Harald Johnsen

Harald Johnsen

Harald Johnsen and Frode Barth at photoshoot for their record Blue Spheres.
Background information
Birth name Harald Gill Johnsen
Born (1970-03-19)19 March 1970
Oslo
Origin Norway
Died 24 July 2011(2011-07-24) (aged 41)
Oslo, Norway
Genres Jazz
Occupation(s) Musician, composer
Instruments Upright bass
Associated acts Tord Gustavsen Trio
Køhn/Johansen Sextet

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, and a series of recordings with such as Sonny Simmons, Sigurd Køhn, Nils-Olav Johansen, Jan Erik Kongshaug, Frode Barth, Per Oddvar Johansen and Ditlef Eckhoff.[1][2][3]

Career

Harald Johnsen during a concert with Tord Gustavsen Trio in Oslo 2007.
(Photo: Martin Stabenfeldt)

Johnsen was a graduate of the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium (NTNU, 1989–92).[4] He participated in the "two basses event" with the Trygve Seim 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'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.[5] 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 Tord Gustavsen Trio.[6]

Johnson 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 Tord Gustavsen Trio, which led to international releases. In addition he has played on recordings with, among others Karl Sundby (2004).[2]

Johnsen also played with guitarist and composer Frode Barth regularely since 1984. Their trio TAPE (guitar, bass and drums) along with drummer Tom Erling Lie, won the Youth Festival, Norwegian final, in 1988. Many years of collaboration, improvisation and compositional exchange between the two musicians formed the basis for their debut album, Frode Barth & Harald Johnsen Blue Spheres (MTG Music), 2007. The release received excellent reviews. Blue Spheres can be described as modern jazz, where a melodic idiom is set up against the elements of contemporary music and electronica. Frode Barth, Harald Johnsen and drummer Andreas Bye accounted Barth & Johnson Trio.[7]

Johnsen got an illness that prevented him gradually from playing actively, and he died on 24 July 2011, after a heart attack at the age of 41.[8]

Discography (in selection)

With Trond Bjertnes & Frode Barth
Within Svein Olav Herstad Trio
With Ditlef Eckhoff
Within The Alf Kjellman Project
With Monica Borgen
With Jan Erik Kongshaug
Within "Køhn/Johansen Sextet»
With Einar Iversen & Ditlef Eckhoff
With Silje Nergaard Band
With Tord Gustavsen Trio
With Erik Wesseltoft Quintet
Duo with Frode Barth
With other projects

References

  1. ↑ Hammerø, Tor. "Harald Johnsen Biography". Store Norske Leksikon. Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
  2. 1 2 "Johnsen, Harald Biography" (in Norwegian). Ballade.no. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
  3. ↑ "Biografphy from Store Norske Leksikon". (in Norwegian)
  4. ↑ "Jazzlinja". NTNU.no. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
  5. 1 2 Hammerø, Tor (26 June 2001). "Monica Borgen: Midnight Blue Review" (in Norwegian). Puls.no. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
  6. ↑ "Biography from The Official Tord Gustavsen Trio website".
  7. ↑ "Barth & Johnsen Official website".
  8. ↑ "jazzwisemagazine.com – Jazz breaking news: Internationally Known Norwegian Bassist Harald Johnsen Dies".
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