Bengt Hallberg (13 September 1932 – 2 July 2013) was a Swedish

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 m ...

pianist, composer and arranger.John Fordha
"Bengt Hallberg obituary"
theguardian.com, 7 August 2013 Born in Gothenburg, he studied classical piano from an early age, and wrote his first jazz arrangement at the age of 13. At the age of 15 he recorded his first record as a member of a group led by bassist Thore Jederby"Bengt Hallberg"
All About Jazz, 3 July 2013 and in 1949 he recorded with the Swedish alto saxophonist Arne Domnérus for the first time, and the two musicians continued to play together for several decades. During the 1950s, Hallberg played with leading visiting American players, including the tenor saxophonist Stan Getz, recording "Dear Old Stockholm" (originally "Ack Värmeland du sköna") with him, and alto player Lee Konitz in 1951, and trumpeters Clifford Brown and

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

in 1953. Jones first recorded arrangement featured Hallberg. In the same period he worked with baritone saxophonist

Lars Gullin Lars Gunnar Victor Gullin (4 May 1928 – 17 May 1976) was a Swedish jazz saxophonist. Career Lars Gullin was born in Visby, Sweden. He was a child prodigy on the accordion. At age thirteen, he played clarinet in a military band and later l ...

, another leading Swedish player of the time. Both players were associated with the 'Cool Jazz' scene in their country, influenced by the American school around pianist

Lennie Tristano Leonard Joseph Tristano (March 19, 1919 – November 18, 1978) was an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and teacher of jazz improvisation. Tristano studied for bachelor's and master's degrees in music in Chicago before moving to New Yo ...

, a Hallberg favourite with whom Konitz was associated. Hallberg had a versatile style and in his later years he wrote music for film and television, as well as choral arrangements, and he also played the accordion. With Domnerus and Georg Riedel among others, he participated in the '' Jazz at the Pawnshop'' sessions in December 1976. According to Chris Mosey, while Hallberg was: "usually an extremely delicate and very measured player, ewas obviously affected by the general ambience, and here and there cuts loose with awesome force".Chris Mose
"Arne Domnerus: Jazz at the Pawnshop - 30th Anniversary Edition (2007)"
All About Jazz, 30 October 2007 Hallberg died from congestive heart failure.Doug Ramse

Rifftides/Arts Journal, 2 July 2013

Discography

As leader

As sideman

With Stan Getz * '' Stan Getz in Stockholm'' (Verve, 1955) * '' Imported from Europe'' (Verve, 1958) With

* '' Jazz Abroad'' ( EmArcy, 1955) * '' Quincy's Home Again'' (

Metronome A metronome, from ancient Greek μέτρον (''métron'', "measure") and νομός (nomós, "custom", "melody") is a device that produces an audible click or other sound at a regular interval that can be set by the user, typically in beats pe ...

, 1958) also released as ''Harry Arnold + Big Band + Quincy Jones = Jazz!'' (EmArcy)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hallberg, Bengt 1932 births 2013 deaths Philips Records artists Swedish film score composers Male film score composers Swedish jazz pianists 20th-century pianists Male pianists 20th-century Swedish male musicians 20th-century Swedish musicians Male jazz musicians Radiojazzgruppen members Prestige Records artists Columbia Records artists Epic Records artists

Discography

As leader

As sideman

See also

References

External links