Cecil Aagaard (September 18, 1916 – December 19, 1984) was a
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
*Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
*Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including the ...
jazz vocalist and band leader dubbed "The biggest thing in swing" in Scandinavia's jazz milieu. He was active in Norway's swing movement (referred to as ''kløverjazz'').
Career
After singing with his idol, the Oslo and Kaba Bar guest
Fats Waller
Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, violinist, singer, and comedic entertainer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz pi ...
in 1938, he led his own band called Cecil Aagaard & His Swingsters (1939–1940),
which consisted of
Fred Lange-Nielsen on bass,
Finn Westbye on guitar and saxophone, Ernst Aas on piano, and Per Gregersen on bass. Aagaard played extensively with Scandinavia's leading musicians, such as the Danish musicians
Kjeld Bonfils Kjeld Bonfils (August 23, 1918 in Copenhagen – October 13, 1984) was a Danish jazz pianist and vibraphone player.
Bonfils was one of the figures involved in the "Golden Age" of Danish jazz in the 1930s. During the Nazi occupation of Denmark from ...
on vibraphone and
Leo Mathisen
Leo "The Lion" Mathisen (10 October 1906 – 16 December 1969) was a Danish jazz pianist, composer, arranger, singer and bandleader. He was a leading figure of the thriving Danish scene during the years around World War II—a period which ...
on piano, as well as the Swedish musicians
Gösta Törner
Gösta Törner (19 July 1895 – 15 February 1971) was a Swedish gymnast
Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The mov ...
on trumpet, Thore Jederby on bass, and
Arne Hülpher on piano.
After the Second World War, he toured Europe with musicians including
Rowland Greenberg
Rowland Charles Wentworth Greenberg (28 August 1920 in Oslo – 2 April 1994) was a Norwegian jazz musician (trumpet), seen by many as one of the foremost names in Norwegian jazz in the 1940s and 1950s.
Career
With a style inspired by the Engl ...
and Arne Astrup.
From 1961 onward, Aagaard devoted his work to the photography business. One of his last contributions to jazz was his vocal performances with the
Big Chief Jazzband (1961). His musical work can be heard on the release ''Portrait of a Norwegian Jazz Artist'' (
Gemini Records
Gemini Records (initiated 1984 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian record label founded and run by Bjørn Petersen (b. 1939).
Background
The primary goal of Gemini Records was to release albums by saxophonist Bjarne Nerem. Gradually this aim broade ...
, 2005), as well as ''Jazz in Norway'', vols. 1 and 2, published by the
Norwegian Jazz Archive (2001).
Filmography
*1941: ''
Ti gutter og en gjente
''Ti gutter og en gjente'' (Ten Boys and a Girl) is a Norwegian children's film from 1944 directed by Alexey Zaitzow.
Plot
The film is about ten boys that try to help a street musician collect money for an accordion. The film is considered one o ...
'' as a firefighter
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aagaard, Cecil
1916 births
1984 deaths
Musicians from Larvik
Norwegian jazz singers