Danish jazz dates back to 1923 when

Valdemar Eiberg Valdemar Eiberg (August 23, 1892 – July 4, 1965) was a Danish jazz musician. Eiberg formed what is thought to be the first Danish jazz orchestra in 1923, and in 1924, his ensemble recorded the earliest known examples of Danish jazz, "I've Got a C ...

formed a jazz orchestra and recorded what are thought to be the first Danish jazz records in August 1924 ("

I've Got a Cross-Eyed Papa I've Sound, or simply called , is a Japanese techno/trance music production group based in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. Led by Kazuya Takase, it features the talents of seasoned "sound creators" and many different vocalists, known as to their fa ...

" and "In Bluebird Land"). However, jazz in Denmark is typically first dated to 1925, when bandleader Sam Wooding toured in Copenhagen with an orchestra. This was the first time most Danes had heard jazz music. Some prominent early Danish jazz musicians include Erik Tuxen who formed a jazz band and was later named

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Music * Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra. * ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas * Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...

of the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra;

Bernhard Christensen Bernhard Christensen (Copenhagen, 9 March 1906 – 20 March 2004) was a Danish composer and organist. He studied music at University of Copenhagen from 1926. In 1929 he graduated and was organist until 1945 at Christiansborg Palace Church. ...

, an art music composer who incorporated jazz elements into his pieces, and Sven Møller Kristensen, who was the lyricist for many of Bernhard Christensen's pieces and who wrote a book on jazz theory in Danish.

History

In the 1930s, jazz became quite popular in Denmark; major figures of the period include pianist Leo Mathisen, violinist Svend Asmussen, trombonist Peter Rasmussen, saxophonist

Kai Ewans Kai Peter Anthon Ewans (né Nielsen; April 10, 1906 – April 4, 1988) was a Danish-American jazz reedist. Ewans was born in Hørsholm, Denmark. He played initially as a banjoist, but switched to saxophone in 1923 when he formed the Blues Jazz Band ...

, bassist Niels Foss, and pianist/vibraphonist

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 ...

. Many of these musicians played in Valdemar Eiberg's band. Jazz went underground in 1940 as a result of the Nazi occupation of Denmark when jazz was discouraged by the regime. Nevertheless, it continued to be performed and recorded, even more so as Danish musicians began to fill the void created by the lack of foreign players touring through the area. Musicians such as Eiberg, Bonfils and Asmussen (who played in a band together), along with

Uffe Baadh Uffe Baadh (a.k.a. Frank Bode) (b. August 7, 1923 Aarhus, Denmark - d. November 22, 1980 Brisbane, California) was a Danish jazz musician who emigrated to the United States in 1947 to play drums in the big bands of Harry James, Tommy Dorsey, and C ...

, Bruno Henriksen and

Bertel Skjoldborg Bertel is a Scandinavian male given name. Notable people named Bertel include: * Bertel Backman (1906–1981), Finnish speed skater who competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics *Bertel Dahlgaard (1887–1972), Danish politician, member of Folketinget f ...

continued to make jazz music as a form of political protest. Many singers, such as Freddy Albeck,

Ingelise Rune Ingelise is a feminine given name. Notable people with the given name include: *Ingelise Driehuis Ingelise Driehuis (born 17 September 1967) is a former professional tennis player from the Netherlands. Biography Driehuis played collegiate tenn ...

, and Raquel Rastenni, found it necessary to escape to

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

in the later years of the occupation. Following World War II, Danish jazz musicians began to split into an older guard, which maintained the style of traditional New Orleans jazz, and newer musicians who favored the bebop style of Charlie Parker and

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

that was emerging in

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The former were represented by musicians such as pianist

Adrian Bentzon Adrian is a form of the Latin given name Adrianus or Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria from the Venetic and Illyrian word ''adur'', meaning "sea" or "water". The Adria was until the 8th century BC the m ...

, trombonist Papa Bue, and trumpeter

Theis Jensen Theis may refer to: People * Daniel Theis (born 1992), German basketball player * Phil Theis, American professional wrestler * Frank Gordon Theis, American federal judge * Louis Fred Theis or Louis Fred Pfeifer, American Medal of Honor recipient ...

, while the latter included saxophonist

Max Brüel Max Brüel (14 July 1927 - 31 March 1995) was a Danish architect and jazz musician This is a list of jazz musicians by instrument based on existing articles on Wikipedia. Do not enter names that lack articles. Do not enter names that lack ...

, bassist

Erik Moseholm Erik Moseholm (13 May 1930 – 12 October 2012) was a Danish jazz bassist, composer, bandleader and music administrator. He was the leader of the DR Big Band from 1961 to 1966 and the principal of the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen from ...

, drummer

and trumpeter

Jørgen Ryg Jørgen Ryg (11 August 1927 – 28 August 1981) was a Danish comedian, jazz musician (trumpet) and actor. Best known for his comical monologues on stage, he also appeared in 37 films between 1954 and 1978. He won the Bodil Award for Best Actor i ...

. In the early 1960s, a club called the Jazzhus Montmartre opened in Copenhagen, which was intended to recreate the atmosphere of jazz clubs in Paris and New York City. It became a major venue for both Danish and American jazz musicians. Many American jazz players moved to Copenhagen from the 1950s when

Stan Getz Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of ...

and Oscar Pettiford moved there. They were followed by Dexter Gordon, Kenny Drew, and Ben Webster in the 1960s, and Duke Jordan,

Horace Parlan Horace Parlan (January 19, 1931 – February 23, 2017) was an American pianist and composer known for working in the hard bop and post-bop styles of jazz. In addition to his work as a bandleader Parlan was known for his contributions to the Char ...

, Ed Thigpen,

Bob Rockwell Bob Rockwell (born May 1945 in Miami, Oklahoma) is a jazz saxophonist. He was born in the U.S. but emigrated to Denmark in 1983. Biography Rockwell was raised in Minneapolis, and in his early career he toured the U.S. in rock and rhythm and ...

, and Thad Jones (who became the leader of the

DR Big Band The Danish Radio Big Band (aka: DR Big Band), often referred to as the Radioens Big Band is a radio ensemble and big band founded in Copenhagen in 1964 at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). Band history Originally called the New Radio ...

in 1977) in subsequent decades. Kenny Drew formed a trio with Alex Riel and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen which became a staple at Jazzhus Montmartre. palle-mikkelborg02

In the 1960s, Danish musicians began to explore free jazz with saxophonist John Tchicai as the most prominent proponent. In parallel, a more mainstream wing evolved, including saxophonist Jesper Thilo. As rock music became more popular in the 1970s, jazz's popularity waned, but it continues to be supported in venues such as the

Copenhagen Jazzhouse Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

and the annual Copenhagen Jazz Festival. The organization JazzDanmark,JazzDanmark
jazzdanmark.dk. Accessed May 1, 2012. funded by the Danish government, works to promote jazz in Denmark and Danish jazz abroad.

Musicians

Danish jazz musicians

* Thomas Agergaard, saxophonist * Jacob Anderskov, pianist, composer, bandleader * Svend Asmussen, violinist *

Søren Bebe Søren (, ) or Sören (, ) is a Scandinavian given name that is sometimes Anglicized as Soren. The name is derived from that of the 4th-century Christian saint Severin of Cologne,Portal Rheinische Geschichte"Severin (circa 330-400), Heiliger und B ...

, pianist * Nikolaj Benson * Thomas Blachman, drummer and composer *

Jesper Bodilsen Jesper Bodilsen (born 5 January 1970) is a Danish jazz double bassist. Biography Bodilsen was born in Haslev, Denmark. He was a student of Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. Since the end of the 1990s he worked regularly with Ed Thigpen, with whom ...

bassist * Jakob Bro, guitarist * Jakob Høyer, drummer * Papa Bue, trombonist and bandleader *

Christina von Bülow Christina von Bülow (born 1962) is a jazz musician from Denmark who plays saxophone and flute. The daughter of jazz guitarist Fritz von Bülow, she studied at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, graduating in 1990. Von Bülow took pr ...

, saxophonist * Anders Christensen bassist * Thomas Clausen, pianist *

Carsten Dahl Carsten Dahl is a Danish pianist. References External links Official site {{DEFAULTSORT:Dahl, Carsten 1967 births Living people Danish jazz pianists Hard bop pianists Musicians from Copenhagen Danish jazz composers 21st-century pi ...

, pianist * Christina Dahl, saxophonist * Nils Bo Davidsen, bassist * Jakob Dinesen, saxophonist * Chris Minh Doky, bassist * Niels Lan Doky, pianist *

Pierre Dørge Pierre Dørge (born 28 February 1946) is a Danish avant-garde jazz guitarist. As leader of the New Jungle Orchestra, he combined traditional and modern jazz with West African Highlife guitar music. Among his collaborators have been his wife, pian ...

, guitarist, bandleader and composer * Jørgen Emborg, pianist and composer *

Mikkel Ploug Mikkel is a Danish and Norwegian masculine given name. It may refer to: *Mikkel Ødelien (1893–1984), Norwegian soil researcher *Mikkel Aaland (born 1952), award-winning American photographer *Mikkel Andersen (disambiguation) *Mikkel Bødker (bo ...

, guitarist * Jacob Fischer, guitarist * Lennart Ginman, bassist and composer *

Ib Glindemann Ib Niels Carl Glindemann Nielsen (September 27, 1934 – April 5, 2019) was a Danish jazz musician and the leader of the Ib Glindemann Orchestra (a big band modeled after the Stan Kenton Orchestra). Saxophonist Stan Getz frequently appeared with ...

, bandleader * Lasse Gustavsen, saxophonist * Ole Kock Hansen, pianist * Bent Jædig, saxophonist * Jan Kaspersen, pianist, bandleader * Benjamin Koppel, saxophonist * Søren Kjærgaard, pianist, composer, bandleader * Morten Lund, drummer * Jesper Lundgaard bassist *

Fredrik Lundin Fredrik Lundin (born 7 April 1963) is a Danish jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader. Having founded his first jazz quartet in 1981, he has become one of the most expressive saxophonists in Danish jazz and also one of the most prolific ones. L ...

, saxophonist * Marilyn Mazur, percussionist * Leo Mathisen, pianist * Palle Mikkelborg, trumpeter and composer *

, bassist, bandleader and composer *

Nicolai Munch-Hansen Nicolai Munch-Hansen (11 May 1977 – 20 February 2017) was a Danisch Jazz and Rock musician (Upright bass, Guitar bass, composer). Biography From the 1990s Much-Hansen played on the Danish rock and jazz scene among others with ...

, bassist *

Lars Møller Lars is a common male name in Scandinavian countries. Origin ''Lars'' means "from the city of Laurentum". Lars is derived from the Latin name Laurentius, which means "from Laurentum" or "crowned with laurel". A homonymous Etruscan name was borne ...

, saxophonist *

Cæcilie Norby Cæcilie Norby (born 9 September 1964) is a Danish jazz and rock singer. She was born in Frederiksberg, Denmark, into a musical family. Her father, Erik Norby, is classical composer and her mother, Solveig Lumholt, is an opera singer. She was a ...

, vocalist * Kresten Osgood, drummer * Thomas Ovesen *

Stefan Pasborg Stefan Pasborg (born 6 December 1974) is a Danish drummer, composer, and bandleader, and the founding member of ''ILK MUSIC'', a Danish record label. Biography Pasborg began playing the drums the age of three when received a drum set as a gift fr ...

, drummer * Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, bassist *

Hugo Rasmussen Hugo Rasmussen (22 March 1941 – 30 August 2015) was a Danish bassist. Rasmussen is best known for his album ''Sweets to the Sweet'' (1978). ''Sweets To the Sweet'' was re-released in 2001 on Danish label Music Mecca. Biography He worked with, ...

, bassist *

Simon Spang-Hanssen Simon may refer to: People * Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon * Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon * Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genu ...

, saxophonist * Ole Sterndorff, banjoista * Niels Jørgen Steen, pianist, bandleader and composer * Bo Stief bassist * John Tchicai, saxophonist * Jesper Thilo, saxophonist *

Simon Toldam Simon may refer to: People * Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon * Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon * Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...

, pianist, composer, bandleader *

Kasper Tranberg Kasper may refer to: * Kasper (surname), a list of people with the surname * Kasper (given name), a list of people with the given name * Käsper (surname), an Estonian surname * Kasper (singer), Korean rapper * Kasperle or Kasper, a traditional pup ...

, trompetist *

Hans Ulrik Hans Ulrik (born 28 September 1965) is a Danish jazz saxophonist and composer who has recorded with Gary Peacock, Adam Nussbaum, Niels Lan Doky, Audun Kleive, Marilyn Mazur, John Scofield, and Steve Swallow. Career Ulrik studied jazz sax ...

, saxophonist * Mads Vinding, bassist * Jonas Westergaard, bassist *

Jens Winther Jens Winther (29 October 1960 – 24 February 2011) was a Danish jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger and bandleader. He composed for and played in a long line of European big bands and other orchestras. His work includes compositions for symphon ...

, trompetist, composer, bandleader *

Jesper Zeuthen Jesper is a given name commonly believed to be of ancient Persian origin, meaning "Treasurer". Some notable people with the name Jesper include: Music * Jesper Koch (born 1967), Danish composer * Jesper Kyd (born 1972), Danish video game and fil ...

, saxophonist *

Katrine Madsen Katrine Madsen (born 7 March 1972 in Aarhus, Denmark) is a Danish jazz singer. Biography Madsen studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and has worked in Copenhagen on albums with transplanted American jazz artists Ed Thigpen and Richard ...

, vocalist

Bands

* Klüvers Big Band *

Papa Bue's Viking Jazz Band Papa is a word used in many languages as an affectionate term for father. Papa or PAPA may refer to: Geography and geology *Pápa, a town in Hungary *Papa village (Samoa), on the island of Savai'i *Papa, Scotland, various islands *Papa rock, ...

* Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band *

StoRMChaser Storm chasing is broadly defined as the deliberate pursuit of any severe weather phenomenon, regardless of motive, but most commonly for curiosity, adventure, scientific investigation, or for news or media coverage. A person who chases storm ...

* Mames Babegenush

American expatriates

, saxophone (1958 – 1961) * Oscar Pettiford, double bass, cello (1958 – to his death in 1960) * Kenny Drew, piano (1961 – his death in 1993) * Dexter Gordon, saxophone (1962 – 1976) * Ben Webster, saxophone (1964 – his death in 1973) * Stuff Smith, violin (1965 – his death in 1967) *

Richard B. Boone Richard Bently Boone (February 24, 1930 – February 8, 1999) was an American jazz trombonist and scat singer. Career Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Boone sang in a Baptist church choir as a boy, then began playing the trombone at the age of tw ...

, trombone (1970 – his death in 1999) *

, piano (1972 – his death 2017) * Ed Thigpen, drums (1974 – his death in 2010) * Thad Jones, trumpet (1978 – 1984) * Duke Jordan, piano (1978 – his death in 2006) * Ernie Wilkins, saxophone (1979 – his death in 1999) *

, saxophone (1983 – present) * Bobby Ricketts, saxophone (1981 – present) * Doug Raney, guitar (1977 – his death in 2016)

Venues

* Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen &ndash
Official website

Copenhagen JazzHouse

Paradise Jazz
14 Magstræde, Copenhagen – Danish Jazz Venue of the Year 2010
La Fontaine
Copenhagen * Atlas, Aarhus &ndash
Official website

Literature

* Olav Harsløf, ''et.al.'': ''"Jazz i Danmark - 1950-2010"'' Politikens Forlag (2006). * Christopher Washburne: '
Jazz Re‐Bordered: Cultural Policy in Danish Jazz
'' in Jazz Perspectives (Volume 4, Issue 2, p. 121-155, 2010)

References

External links

* Jakob Bækgaard :
Contemporary Jazz in Denmark: Different Sounds, Different Scenes
' All about Jazz (6 January 6, 2009). retrieved 5 August 2014. A review of the jazz scene in Denmark.
JazzDanmark
{{DEFAULTSORT:Danish Jazz