Knut Værnes (born 1 April 1954) is 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 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 sources.
Accordion
* Kamil Běhounek (1916–1983)
* Luciano Biondini (born 1971)
* A ...
(
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
),
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
and
band leader
A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or ...
, known from several recordings in the
jazz rock
Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...
genre. He grew up at
Bøler
Bøler () is a south-eastern suburb of Oslo, Norway. It is one of the more picturesque areas of Oslo. Østmarka forest and lake Nøklevann are in its immediate vicinity. Infrastructure-wise, it has a shopping cente two elementary schools, a publ ...
in
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
, where he became an accomplished guitarist.
Career
Værnes was born in
Trondheim
Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
. He is a graduate from the University of Oslo and has attended master classes at the
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory in New York City. The school offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition, as well as a bachelor's in mu ...
, and played within
pop and
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
bands like «Salt & Pepper», «Shimmy», and the
fusion band «Vanessa» with the record release ''City Lips'' (1975). Then musical studies in
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
and
Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
brought him on to the Norwegian jazz scene with albums like ''Anatomy of the guitar'' (1979), in collaboration with his guitar teacher
Jon Eberson
Jon Arild Eberson (born 6 January 1953) is a Norwegian jazz guitarist and composer, the son of jazz guitarist Leif Eberson (1925–1970), and the father of keyboardist Marte Maaland Eberson. He was a member of the bands Moose Loose (1973–77), ...
, within
Nils Petter Molvær
Nils Petter Molvær () also known as NPM (born 18 September 1960) is a Norwegian jazz trumpeter, composer, and record producer. He is considered a pioneer of future jazz, a genre that fuses jazz and electronic music, best showcased on his most c ...
's funk band «Punktum» and Håkon Graf's «Graffiti». In the 1980s, he studied with
John Scofield
John Scofield (born December 26, 1951), sometimes referred to as "Sco", is an American guitarist and composer whose music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention in the ...
at the
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory in New York City. The school offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition, as well as a bachelor's in mu ...
.
Værnes led his own Trio and Quartet with co-musicians
Morten Halle
Morten Halle (born 7 October 1957) is a Norwegian jazz musician (saxophone), composer and music arranger. He was born in Oslo, and he is known from the city's jazz scene and from a series recordings. (in Norwegian)
Career
Halle participated in ...
(saxophone),
Edvard Askeland
Edvard Askeland (born 10 December 1954) is a Norwegian jazz bassist, known from a series of album releases in various genres and for being regular in Dag Arnesens lineups in 1970-80, and within Cutting Edge.
Career
Askeland was born in Bergen ...
(bass) and
Frank Jakobsen
Frank Jakobsen (born 28 April 1954) is a Norwegian jazz musician (drums), known from a number of recordings, and central to the jazz scenes in Bergen and Oslo.
Career
Jakobsen was born and raised in Bergen, where he played in local groups li ...
(drums). The Quartet continued as the band
Cutting Edge resulting in four album releases.
In duo with
Terje Gewelt
Terje Gewelt (born 8 June 1960) is a Norwegian jazz musician (Double bass, upright bass).
Career
Gewelt was born in Oslo and raised in Larvik, a small town on the southeastern coast of Norway. He started playing guitar at the age of 10, swit ...
bass was released ''Admission for guitars and basses'' (1992) with their own compositions. ''KVT'' (with
Kim Ofstad
Kim Ofstad (born 25 November 1969) is a Norwegian drummer. He is best known from collaborations in the pop/soul band D'Sound where he was a member from its inception in 1993 to 2010 and his work with the production team Element.
Career
Ofstad ...
drums and
Frode Berg
Frode Berg (born 24 October 1971) is a Norwegian bassist known from the scenes of classical and contemporary music, jazz, pop and rock. As a jazz musician, he is known primarily for his performances with Helge Lien Trio, with Knut Aalefjær as t ...
bass) released ''Jacques Tati'' (1995), and with
Danny Gottlieb
Daniel Richard Gottlieb (born April 18, 1953) is an American drummer. He was a founding member of the Pat Metheny Group and was co-founder of Elements with Mark Egan.
Biography
Gottlieb was born in New York City on April 18, 1953. He took lesso ...
, drummer of
Pat Metheny Group
The Pat Metheny Group was an American jazz band founded in 1977. The core members of the group were guitarist, composer and bandleader Pat Metheny; and keyboardist and composer Lyle Mays, who was in the group at its inception. Other long-standing ...
as substitute for Ofstad, ''«8:97»'' (1997) as well as ''Super Duper'' (1999).
Knut Værnes Band (Morten Halle,
Nils Petter Molvær
Nils Petter Molvær () also known as NPM (born 18 September 1960) is a Norwegian jazz trumpeter, composer, and record producer. He is considered a pioneer of future jazz, a genre that fuses jazz and electronic music, best showcased on his most c ...
, Rune Arnesen og Gewelt) released ''Roneo'' (1993).
The guitar quartet composed of
Knut Reiersrud
Knut Reiersrud (born 12 February 1961) is a Norwegian blues guitarist. His work also incorporates elements of Norwegian traditional music and African music. Reiersrud has recorded and played with David Lindley, the Blind Boys Of Alabama, Rickie ...
,
Bjørn Klakegg
Bjørn Klakegg (born 30 January 1958 in Skien, Norway) is a Norwegians, Norwegian jazz musician (guitar) and composer, known from a number of recordings and cooperations with the likes of Nils Petter Molvær, Sverre Gjørvad, Ernst-Wiggo Sandbakk ...
and
Frode Alnæs
Frode Alnæs (born 3 March 1959) is a Norwegian jazz guitarist and composer, known from cooperation with international artists like Morten Harket, Magne Furuholmen, Arild Andersen, Jon Balke, Ole Edvard Antonsen, Ketil Bjørnstad, Henning Sommer ...
released «4G» (2000).
Værnes has participated on numerous recordings in different genres, including
Geirr Lystrup
Geirr Lystrup (born 22 March 1949) is a Norwegian singer, poet, playwright and children's writer. He was born in Vinje. His debut album was ''Ti på taket og Måltrostblues'' from 1972. His album ''Songen om kjærligheta'' from 1981 (a cooperation ...
's ''Songen om kjærleika'' (1980), ''Etterlatte sanger'' (1986)together with
Sidsel Endresen
Sidsel Endresen (born 19 June 1952) is a Norwegian singer, composer, and actress. She was part of the Jon Eberson group. Since 1987, Endresen has pursued a successful solo career, recording for ECM.
Career
Endresen was one of the most prono ...
and
Jonas Fjeld
Jonas Fjeld (born Terje Lillegård Jensen; 24 September 1952) is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known in the English-speaking world for two albums recorded by Danko/Fjeld/Andersen, a collaboration with Canadian Rick ...
,
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 ...
's (''E.G.G.U.M.'' (1995) and ''Stilig'' (1986), and ''Gym'' (1997) with
Di Derre
Di Derre is a Norwegian Pop rock band, founded in 1992. They were awarded the Gammleng-prisen in 1996.
Band members
*Jo Nesbø – vocals, guitar
*Espen Stenhammer – drums
*Magnus Larsen jr. – bass guitar, vocals
*Halvor Holter – keyboard ...
.
In 2001 he was awarded
Gammleng-prisen
The Gammleng Award ( no, Gammleng-prisen) is a Norwegian culture award created by ''The Fund for Performing Artists'' in 1982, 25 years after the fund was established in 1957. The award's official name is the ''Rolf Gammleng award to performing art ...
in the category jazz. His latest release is ''A night in the cassis'' (2004), where his music is arranged for the
Vertavo String Quartet
Vertavo String Quartet is a Norwegian group founded in Hamar in 1984. The four women forming the quartet are Øyvor Volle, Annabelle Meare, Berit Cardas, and Bjørg Lewis. They appeared on the album ''A Portrait of Jon Larsen
''A Portrait of Jon ...
. Værnes trio played at the ''Trondheim Jazz Festival'' 2006, and recently he has cooperated with the Swedish double bassist
Lars Danielsson
Lars Danielsson (born 5 September 1958) is a Swedish jazz bassist, composer, and record producer.
Biography
Danielsson was born in Smålandsstenar, and was educated at the Conservatory of music, music conservatory in Gothenburg. He plays doub ...
.
Værnes is co-owner of the music companies
Curling Legs
__NOTOC__
Curling Legs Productions A/S (established 1992 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian record label with a catalogue encompassing all styles of jazz and improvised music. It was started by Knut Værnes and Morten Halle to release their own mus ...
(1986- ) and Musikkoperatørene, members of FONO (the association for Norwegian independent record labels), sat as chairman of the Association of Norwegian Jazz Musicians for a period, and was chairman of the Committee for
Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen, often referred to as the Norwegian Grammy Awards in English, is a Norwegian music award presented to Norwegian musicians. The award was established by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), an organizati ...
. He also teaches at the
Nordic Institute for Stage and Studio.
Honors
*
Gammleng-prisen
The Gammleng Award ( no, Gammleng-prisen) is a Norwegian culture award created by ''The Fund for Performing Artists'' in 1982, 25 years after the fund was established in 1957. The award's official name is the ''Rolf Gammleng award to performing art ...
2001 in the category jazz
Discography
Solo albums
;Within ''Knut Værnes Band''
*1993: ''Roneo'' (
Curling Legs
__NOTOC__
Curling Legs Productions A/S (established 1992 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian record label with a catalogue encompassing all styles of jazz and improvised music. It was started by Knut Værnes and Morten Halle to release their own mus ...
)
*2013: ''Tributes'' (Curling Legs)
;Within ''Knut Værnes Trio''
;Including
Kim Ofstad
Kim Ofstad (born 25 November 1969) is a Norwegian drummer. He is best known from collaborations in the pop/soul band D'Sound where he was a member from its inception in 1993 to 2010 and his work with the production team Element.
Career
Ofstad ...
(drums) and
Frode Berg
Frode Berg (born 24 October 1971) is a Norwegian bassist known from the scenes of classical and contemporary music, jazz, pop and rock. As a jazz musician, he is known primarily for his performances with Helge Lien Trio, with Knut Aalefjær as t ...
(bass)
*1995: ''Jacques Tati'' (Curling Legs)
;Including
Danny Gottlieb
Daniel Richard Gottlieb (born April 18, 1953) is an American drummer. He was a founding member of the Pat Metheny Group and was co-founder of Elements with Mark Egan.
Biography
Gottlieb was born in New York City on April 18, 1953. He took lesso ...
(drums) and
Frode Berg
Frode Berg (born 24 October 1971) is a Norwegian bassist known from the scenes of classical and contemporary music, jazz, pop and rock. As a jazz musician, he is known primarily for his performances with Helge Lien Trio, with Knut Aalefjær as t ...
(bass)
*1997: ''«8:97»'' (Curling Legs)
*1999: ''Super Duper'' (Curling Legs)
Collaborative works
;Within ''Vanessa''
*1975: ''City lips''
;With
Jon Eberson
Jon Arild Eberson (born 6 January 1953) is a Norwegian jazz guitarist and composer, the son of jazz guitarist Leif Eberson (1925–1970), and the father of keyboardist Marte Maaland Eberson. He was a member of the bands Moose Loose (1973–77), ...
*1979: ''Anatomy of the guitar''
;Within ''Cutting Edge''
*1982: ''Cutting Edge''
*1983: ''Our man in paradise''
*1986: ''Duesenberg''
;Duo with
Terje Gewelt
Terje Gewelt (born 8 June 1960) is a Norwegian jazz musician (Double bass, upright bass).
Career
Gewelt was born in Oslo and raised in Larvik, a small town on the southeastern coast of Norway. He started playing guitar at the age of 10, swit ...
*1992: ''Admission For Guitars And Basses'' (Curling Legs)
;With other projects
*2000: ''4G'', with Frode Alnæs, Knut Reiersrud and Bjørn Klakegg
*1980: ''Songen om kjærleika'', with
Geirr Lystrup
Geirr Lystrup (born 22 March 1949) is a Norwegian singer, poet, playwright and children's writer. He was born in Vinje. His debut album was ''Ti på taket og Måltrostblues'' from 1972. His album ''Songen om kjærligheta'' from 1981 (a cooperation ...
*1986: ''Etterlatte sanger'', with
Sidsel Endresen
Sidsel Endresen (born 19 June 1952) is a Norwegian singer, composer, and actress. She was part of the Jon Eberson group. Since 1987, Endresen has pursued a successful solo career, recording for ECM.
Career
Endresen was one of the most prono ...
and
Jonas Fjeld
Jonas Fjeld (born Terje Lillegård Jensen; 24 September 1952) is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known in the English-speaking world for two albums recorded by Danko/Fjeld/Andersen, a collaboration with Canadian Rick ...
*1986: ''Stilig'' (Single), 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 ...
*1985: ''E.G.G.U.M.'', 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 ...
*1997: ''Gym'', with
Di Derre
Di Derre is a Norwegian Pop rock band, founded in 1992. They were awarded the Gammleng-prisen in 1996.
Band members
*Jo Nesbø – vocals, guitar
*Espen Stenhammer – drums
*Magnus Larsen jr. – bass guitar, vocals
*Halvor Holter – keyboard ...
*2004: ''A night in Cassis'' (Curling Legs), with the
Vertavo String Quartet
Vertavo String Quartet is a Norwegian group founded in Hamar in 1984. The four women forming the quartet are Øyvor Volle, Annabelle Meare, Berit Cardas, and Bjørg Lewis. They appeared on the album ''A Portrait of Jon Larsen
''A Portrait of Jon ...
References
External links
Knut Værnes Biography - Store Norske LeksikonKnut Værnes official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vaernes, Knut
Living people
1954 births
Musicians from Trondheim
Norwegian jazz guitarists
Jazz-pop guitarists
Norwegian jazz composers
Curling Legs artists
Cutting Edge (band) members