Harald Andreas Halvorsen (born 20 June 1949 in

Haugesund Haugesund () is a municipality on the North Sea in Rogaland county, Norway. While the population is greater in the neighboring Karmøy municipality, the main commercial and economic centre of the Haugaland region in northern Rogaland and southern ...

, Norway) is a Norwegian musician (trombonist), known from bands like Egil Monn Iversen's Big Band, The Gambian-Norwegian Friendship Orchestra, Jens Wendelboe Big Band, The Norwegian Radio Big Band and The Rainbow Band.

Career

Halvorsen was raised in Haugesund, where he led his own big band in 1970'es, before he moved to Bergen to attend studies at the Bergen Musikkonservatorium (1978). In Bergen he had a quintet with saxophonist Øystein Søbstad (1971–73). They participated in Norwegian Jazz Association anniversary concerts 1973. He was also a member of the ensemble Lyderhorn (from 1972), led The Bergen Ballade Orkester (1973–74), which had its festival debut

Kongsberg Jazzfestival Kongsberg Jazz Festival or Kongsberg Jazzfestival is an international jazz festival that has been held annually in Kongsberg, Norway, since 1964. Artists Several worldwide great artists have visited Kongsberg during this festival; internation ...

1974. He led his own quartet from 1974, besides participation in the band Octopus (until 1976),

Bergen Big Band Bergen Big Band (BBB) is a Norwegian big band established 1991 as a continuation of Knut Kristiansen's Bergen Band. BBB is known from cooperations with musicians like Phil Woods, Paquito D'Rivera, Joe Henderson, Maria Schneider, Diana Krall, Si ...

, Dag Arnesen Septet among others. Halvorsen translocated to Oslo in 1978, for employment in Forsvarets Stabsmusikk. As jazz musician he continued within bands like Østereng/Hurums Radiostorband (1978–90) with album releases in 1986 and 1987, Geir Hauger Sextet (1979–81) and Vestlandssekstetten (1980–81). In addition he collaborated with bands like

Søyr Søyr (established 1976 in Trondheim, Norway) is a Norwegian musical group, led from the start of trumpeter Torgrim Sollid. Biography Søyr was initially inspired by folk music from Stor-Elvdal (among others Ole Mørk Sandvik) and released the ...

(Molde 1979),

Erling Aksdal Erling Aksdal Jr. (born 18 February 1953 in Molde, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz pianist and composer, known from playing with the likes of Warne Marsh, Chet Baker, Herb Pomeroy, Bob Mover, Mick Goodrick, Ralph Moore, Lee Konitz, John Pål Inderber ...

(1980), Per Husby (1984), Monk Memorial (Kongsberg Jazzfestival 1987) dan Hansen/Gundhus Big Band (1988). He participated on recordings with The Gambian-Norwegian Friendship Orchestra (1982), Jens Wendelboe Big Band (1983), Kjell Karlsen Big Band (one recorded in 1984 and one released in 2001) and Jens Wendelboe Big Crazy Energy Band (1991–92). From 1990 Halvorsen was simultaneously active in three smaller bands, "Bone Brothers" with

Frode Thingnæs Frode Thingnæs (20 March 1940 – 15 November 2012) was a Norwegian jazz composer, arranger, conductor and trombone player who formed the Frode Thingnæs Quintet in 1960. Career Thingnæs was introduced to music at eight years old, when he sta ...

, the octet Cool-In-West (1990–92), as well as a band holding his own name. In larger format, he participated on the album ''A tribute to Frank Sinatra'' with Bjørn Jørgensen Big Band (released 2006), ''Live at Lancelot'' with Storeslem and ''Takin' Off'' with Per Borthen Swing Dept, the last two recorded in 2007. In 2006–07 he collaborated with John Surman's Rainbow Band (''Sessions'' released in 2011).

Discography

;With

Jan Eggum Jan Eggum (born 8 December 1951) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter. He has been characterized as a "face for the melancholy", and the themes in his songs are often broken hearts, loneliness, and sorrow. Sometimes his lyrics include social critici ...

*1977: ''Heksedans'' (

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

) ;With

Laila Dalseth Laila Dalseth (born 6 November 1940) is a Norwegian jazz singer. She was formerly married to the jazz saxophonist Theodor "Totti" Bergh (1935–2012). Career After an early debut in her hometown of Bergen, Dalseth was active on the Oslo jazz ...

*1978: ''Glad There Is You'' (Talent Records) ;With

Pål Thowsen Pål Thowsen (born 15 July 1955) is a Norwegian jazz drummer. He has released several solo albums and received two Spellemannprisen awards. Career Thowsen was born in Lillestrøm, and started his career in the early 1970s as a musician in Ari ...

*1981: ''Carnival'' (NorDisc) ;With The Gambian-Norwegian Friendship Orchestra *1983: ''Friendship'' (

Odin Records Odin Records is a Norwegians, Norwegian jazz record company and label founded in 1981 by the Norwegian Jazz Federation, when there were not many independent record labels in Norway. Only major international record companies were to be found in O ...

) ;With

Jens Wendelboe Jens Wendelboe (born 28 February 1956 in Copenhagen, Denmark and raised in Oslo, Norway), is a Norwegian trombonist, composer, music arranger and orchestra leader, known from collaborations with artists like Slide Hampton, Phil Woods, Bill Watro ...

*1983: Lone Attic'' (NOPA Records), within Jens Wendelboe Big Band *1994: ''Big Crazy Energy Band, Vol. 2'' (NOPA Records) ;With Sylfest Strutle *1985: ''Live at Gildevangen'' (

Camp Records Camp Records was a record label based in California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. ...

) ;With The Norwegian Radio Big Band *1986: ''The Norwegian Radio Big Band Meets Bob Florence'' (Odin Records) ;With

Sigvart Dagsland Sigvart Dagsland (born 18 October 1963) is a Norwegian singer, pianist, and composer. Career Dagsland writes and performs in various genres, his more recent albums being pop-rock. He has recorded 18 albums and performs 30–50 concerts every y ...

*1987: ''De Umulige'' ( Kirkelig Kulturverksted) ;With Odd Riisnæs Project *1996: ''Your Ship'' (

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 ...

) ;With Bjørn Johansen *2001: ''Portrait of a Norwegian Jazz Artist'' (Gemini Records), Ppresented by the Oslo Jazz Circle ;With The Rainbow Band, directed by

John Surman John Douglas Surman (born 30 August 1944) is an English jazz saxophone, bass clarinet, and synthesizer player, and composer of free jazz and modal jazz, often using themes from folk music. He has composed and performed music for dance performanc ...

*2011: ''The Rainbow Band Sessions'' (Losen Records)

References

External links

Biography at Jazzbasen

Discography at Jazzbasen
{{DEFAULTSORT:Halvorsen, Harald 20th-century Norwegian trombonists 21st-century Norwegian trombonists Norwegian jazz trombonists Male trombonists Norwegian jazz composers Musicians from Haugesund 1949 births Living people 21st-century trombonists Male jazz composers 20th-century Norwegian male musicians 21st-century Norwegian male musicians