Ole Henrik Giørtz (born 10 January 1955 in

Bærum Bærum () is a municipality in the Greater Oslo Region in Norway that forms an affluent suburb of Oslo on the west coast of the city. Bærum is Norway's fifth largest municipality with a population of 128,760 (2021). It is part of the electoral ...

) is a Norwegian

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

pianist, arranger and

bandleader 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 ...

, the older brother of jazz singer Anne-Marie Giørtz. He is known from a number of recordings, and has contributed to several recordings and tours within bands such as

Bazar Bazar may refer to: * Bazar, Afghanistan * Bazar, Azerbaijan * Bazar, Mardan, Pakistan * Bazar, Ukraine In Iran * Bazar, East Azerbaijan * Bazar, Gilan * Bazareh-ye Qarnas, North Khorasan Province * Bazargah, Qazvin, Qazvin Province * Bazar, Sou ...

, Chipahua, Erik Wøllo Quintet, Terje Rypdal Trio and

Anne Grete Preus Anne Grete Preus (22 May 1957 – 25 August 2019) was a Norwegian rock singer in Norway in the 1980s and 1990s, first as member of the bands Veslefrikk and Can Can and later as a solo act. She released nine solo albums and won the Spellemannprise ...

, and festival debut at

Vossajazz Vossajazz or Vossa Jazz (established 19 December 1973) is an international jazz festival in Voss, Norway, which takes place annually during the week before Easter, and which also includes concerts throughout the year. The festival has been led by ...

1977 and attended

Moldejazz Molde International Jazz Festival (MIJF) or Moldejazz (established 1961 in Molde) takes place annually in July, and is known as one of the oldest jazz festivals in Europe. It was initiated by the local Storyville Jazz Club. Since 1964 it has rec ...

1979, within the band

Lotus Lotus may refer to: Plants *Lotus (plant), various botanical taxa commonly known as lotus, particularly: ** ''Lotus'' (genus), a genus of terrestrial plants in the family Fabaceae **Lotus flower, a symbolically important aquatic Asian plant also ...

Career

Giørtz was within his sister's band

Ab und Zu Ab und Zu (established 1987) is a Norwegian jazz band, originally named "Anne Marie Giørtz Quintet" (1982–1987), and presenting music written by Ole Henrik Giørtz. Biography The quintet comprised the siblings Anne-Marie Giørtz (vocals) a ...

, where he also was a composer and arranger. He accounted for the commissioned work ''Den akustiske skygge'' (

, 1993), and composed the music for

Lars Saabye Christensen Lars Saabye Christensen (born 21 September 1953 in Oslo) is a Norwegian/Danish author. Saabye Christensen was raised in the Skillebekk neighbourhood of Oslo, but lived for many years in Sortland in northern Norway; both places play a major r ...

's ''Skrapjern og silke'' (1998) commissioned work for Moldejazz, which led to

Edvard Prize The Edvard Prize is a Norwegian music award in given by TONO, copyright organization for musicians and composers. The award, which was first awarded in 1998, is awarded annually and can only be awarded to members of the organization. The goal is t ...

nomination 1999. To "Sandvika Storbandfestival" skrev han ''Rhymes at Midnight'' (2004), fremført med

and Prime Time Orchestra. Giørtz played within the Brazilian-Norwegian Claudio & Cristina Latini Band, also here as arranger and producer in addition to musical performances. This cooperation gave rise to album releases ''Sol e Cachaça'' (1988) and ''Cor de Dendê'' (1990). «Horns for hire". Giørtz leads his own Quartet featuring

Tore Brunborg Tore Brunborg (born 20 May 1960) is a Norwegian jazz musician and composer who plays saxophone. He was born in Trondheim but grew up in Voss where a jazz environment was flowering. Known from numerous appearances with international greats includ ...

(saxophone),

Tine Asmundsen Tine Asmundsen (born 8 April 1963) is a Norwegian jazz bassist, known from her own band, Lonely Woman, playing with David Murray at Kongsberg Jazzfestival 2010. Career Asmundsen was born in Kongsberg, Norway. She started playing bass in Kongsb ...

(bass), and

Svein Christiansen Svein "Chrico" Christiansen (6 August 1941 – 25 November 2015) was a Norwegian jazz musician (drums), known from a number of recordings, and central on the Oslo Jazz scene. Career Christiansen started early to play drums in various ban ...

(drums). Melodic jazz, playing compositions of

Wayne Shorter Wayne Shorter (born August 25, 1933) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Shorter came to prominence in the late 1950s as a member of, and eventually primary composer for, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In the 1960s, he joined Miles Davi ...

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent l ...

Charlie Haden Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than 50 years. In the late 1950s, he was an original member of the ground-breaking ...

, and others. In addition he wrote the book ''Noter og andre nøtter – en brukerveiledning i pop- og jazzharmonikk'' (2006).

Discography

;Within

*1973: ''Det er ikke enkelt'' (Samspill) *1974: ''Drabantbyrock'' (Mai) ;With Anne-Marie Giørtz *1983: ''Breaking Out'' (Odin Records) ;Within Claudio & Cristina Latini Band *1988: ''Sol e Cachaça'' (IPE Records) *1990: ''Cor de Dendê'' (Bums Records) ;Within

*1989: ''Ab und Zu'' (

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 ...

) *1996: ''Totally'' (Curling Legs) *2002: ''Spark of life'' (Curling Legs) ;With

, Ole Henrik Giørtz,

Anne Marie Almedal Anne Marie Almedal (born 6 December 1971 in Kristiansand, Norway) is a Norwegian musician. She was lead vocalist in the band Velvet Belly (1989–2003) and has since released five solo albums. Career Almedal is a graduate of the Rhythmic musi ...

Kristin Kajander Kristin may refer to: * Kristin (name), a Scandinavian form of Christine * ''Kristin'' (TV series), a 2001 American sitcom * Kristin Peak, Antarctica * Kristin School, a school in New Zealand See also * Kristen (disambiguation) Kristen may re ...

Elin Rosseland Elin Rosseland (born 5 April 1959 in Norway) is a singer, bandleader, and composer who studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music and is known from collaborations with Vigleik Storaas, Johannes Eick, Sidsel Endresen, Eldbjørg Raknes, Christian W ...

*1999: ''Skrapjern og silke'' (

Grappa Music Grappa Musikkforlag (established 1983 in Norway) is a Norwegian music company initiated and directed by Helge Westbye. It is one of the oldest and biggest independent record companies in Norway today. The company represents prominent Norwegian a ...

)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Giortz, Ole Henrik 20th-century Norwegian pianists 21st-century Norwegian pianists Norwegian jazz pianists Norwegian jazz composers 1955 births Living people Musicians from Bærum Ab und Zu members