Jan Garbarek 1

Jan Garbarek
Jan Garbarek

Jan Garbarek live in Athens, 2007

Background information

Born March 4, 1947

Origin Oslo, Norway

Occupations saxophonist, composer, producer

Instruments soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone

Years active 1966–present

Labels ECM, Flying Dutchman

Associated acts George Russell, Terje Rypdal, Bobo Stenson, Keith Jarrett, Ralph Towner, Eberhard Weber, Bill Frisell, David
Torn, Gary Peacock, Hilliard Ensemble

Website [1]
www.garbarek.com

Notable instruments

bass saxophone, clarinet, flute

Jan Garbarek (born 4 March 1947 in Mysen, Norway) is a Norwegian tenor and soprano saxophonist, active in the
jazz, classical, and world music genres. Garbarek was the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war Czeslaw
Garbarek and a Norwegian farmer's daughter. Effectively stateless until the age of seven (there is no automatic grant
of citizenship in Norway) Garbarek grew up in Oslo. At 21, he married Vigdis. His daughter Anja Garbarek is also a
musician.[2]

Biography
Garbarek's sound is one of the hallmarks of the ECM record label, which has released virtually all of his recordings.
His style incorporates a sharp-edged tone, long, keening, sustained notes, and generous use of silence. He began his
recording career in the late 1960s, notably featuring on recordings by the American jazz composer George Russell
(such as Othello Ballet Suite and Electronic Sonata for Souls Loved by Nature). If he had initially appeared as a
devotee of Albert Ayler and Peter Brötzmann, by 1973 he had turned his back on the harsh dissonances of
avant-garde jazz, retaining only his tone from his previous approach.
Garbarek gained wider recognition through his work with pianist Keith Jarrett's European Quartet which released the
albums Belonging (1974), My Song (1977) and the live recordings Personal Mountains (1979), and Nude Ants
(1979).[3] He was also a featured soloist on Jarrett's orchestral works Luminessence (1974) and Arbour Zena
(1975)[4]
As a composer, Garbarek tends to draw heavily from Scandinavian folk melodies, a legacy of his Ayler influence.
He is also a pioneer of ambient jazz composition, most notably on his 1976 album Dis a collaboration with guitarist
Ralph Towner that featured the distinctive sound of a wind harp on several tracks. This textural approach, which
Jan Garbarek 2

rejects traditional notions of thematic improvisation (best exemplified by Sonny Rollins) in favour of a style
described by critics Richard Cook and Brian Morton as "sculptural in its impact", has been critically divisive.
Garbarek's more meandering recordings are often labeled as New Age music, a style generally scorned by more
orthodox jazz musicians and listeners, or spiritual ancestors thereof. Other experiments have included setting a
collection of poems of Olav H. Hauge to music, with a single saxophone complementing a full mixed choir; this has
led to notable performances with Grex Vocalis, but not yet to recordings. In the 1980s, Garbarek's music began to
incorporate synthesizers and elements of world music. He has collaborated with Indian and Pakistani musicians such
as Trilok Gurtu, Zakir Hussain, Hariprasad Chaurasia, and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.
In 1994, during heightened popularity of Gregorian chant, his album Officium, a collaboration with early music vocal
performers the Hilliard Ensemble, became one of ECM's biggest-selling albums of all time, reaching the pop charts
in several European countries and was followed by a sequel, Mnemosyne, in 1999. In 2005, his album In Praise of
Dreams was nominated for a Grammy. Garbarek's first live album Dresden was released in 2009.

Film music
Garbarek has composed music for the Israeli film, Kippur, as well as for several European films, including French
and Norwegian films. In addition, selections from Dis have been used as incidental music in several feature films
and documentaries. His composition "Rites" was used in the American film, The Insider.

Discography

As leader
• Esoteric Circle (1969)
• Afric Pepperbird (1970)
• Sart (1971) with Terje Rypdal
• Triptykon (1972)
• Witchi-Tai-To (1973)
• Dansere (1975) with Bobo Stenson Quartet
• Dis (1976) with Ralph Towner
• Places (1977)
• Photo with Blue Sky, White Cloud, Wires, Windows and a Red Roof
(1978) with Bill Connors
• Aftenland (1979) with Kjell Johnsen
• Eventyr (1980) with John Abercrombie and Naná Vasconcelos
• Paths, Prints (1981) with Bill Frisell
• Wayfarer (1983) with Bill Frisell and Eberhard Weber
• It's OK to Listen to the Gray Voice (1985) with David Torn Jan Garbarek live

• All Those Born With Wings (1987)

• Legend of the Seven Dreams (1988) with Rainer Brüninghaus
• Rosensfole (1989) with Agnes Buen Garnås
• I Took Up the Runes (1990)
• StAR (1991) with Miroslav Vitous
• Ragas and Sagas (1992) with Fateh Ali Khan
• Twelve Moons (1992)
• Atmos (1993) with Miroslav Vitous
Jan Garbarek 3

• Madar (1993) with Anouar Brahem and Shaukat Hussain

• Officium (1994) with the Hilliard Ensemble
• Visible World (1995)
• Rites (1998)
• Mnemosyne (1999) with the Hilliard Ensemble
• In Praise of Dreams (2003)
• Dresden (2009) live album
• Officium Novum (2010) with the Hilliard Ensemble

As sideman
• Jazz Moments (1966) with Karin Krog
• Til Vigdis (1967)
• Joy (1968) with Karin Krog
• Electronic Sonata for Souls Loved by Nature (1969) with George Russell
• Trip to Pillargui (1970) with George Russell Sextet
• Listen to the Silence (1971) with George Russell
• Terje Rypdal (1971) with Terje Rypdal
• Hav (1971) with Jan Erik Vold and Terje Rypdal
• Red Lanta (1973) with Art Lande
• Belonging (1974) with Keith Jarrett
• Luminessence (1974) with Keith Jarrett
• Solstice (1975) with Ralph Towner
• Arbour Zena (1975) with Keith Jarrett
• Of Mist And Melting (1977) with Bill Connors
• December Poems (1977) med Gary Peacock
• Deer Wan (1977) with Kenny Wheeler
• Sol Do Meio Dia (1977) with Egberto Gismonti
• Solstice/Sound and Shadows (1977) with Ralph Towner
• My Song (1977) with Keith Jarrett
• Personal Mountains (1979) with Keith Jarrett
• Folk Songs (1979) with Egberto Gismonti and Charlie Haden
• Magico (1979) with Egberto Gismonti and Charlie Haden
• Nude Ants (1979) with Keith Jarrett
• Voice from the Past Paradigm (1981) with Gary Peacock
• Cycles (1981) with David Darling
• Vision (1983) with L. Shankar
• Chorus (1984) with Eberhard Weber
• Song for Everyone (1985) with L. Shankar
• Making Music (1986) with Zakir Hussain
• Guamba (1987) med Gary Peacock
• Living Magic (1990) with Trilok Gurtu
• Alpstein (1991) with Paul Giger
• Music For Films (1991) with Eleni Karaindrou
• Caris Mere (1995) with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra
• Monodia (2002) with Kim Kashkashian
• Universal Syncopations (2003) with Miroslav Vitous
• Neighbourhood (2006) with Manu Katché
Jan Garbarek 4

• Stages Of A Long Journey (2007) with Eberhard Weber

• Elixir (2007) with Marilyn Mazur

References
[1] http:/ / www. garbarek. com
[2] Allmusic biography (http:/ / www. allmusic. com/ cg/ amg. dll?p=amg& sql=11:hiftxqt5ldae~T1)
[3] Yanow, S. Allmusic Biography (http:/ / www. allmusic. com/ cg/ amg. dll?p=amg& sql=11:hiftxqt5ldae~T1) accessed 5 November 2009
[4] Keith Jarret discography (http:/ / www. jazzdisco. org/ keith-jarrett/ discography/ ) accessed 5 November 2009

External links
• Jan Garbarek on ECM Records (http://trovar.com/ECM/ECM.php?artist=garbarek)
• Jan Garbarek (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0304912/) at the Internet Movie Database
• Jan Garbarek Group (http://www.garbarek.com/)
• Jan Garbarek's daughter, singer Anja Garbarek (http://www.anjagarbarek.com)
• Jan Garbarek Group @ Theatre Lycabettus concert review, Greece (http://www.mixtape.gr/t.asp?sec=1&
sub=3&uid=57)
Article Sources and Contributors 5

Article Sources and Contributors

Jan Garbarek  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=394813926  Contributors: AllyD, Archivman, BNutzer, Badagnani, Camembert, Cgingold, Cglassey, Chase78, Cosprings, D6,
DISEman, Danny, Dogru144, Efo, Everyking, Ferdinand Pienaar, Geschichte, Grzegorz Wysocki, Gyrofrog, Gzornenplatz, Hewins, Jeff.lopezstuit, Jim Cornmell, Jocian, Johorne, JustAGal, K.
Annoyomous, Karol Langner, Kbik, Kestrel man hoovers in the dark, Kks862003, Leifern, Lietzow, Lozzacrazy, Lpgeffen, Lzur, Mediocrefunkybeat, Mike R, Mind meal, Misb, Monegasque,
Nanusia, Neowulf, Nostalgic34, Oneiros, Paul210, Pavel Vozenilek, Pgeffen, PhilyG, Red Star, Rje, Rjwilmsi, Rydia, Sardur, Schneelocke, Shergo, Sietse Snel, Sir Dagon, Slavatrudu,
Slightlyslack, Spelemann, T. Anthony, TOO, TUF-KAT, The wub, Troels Nybo, TronTonian, VivaEmilyDavies, WindsOfCreation, Zig, 66 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

File:Jan Garbarek-2007-2.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Jan_Garbarek-2007-2.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0  Contributors: Dimitris
Papazimouris from Halandri, Greece
Image:JanGarbarek retouched.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:JanGarbarek_retouched.jpg  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors:
User:Christof01

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