Egil Johansen (musician)
Encyclopedia
Egil Johansen was a Norwegian
-Swedish
jazz
drum
mer, teacher, composer
, and arranger
.
. He was considered already in his teens as one of the best drummers and was a professional musician from the age of 16. He received the nickname "Bop" because he was especially good at playing bebop
. He was always open to the new styles of jazz that he encountered. His professional career started in Einar Stenberg’s orchestra in the summer of 1950 with Svalerødkilens badhotell and continued in the autumn with Svaes Danseskole, after which he joined Egil Monn-Iversen
’s orchestra and Kjell Johansen’s experimental band for 1951-1953. He played in Rowland Greenberg
’s orchestra in 1952.
He moved to Sweden in 1954 at the invitation of Simon Brehm
. He entered immediately into collaboration with the Swedish jazz elite of Arne Domnérus
, Bengt Hallberg
, Rune Gustafsson
, Georg Riedel, Jan Johansson and others, among others in Radiojazzgrupen. In 1957 he took part in the Rune Öfwerman Trio in a classic recording with the clarinetist Tony Scott
in Swinging in Sweden.
Under the leadership of Harry Arnold
Johansen collaborated in several classic recordings with world stars like Quincy Jones
, for example on 1958's Quincy's home again. During the 1960s, Egil Johansen was a heavily touring musician foremost with the Arne Domnérus
Orchestra and participating also among other things together with Alice Babs
, in a commission for Swedish UN troops entertainment detail in Gaza
and later on Cyprus
. He was also from 1973-1983 the initiator of and responsible for the cooperative Jazz Incorporated.
He was without hestitation one of the most significant jazz musicians in postwar Sweden. He played also from 1985 to 1998 with the Norwegian group Brazz Brothers and with them played over 1,200 concerts.
In 1993 he was awarded the prestigious "Buddy Prize," the highest honor a jazz musician can receive in Norway.
He performed also as a singer, among others in Hasseåtage
’s revue Spader madame, where he sang the very funny "En sång som handlar om sig själv" (“A song about itself”).
Egil Johansen was a devoted sailor and tennis player. He was the father of the singer Jan Johansen.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
-Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
mer, teacher, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
.
Life
Johansen was born in OsloOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. He was considered already in his teens as one of the best drummers and was a professional musician from the age of 16. He received the nickname "Bop" because he was especially good at playing bebop
Bebop
Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
. He was always open to the new styles of jazz that he encountered. His professional career started in Einar Stenberg’s orchestra in the summer of 1950 with Svalerødkilens badhotell and continued in the autumn with Svaes Danseskole, after which he joined Egil Monn-Iversen
Egil Monn-Iversen
Egil Monn-Iversen is one of the most influential modern composers in Norway. He has had many important roles in Norwegian music, film, opera, television, comedy and theater...
’s orchestra and Kjell Johansen’s experimental band for 1951-1953. He played in Rowland Greenberg
Rowland Greenberg
Rowland Charles Wentworth Greenberg was a Norwegian jazz musician , seen by many as one of the foremost names in Norwegian jazz in the 1940s and 50s....
’s orchestra in 1952.
He moved to Sweden in 1954 at the invitation of Simon Brehm
Simon Brehm
Simon Brehm was a Swedish double-bass player and, later in life, a record producer and owner of Karusell Records. He was the manager of the singer Lill-Babs and was the leader of the orchestra that played in the TV show Hylands hörna from 1962.-References:...
. He entered immediately into collaboration with the Swedish jazz elite of Arne Domnérus
Arne Domnérus
Sven Arne Domnérus was a Swedish jazz alto saxophonist and clarinetist, popularly nicknamed Dompan....
, Bengt Hallberg
Bengt Hallberg
Bengt Hallberg is one of Sweden's most influential jazz musicians. He studied classical piano from a very early age, and at 13 years old he wrote his first jazz arrangement. In 1949 he recorded with the Swedish alto saxophonist Arne Domnérus for the first time, an association which has continued...
, Rune Gustafsson
Rune Gustafsson
Rune Gustafsson is a former Swedish middle distance runner who ran a 1000 m world record in Borås in 1946. He lowered the previous record by Rudolf Harbig by 0.1 sec. to 2:21.4 min. He also won a gold medal over 800 m at European Championships.-References:...
, Georg Riedel, Jan Johansson and others, among others in Radiojazzgrupen. In 1957 he took part in the Rune Öfwerman Trio in a classic recording with the clarinetist Tony Scott
Tony Scott
Anthony D. L. "Tony" Scott is an English film director. His films include Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, Spy Game, Man on Fire, Déjà Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123, and Unstoppable...
in Swinging in Sweden.
Under the leadership of Harry Arnold
Harry Arnold
Harry Arnold was a Swedish jazz saxophonist and bandleader.Arnold led his first big band in 1942, playing saxophone initially but eventually ceasing performance work primarily as an arranger...
Johansen collaborated in several classic recordings with world stars like Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
, for example on 1958's Quincy's home again. During the 1960s, Egil Johansen was a heavily touring musician foremost with the Arne Domnérus
Arne Domnérus
Sven Arne Domnérus was a Swedish jazz alto saxophonist and clarinetist, popularly nicknamed Dompan....
Orchestra and participating also among other things together with Alice Babs
Alice Babs
Alice Babs is a singer and actor from Kalmar in Sweden. While she has worked in a wide number of genres - e.g. Swedish folklore, Elizabethan songs and opera - she is best known internationally as a jazz singer...
, in a commission for Swedish UN troops entertainment detail in Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
and later on Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. He was also from 1973-1983 the initiator of and responsible for the cooperative Jazz Incorporated.
He was without hestitation one of the most significant jazz musicians in postwar Sweden. He played also from 1985 to 1998 with the Norwegian group Brazz Brothers and with them played over 1,200 concerts.
In 1993 he was awarded the prestigious "Buddy Prize," the highest honor a jazz musician can receive in Norway.
He performed also as a singer, among others in Hasseåtage
Hasseåtage
Hasseåtage is the commonly used name for the popular Swedish comedy-duo featuring Hans "Hasse" Alfredson and Tage Danielsson. The term was created by the Swedish press in the 1960s, and was never used by the duo themselves...
’s revue Spader madame, where he sang the very funny "En sång som handlar om sig själv" (“A song about itself”).
Egil Johansen was a devoted sailor and tennis player. He was the father of the singer Jan Johansen.
Sources
- Myggans nöjeslexikon
- NationalencyklopedinNationalencyklopedinNationalencyklopedin is the most comprehensive contemporary Swedish language encyclopedia, initiated by a favourable loan from the Government of Sweden of 17 million Swedish kronor in 1980, which was repaid by December 1990...
- This article is based on a translation of the corresponding article on the Swedish WikipediaSwedish WikipediaThe Swedish Wikipedia is the Swedish language edition of Wikipedia. It was the third edition of Wikipedia, started in May 2001 alongside German Wikipedia, after English Wikipedia and Catalan Wikipedia...
.