Svein Arne Øvergaard (1 January 1912 in Kristiania (Oslo) – 23 November 1986 in Oslo) was a Norwegian resistance member, boxer and jazz musician ( saxophone, percussion) and band leader, married to Gunhild Øvergaard (born Sandberg, 1912–1996), and known from the jazz scenes of Oslo.

Biography

Øvergaard played in Willie Vieth's Kaba Orchestra and as leader of the mighty popular Funny Boys (1932–39), he was among the first Norwegian jazz musicians to be known outside of Norway. From 1937 he led since his own orchestra, including with bassist

Fred Lange-Nielsen Fred Lange-Nielsen (28 September 1919 – 28 December 1989) was a Norwegian doctor and jazz musician (bass, vocals), known in the early Oslo environments, and from several recordings. Lange-Nielsen and Anton Jervell were the first to describe Jerve ...

, drummer Per Gregersen, guitarist Finn Westbye, saxophonist Arvid Gram Paulsen, and clarinetist Einar Gustavsen. He also collaborated frequently with drummer

Pete Brown Peter Ronald Brown (born 25 December 1940) is an English performance poet, lyricist, and singer best known for his collaborations with Cream and Jack Bruce.Colin Larkin, ''Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music'', (Muze UK Ltd, 1997), , p. 80 Bro ...

and guitarist Robert Normann. In 1938 he was Norwegian champion in boxing, junior light heavyweight, for the Boxing Club Pugilist. During World War II, he vent to the United Kingdom and became part of

Linge Company Norwegian Independent Company 1 (NOR.I.C.1, pronounced ''Norisén'' (approx. "noor-ee-sehn") in Norwegian) was a British Special Operations Executive (SOE) group formed in March 1941 originally for the purpose of performing commando raids during ...

with telegraph as main work.

Discography

;With Funny Boys *2001: ''Jazz in Norway vol. 2 1938-43'' (RCA)

References

External links

Picture
of his orchestra (1939) at Norsk jazzarkiv 20th-century Norwegian drummers Norwegian jazz drummers Male drummers Norwegian percussionists Norwegian jazz saxophonists Norwegian military personnel of World War II Norwegian Special Operations Executive personnel 1912 births 1986 deaths Norwegian male boxers 20th-century drummers 20th-century saxophonists 20th-century Norwegian male musicians Male jazz musicians {{Norway-boxing-bio-stub