''Ellington at Basin Street'' (Music & Arts, 1964) * ''Harlem'' (Pablo, 1964 985 * '' Ellington '65'' (Reprise, 1964) * '' 70th Birthday Concert'' (Solid State, 1970) * ''Duke Ellington in Sweden 1973 featuring Alice Babs'' (Caprice) With Art Farmer * '' Listen to Art Farmer and the Orchestra'' ( Mercury, 1962) With Maynard Ferguson *'' Double Exposure'' (Atlantic, 1961) – with Chris Connor *'' Two's Company'' (Roulette, 1961) with Chris Connor * '' Maynard '61'' ( Roulette, 1961) * '' Maynard '64'' (Roulette 1958-62 963 With Dexter Gordon * ''After Hours'' (SteepleChase, c.1969 986 * ''After Midnight'' (SteepleChase, c.1969 987 With Lars Gullin * ''Jazz Amour Affair'' (Odeon, 1971) With Johnny Hodges * '' Everybody Knows Johnny Hodges'' (Impulse! 1964) With

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

* ''The Great Wide World of Quincy Jones Live!'' (Mercury, 1961 984 * ''Live In Ludwigshafen 1961'' (Jazzhaus, 2016) With

* '' Viva Kenton!'' ( Capitol, 1959) * '' Standards in Silhouette'' (Capitol, 1959) * '' Road Show'' (Capitol, 1959) – with June Christy and The Four Freshmen With Harold Land * '' Harold in the Land of Jazz'' (Contemporary, 1958) With Rod Levitt * '' The Dynamic Sound Patterns'' ( Riverside, 1963) * ''Insight'' ( RCA Victor), 1964) * ''Solid Ground'' (RCA Victor, 1965) With Charles Mingus * '' The Complete Town Hall Concert'' (Blue Note, 1962 994 * '' The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady'' (Impulse!, 1963) * '' Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus'' (Impulse!, 1963) With Buddy Rich * '' Blues Caravan'' (Verve, 1961) With Leo Wright * ''It's All Wright - Plays 12 All-Time-Hits'' (BASF, 1973)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ericson, Rolf 1922 births 1997 deaths Musicians from Stockholm Bebop trumpeters Duke Ellington Orchestra members Savoy Records artists Swedish jazz trumpeters Swedish male trumpeters Swing trumpeters 20th-century American musicians Swedish male jazz musicians Radiojazzgruppen members EmArcy Records artists 20th-century Swedish male musicians Swedish emigrants to the United States