Morten Halle (born 7 October 1957) is a Norwegian

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 ...

(

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

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

music arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...

. He was born 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 he is known from the city's jazz scene and from a series recordings. (in Norwegian)

Career

Halle participated in various small bands at the Oslo Jazz scene in the late 1970s, when he studied music at the

University of Oslo The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...

1981–86, he was with the band Cutting Edge, and from 1987 in a quartet with

John Eberson John Adolph Emil Eberson (January 2, 1875 – March 5, 1954) was an Austrian-American architect best known for the development and promotion of movie palace designs in the atmospheric theatre style. He designed over 500 theatres in his lifetime, e ...

(guitar),

Bjørn Kjellemyr Bjørn Kjellemyr (born 4 December 1950 in Bamble, Norway) is a jazz double bassist, known from a variety of musical contexts like Terje Rypdal & The Chasers, Joe Henderson, Bob Berg, Chet Baker, Art Farmer, Pat Metheny, Mike Stern, Dag Arnesen, K ...

(bass), and

Finn Sletten Finn Sletten (born 11 August 1952) is a Norwegian jazz musician (drums and percussions). Career Sletten was born in Bodø. After a study tour to Arizona (1968–70), he played in his home town with such musicians as Paul Weeden Band at Fes ...

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 ...

(drums). He has also played with the big band

Oslo 13 1300 Oslo (active from 1979 in Oslo, Norway) was a Norwegian jazz band originally called Oslo 13 (1979–93), founded and operated the first two years by Bror Hagemann and continuated by Jon Balke. In 1994 the band got a joint leadership with Tr ...

, with Knut Værnes Band,

Jon Balke Jon Georg Balke (born 7 June 1955) is a Norwegian jazz pianist who leads the Magnetic North Orchestra. He is the younger brother of saxophonist Erik Balke. Career Balke started playing classical piano but switched to blues at 12, though he pe ...

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 th ...

, Chipahua and Geir Holmsen Band. He has been in the lineups of

Jazzpunkensemblet Jazzpunkensemblet (established 1983 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz ensemble orchestra led by the famous musicians Jon Eberson on guitar and Nils Petter Molvær on trumpet, and known for a clean style duel between two rhythm sections, and the ...

Desafinado "Desafinado" (a Portuguese word, usually rendered into English as "Out of Tune", or as "Off Key") is a 1959 bossa nova song and jazz standard composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim with lyrics (in Portuguese) by Newton Mendonça. Background "Desafina ...

, Horns for Hire with Torbjørn Sunde and Jens Petter Antonsen,

Magnetic North Orchestra Magnetic North Orchestra established in Oslo, Norway (1992–2005) was a Norwegian jazz orchestra, created and led by Jon Balke. MNO was originally a jazz ensemble inspired by Oslo 13, put together with strings and percussion. As Olympic musica ...

Geir Lysne Listening Ensemble Geir Lysne Listening Ensemble is a 20-piece big band led by Geir Lysne established in 1999. The band has gained international fame, especially in Germany for the performances of Lysnes compositions. The music is in the genre jazz and contemporary m ...

and

Metropolitan (band) Metropolitan are an American four-piece indie rock group from Washington, D.C. Metropolitan began as a collaboration between guitarists John Masters and Aidan Coughlan in late 1998, and they recorded and released their debut record, "Side Effect ...

. He has also appeared on releases by

Helge Iberg Helge Iberg (born 27 March 1954 in Skien, Norway) is a Norwegian contemporary composer. Iberg studied musicology, history of ideas and religious studies at the University of Oslo under the tutorship of composers Olav Anton Thommessen and Ragnar ...

(1997), Jan Magne Førde (1998),

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 ...

(1999), Marianne Antonsen (2000) og Jørun Bøgeberg (2006). Halle has written music for film, theater and ballet, as well as commissioned work only short stay Dølajazz Festival 1992, and composed music to the lyrics of Jesper Halle, performed by

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 ...

and

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 ...

(1988). He is a prominent figure in modern Norwegian jazz. His album releases include ''Alle tre'' (1995, compilation album Cutting Edge), ''2'' (1991) and ''The Eagle (1995), with Halle/Eberson Quartett.

Store Norske Leksikon The ''Great Norwegian Encyclopedia'' ( no, Store Norske Leksikon, abbreviated ''SNL''), is a Norwegian-language online encyclopedia. The online encyclopedia is among the most-read Norwegian published sites, with more than two million unique vis ...

(in Norwegian) Lately he leads his own trio with

Anders Jormin Anders Bertil Michael Jormin (born 7 September 1957) is a Swedish bassist and composer. Jormin established a musical partnership with Bobo Stenson in the mid-1980s which led to international recognition playing with Charles Lloyd, in the early ...

and

Svante Henryson Svante Henryson (born 22 October 1963 in Stockholm, Sweden) is a composer, cellist, bass guitarist and double bassist, active within jazz, classical music, and hard rock. Biography Childhood and studies Svante Henryson grew up in Umeå in northe ...

, and the Morten Halle Qvartet with

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 ...

Torstein Lofthus Torstein Lofthus (born 10 March 1977) is a Norwegian drummer and composer who has been a member of the bands Shining, Elephant9, the Mathias Eick Band, D'Sound, and Ebersson/Zanussi/Lofthus. He is married to Hege Lofthus. Career Lofthus has ...

and André Peterson/

Vigleik Storaas Vigleik Storaas (born 2 February 1963) is a Norwegian jazz pianist and composer, and the younger brother of composer and bassist Gaute Storaas. He is known from a series of album releases and collaborations with jazz musicians such as Norma Win ...

. Halle is a partner in the label "Curling Legs" (1992–), is attached as associate professor at

Norges Musikkhøgskole The Norwegian Academy of Music (Norwegian: ''Norges musikkhøgskole'', NMH) is a university-level music conservatory located in Oslo, Norway, in the neighbourhood of Majorstuen, Frogner. It is the largest music academy in Norway and offers the c ...

, and former Chairman of

TONO TONO is a Norwegian corporation that administers copyrights for music in Norway. It is owned and governed by its members; composers, music publishers and text-writers. Through the managing agreement the originators give TONO an exclusive right to ...

Discography (selection)

Solo projects

;With Cutting Edge *''Cutting Edge'' (Odin Records, 1982) *''Our Man In Paradise'' (Odin Records, 1984) *''Duesenberg'' (Curling Legs, 1986) *''Alle tre'' (Curling Legs, 1995), compilation ;Wirh Halle/Eberson Quartet * ''Blow!'' (

Odin Records Odin Records is a 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 Oslo, so Odin ...

, 1989) * ''2'' (

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 ...

, 1992) * ''The Eagle'' (

, 1995) ;With

and

*''Ten Easy Pieces'' (

, 2005) ;With "Halles komet" *''Halles komet'' (

, 2007)

Collaborations

;With Marit Mathiesen *''Med parfyme'' (1981) *''Gale hjerte'' (1984) ;With Sverre Kjelsberg *''Sverre'' (1982) ;With

Ketil Stokkan Ketil Stokkan (born 29 April 1956) is a Norwegian pop artist who has performed as solo artist as well as the singer in the Norwegian band Zoo. Stokkan was born in Harstad. In 1983 he participated in the Norwegian qualifying heat for Eurovision ...

*''Ekte mannfolk'' (1985) *''Romeo'' (1986) ;With

Øystein Sunde Øystein Olaf Sunde (born 24 January 1947) is a Norwegian folk singer and guitarist. He is known for his high-speed guitar and banjo style and his satirical lyrics. Although often regarded as a comedian, Sunde is a versatile guitarist who has pl ...

*''Overbuljongpakkemesterassistent/Kaptein Snutebil'' (1986) *''Kjekt å ha'' (1989) *''Øystein Sundes 40 beste'' (1990) *''Du må'kke komme her og komme her'' (1994) *''Sundes verden – 52 av de aller beste'' (2006) ;With

(

) *''Nonsentration'' (1992) *''Oslo 13 Live'' (1993) *''Live In the North'' (2001) ;With

Ole Edvard Antonsen Ole Edvard Antonsen (born 25 April 1962) is a Norwegian trumpeter, musician and conductor. Antonsen was born in Vang, Hedmark, now part of Hamar. He is best known as a solo trumpeter, active in different genres of music; classical music, chamb ...

*''Tour De Force'' (1992) *''Read My Lips'' (1997) ;With

and

*''

Further Further or Furthur may refer to: * ''Furthur'' (bus), the Merry Pranksters' psychedelic bus * Further (band), a 1990s American indie rock band * Furthur (band), a band formed in 2009 by Bob Weir and Phil Lesh * ''Further'' (The Chemical Brothers a ...

'' (1994) *''Solarized'' (1999) *''Kyanos'' (2002) ;With

*''Deilig'' (1999) *''Ekte Eggum'' (2001) *''30/30'' (2005) ;With others *''Larsen'' (1982), with Kjell Larsen *''Ung Pike Forsvunnet'' (1982), with Ung Pike Forsvunnet *''The Soul Survivors'' (1984), with Chipahua *''You and I/It's a Game'' (1984), with

Ruth Ruth (or its variants) may refer to: Places France * Château de Ruthie, castle in the commune of Aussurucq in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of France Switzerland * Ruth, a hamlet in Cologny United States * Ruth, Alabama * Ruth, Ar ...

*''En herre med bart'' (1985), with

Eldar Vågan Eldar Vågan (born 30 August 1960) is best known as the songwriter and guitarist in Vazelina Bilopphøggers. Previously he was a guitarist in the rock band Baiage. Vågan has also developed his own solo musical career as well as being a published ...

*''To feite striper Brylkrem'' (1987), with The Teddybears *''Etterlatte sanger'' (1988), with

*''Fisking i Valdres'' (1988), with

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*''Kvinner & Kanari'' (1989), with

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*''Wake Me When the Moon Comes Up'' (1989), with Duck Spin *''Tempo'' (1989), with

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i ...

*''Last Train Home'' (1990), with Reidar Larsen *''Tatt av vinden'' (1990), with

Bjørn Eidsvåg Bjørn Eidsvåg (born 17 March 1954) is a Norwegian pop singer, songwriter, and ordained Lutheran minister. He was born in Sauda, and is a graduate of the MF Norwegian School of Theology. He has released more than 25 albums since his 1976 debu ...

*''December'' (1990), with Dag Kolsrud *''Images of Light'' (1990), with

Erik Wøllo Erik Wøllo (born 1961) is a Norwegian composer and musician, guitarist and synthesist. He has a background in various genres in music. As a solo recording artist, he is most known for his electronic and ambient musical soundscapes. Music that ca ...

*''Tamme erter og villbringebær'' (1990), with

Maj Britt Andersen Maj Britt Andersen (born 15 November 1956) is a Norwegian singer. Biography She was born in Østre Toten and is a sister of Inger Lise Rypdal. Her album ''Folk er rare'' from 1986 earned her Spellemannprisen. She was singing in the soul group ...

*''Ta meg til havet'' (1992), with

Hanne Krogh Hanne Krogh (born 24 January 1956) is a Norwegian singer and actress from Haugesund and Oslo. Krogh is among the most selling record artists in Norway ever and is internationally well known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 1985 with Elisab ...

*''Autumn 92'' (1992), with Petter Samuelsen *''Roneo'' (1993), with Knut Værnes Band *''Shaken - Not Stirred'' (1993), with Palisander Kvartetten *''Med lyset på'' (1994), with Norsk Utflukt *''Du følger vinden'' (1994), with Diamond Simone *''Song om ei segn'' (1994), with LoMsk *''Bussene lengter hjem'' (1994), with

*''Deceivers & Believers'' (1994), with

Tim Scott McConnell Tim Scott McConnell aka Tim Scott or Footless (born March 23, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and 12-string guitarist who performs since 2007 under the artist name Ledfoot and created the music genre Gothic blues. He calls himself the ...

*''Rippel Rappel'' (1994), with

*''Exile'' (1994), with

*''The Water Is Wide'' (1994), with

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*''Nightsong'' (1995), with

and

Bugge Wesseltoft Jens Christian Bugge Wesseltoft (born 1 February 1964) is a Norwegian jazz pianist, composer, and producer, son of jazz guitarist Erik Wesseltoft. Career In 1989, Wesseltoft collaborated with the Knut Riisnæs Quartet and was soon after ...

*''Har du lyttet til elvene om natta?'' (1995), with

Sinikka Langeland } Sinikka Langeland (born 13 January 1961 in Grue, Norway) is a Norwegian traditional folk singer and musician (kantele), known for combining traditional music with elements of jazz. Career Langeland plays the Finnish National Instrument kante ...

*''Tverr Geitt tolker Geirr Tveitt live'' (1995), with Tverr Geitt *''Voices'' (1996), with

Kvitretten Kvitretten (1991-2001 in Trondheim, Norway) was a Norwegian vocal group, known for improvisation and a cappella music releases, concerts, television shows, and international tours. Biography Kvitretten was initially comprising arranger and c ...

*''Life Is Good'' (1996), with Steinar Albrigtsen *''Thirteen Rounds'' (1997), with Jon Ebersons Jazzpunkensemble *''Never Ending "West Side" Story'' (1997), with

*''Med kjøtt og kjærlighet'' (1997), with Eidbjørg Raknes *''16 utvalgte sanger'' (1997), with Arne Aano *''Noahs draum'' (1998), with Kjell Habbestad *''Salmist'' (1998), with Per Søetorp *''Rotor'' (1998), with

/ Cikada Strykekvartett *''Imagic'' (1998), with Niels Præstholm *''Domen'' (1998), with Jan Magne Førde *''Meridians'' (1998), with Torbjørn Sunde *''Flua på veggen'' (1998), with

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*''Metropolitan'' (1999), with Metropolitan *''Solarized'' (1999), with

*''Soulful Christmas Songs'' (2000), with Marianne Antonsen *''The 00 Quartet'' (2001), with The 00 Quartet *''Sirkus Mikkelikski'' (2001), with

Alf Prøysen Alf Prøysen () (23 July 1914 – 23 November 1970) was a Norwegian author, poet, playwright, songwriter and musician. Prøysen was one of the most important Norwegian cultural personalities in the second half of the 20th century. He wor ...

*''Alene hjemme'' (2001), with

*''Indigo'' (2001), with New Jordal Swingers *''Aurora Borealis - Northern Lights'' (2002), with

Geir Lysne Geir Øystein Lysne (born 9 October 1965 in Trondheim, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (saxophone, flute, composer, arranger) and a famous Big Band leader. Career Geir Lysne is a Norwegian conductor, composer, produser and teacher, educate ...

*''Belfast Cowboy'' (2002), with New Jordal Swingers *''Kelner!'' (2002), with

Odd Børretzen Odd Lunde Børretzen (21 November 1926 – 3 November 2012) was a Norwegian author, illustrator, translator, and one of the most significant text writers, folk singers and artists in Norway. Biography Børretzen was born in Fister in th ...

Lars Martin Myhre Lars Martin Myhre (born 10 August 1956 in Tønsberg, Norway) (in Norwegian) is a Norwegian composer, guitarist, pianist, singer and producer residing in Sandefjord. He is best known for his collaboration with Odd Børretzen, (in Norwegian) but ha ...

*''Songs After You'' (2003), with Runar Andersen/ Janne Kjellsen *''A Night in Cassis'' (2004), with

Knut Værnes Knut Værnes (born 1 April 1954) is a Norwegian jazz musician (guitar), composer and band leader, known from several recordings in the jazz rock genre. He grew up at Bøler in Oslo, where he became an accomplished guitarist. Career Værnes wa ...

and Vertavokvartetten *''Silver'' (2004), with

Solveig Slettahjell Solveig Slettahjell (born 2 April 1971 in Bærum, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz singer, known for her soulful, seductive voice. Career Slettahjell had her record debut with the album ''Slow Motion Orchestra'' (2003), contains jazz standards lik ...

and Slow Motion Quintet *''Go Get Some'' (2004), with Tys Tys *''Tida som går'' (2004), with Norsk Utflukt *''Love Is Blind'' (2004), with Metropolitan *''Pixiedust'' (2005), with

and Slow Motion Orchestra *''Boahjenásti - The North Star'' (2006), with

*''Basstard'' (2006), with Jørun Bøgeberg *'' Byggmester Solness'' (2006), to the play by

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

*''Femkant'' (2007), with Pust *''Casta la vista! - Nissa og Elisabeths favorittsanger'' (2008), with Nissa Nyberget and Elisabeth Lindland *''The Grieg Code'' (2009), with Geir Lysne Ensemble *''Gjenfortellinger'' (2009), with

Pitsj Pitsj (founded 1999 in Oslo, Norway) is a female Norwegians, Norwegian a cappella quintet. The band consists of Anine Kruse, Anine and Benedikte Shetelig Kruse, Benedikte Kruse, the twin sisters Ane Carmen Roggen, Ane Carmen and Ida Roggen, and An ...

*''Take a Look at Your Life'' (2010), with Petter Samuelsen *''Big Shit'' (2010), with T8

References

External links

*
Morten Halle Biography - SNL.no

Halle, Morten Biography - Norsk Musikkinformasjon MIC.no
{{DEFAULTSORT:Halle, Morten Norwegian jazz saxophonists Norwegian jazz composers Male jazz composers University of Oslo alumni Norwegian Academy of Music faculty ECM Records artists 1957 births Living people Musicians from Oslo 21st-century saxophonists 21st-century Norwegian male musicians 1300 Oslo members Cutting Edge (band) members Søyr members Geir Lysne Listening Ensemble members Jazzpunkensemblet members