Globalizing Perspectives on Norwegian Jazz History
In this paper I will discuss globalizing perspectives on Norwegian jazz history from the beginning of the 70s. A special emphasis will be on cross-cultural forms of improvisation in Norwegian jazz life from an ethnomusicological point of view with an emphasis on the questions of musical borrowing from other cultures—where improvisation is an important musical character—and how such borrowing could create other sort of musical characteristics, e.g. in creating «time» and «groove» during performance practices. This theme has its reference to the question of creating a kind of «otherness» with the basis in jazz improvisations, but where it is influenced of cultural impressions from outside the mainstream American jazz traditions. In other words the purpose for this article is to discuss some aspects on how Norwegian jazz musicians and ensembles 1) either use material from other oral musical cultures than the jazz tradition in their improvisations or 2) collaborate with improvising musicians from other oral cultures outside the jazz tradition. My discussion is limited to different Norwegian based groups such as E’Olen, Frode Fjellheim Jazz Joik Ensemble, and Utla.
Tor Dybo, Professor, dr.art. Universitetet i Agder, Norge
Lembit Saarsalu: “Music Saved Me”
The Study of a Jazz Musician´s Early Musical Development in Totalitarian Society
The aim of the study is to exteriorize the particularities of the growth of jazz musician under the conditions of Soviet regime by investigating the “musical life story” of Estonian saxophonist Lembit Saarsalu. Lembit Saarsalu, born in June 8th in 1948, is a leading figure in Estonian jazz. He might be called the only jazz musician in Estonia, who has achieved international reputation as a mainstream jazz player.
The development of human being is a result of mutual processes between individual and society. From one side the environment afforded by particular society, determine the conditions for the development of individuals. From other side the individual shapes the environment according to his own developmental needs and goals. Therefore, changes in behavior produce changes in the environment, which in turn feed back to affect behavior. Human behavior and environment are thus inseparably linked, and it is impossible to study one without the other. The development of individuals in totalitarian society deviates radically from developmental patterns demonstrated in democratic societies, where the growth of individual is less dependent on societal constraints. In totalitarian society where the ruling power tries to control every facet of individual´s life, the discretions and options for autonomous development are limited. Thus, compared to the individuals in democratic societies, peoples living under the totalitarian regime have fewer options to influence and reshape their social and cultural environment.
What were the conditions for musical development and how social and cultural environment influenced the development of musical child in 50s Soviet Estonia, how musician himself narrates his story retrospectively —these are the questions present study tries to answer. The key words for understanding the theoretical stance of my paper are narrative research, narrative identity and social constructionist approach.
Heli Reimann, doctoral student, University of Helsinki, Finland
Jazz and Danish ”Cultural Radicalism”
The intention of this paper is to discuss some historiographic problems connected to this peculiar Danish phenomenon, which from the late 1920es and on integrated jazz in intermedial theatre- and film contexts, which were seen as a possibility of revitalizing a concert life in crisis, and which were seen as a possible basis of a cultural pedagogical approach to the teaching of music. Does this approach to jazz belong to international and/or national history of jazz, does it belong to the history of music in Denmark or to the history of Danish culture – and – not least: what are the consequences of different answers to such questions?
Peder Kaj Pedersen, Lektor i Musikvidenskab, Aalborg Universitet
Uffe Baadh
Uffe Baadh (1923-80) var 20 år när han flydde från det ockuperade Köpenhamn i en liten båt över Öresund. Under ett år spelade han med några av Sveriges främsta orkestrar innan han anslöt sig till Det Danske Brigade i början av 1945. Efter befrielsen blev han med i Peter Rasmussens kvintett, sommaren 1947 emigrerade han till USA, tog sig namnet ”Frank Bode”, spelade på trio med Benny Goodman och Jimmy Rowles och ingick i storband ledda av Claude Thornhill och Harry James, innan han övergick till studiojobb och lokala spelningar i södra Kalifornien. Han spelade på samma klubbar som Lenny Bruce, medverkade i en film med Jayne Mansfield och hörs på ljudbandet till ”G. I. Blues” med Elvis Presley…
Lars Westin, Jazzhistoriegruppen, Sverige
Johann Emile Dændler 1911-2006
A presentation of a jazz pioneer. Dændler played an important role in the early years of jazz in Denmark. Dændler was initiator and first chairman of ‘De danske Jazzmusik-Foreninger in 1932. He played jazz music - mostly as a drummer. He was employed with Skandinavisk Grammophon (Danish EMI) from 1933 to 1945. He was an AR person and participated also in recordings. He was trained as a recording engineer in Abbey Road in 1936. From 1937 he made all recordings for Danish EMI - including the labels HMV, Columbia and Odeon. He also made the early recordings of Tono. He was the main contributor on Danish jazz to Hilton R. Schleman: Rhythm on Record. Who’s Who and Register of Recorded Dance Music 1906/1936. Melody Maker, 1936. The book is furthermore dedicated to Dændler.
The presentation will be based on the very short account of Dændler given by Erik Wiedemann: Jazz i Danmark, Gyldendal, 1982. The main source will, however, hours of recorded interviews with Dændler in his later years. The Danish jazz as seen through Dændler and Schleman will be observed. Dændler’s record collection will be briefly mentioned. The presentation will include a film sequence of Dændler recording.
Morten Hein
History of Jazz in Latvia - 1920-1940
- First written information about jazz in Latvia - 1922.
- Early bands, personel, places
- 1930-ties - developing of jazz-oriented musicians and bands
- Bellaccord Electro - first Latvian record company and the records
- 1940 - Soviet occupation and breaking the development of jazz in Latvia.
Indrikis Veitners, Doctural Student, Head of Jazz Department, Latvian Music Academy
Jazz Biography - Jazz Cronicle - Jazz History - Jazz Science
On research, analysis and literary form in Danish jazz history writings, illustrated by the later editions
The up till now Danish jazz history writing consists of partly documentaring descriptions added with different degrees of personal engagement, partly of interview-based biographies and memoires. Interviews have more and more been important for different sorts of documentations. On the opposite the authors do not take inn analytical and sociological methods or aesthetical and philosofical theories (as used in descriptions of the history of the classical and experimenting music). Starting with a survey over the latest editions of Danish jazz history the paper will deal with this discrepancy and submit possible arguments for discussion.
Olav Harsløf, professor, RUC, Danmark
Fotografiet som historieforteller
Presentasjon av et bevarings- og formidlingsprosjekt.
Fotograf Tore Fredenlund er en kjent norsk ”jazzfotograf” som var til stede ved og foreviget små og store jazzbegivenheter i landet, spesielt på 50-tallet. Han har donert hele jazzdelen av sin fotosamling til Norsk jazzarkiv.
NJA har startet et fotoprosjekt som tar sikte på å både sikre bildene for ettertiden, identifisere motivene, katalogisere dem og gjøre dem tilgjengelig for publikum.
Foredraget vil presentere prosjektets ulike sider og faser, vise eksempler på ”blinkskudd” og illustrere fotografiets rolle som viktig bidragsyter til vår jazzhistorie.
Finn J. Kramer-Johansen, daglig leder i Norsk jazzarkiv (NJA)