Lars Jansson (composer)

Lars Jansson
Background information
Born1951
Sweden
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
InstrumentPiano
Websitewww.lars.jp/e/
Aarhus, Denmark 2022
Photo Hreinn Gudlaugsson

Lars Jansson (born 1951) is a Swedish jazz pianist and composer.[1]

Life

Jansson grew up in Örebro, Sweden, where he was bored by his lessons at the community music school. In his early teens, a relative lent him records of Miles Davis, Ben Webster, and Mose Allison. During the 1960s, he followed the fashion and developed an interest in the organ. He listened to Kjell Öhman play with the Telstars, to Jimmy Smith and Jack McDuff, and to Hammond organ music. Drummer Sjunne Ferger became an important figure in his life, and together they formed a duo: "Takt & Ton" (Beat & Pitch).

In 1970, after graduation from upper secondary school, he took a semester off, planning to go on and study medicine. He ended up at dental school, but after a year and a half he decided to switch to music. He was accepted at the Göteborg College of Music, where all the professional musicians had their jam sessions at night. That gave him the opportunity to play with Ove Johansson, Jan Forslund, Conny Sjökvist, Gilbert Holmström, Gunnar Lindgren, and others, and he discovered Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Paul Bley, Bill Evans, Lennie Tristano, Keith Jarrett, and Chick Corea.

Lars became a member of Björn Alke's quartet, with Gunnar Bergsten. He also played with the Arild Andersen Quartet. He went on to play with Radka Toneff and various Norwegian musicians, including Knut Riisnaes and Jan Garbarek, and then with Hawk on Flight, Equinox, Red Mitchell, Joakim Milder, Crystal Eagle, and many other groups, both Swedish and Danish. Today, the Lars Jansson trio is, and has long been, one of the most well-renowned jazz groups in Sweden. Originally, the other two members were Anders Jormin and Anders Kjellberg. Lars Danielsson succeeded Jormin as the trio's bass player in the mid-1980s, and since January 2005 he has been succeeded by Christian Spering. Lars Jansson Trios member are now Thomas Fonnesbaek-bass (Copenhagen) and his son Paul Svanberg (Stockholm) on drums.

Discography

As leader

Year recorded Title Label Notes
1984 Trio 84 Trio, with Anders Jormin (bass), Anders Kjelberg (drums)[2]
1987 The Eternal Now Ton Art Trio, with Lars Danielsson (bass, cello), Anders Kjelberg (drums)[2]
1991 A Window Towards Being Imogena Most tracks trio, with Lars Danielsson (bass), Anders Kjelberg (drums); some tracks quartet, with Brynjar Hoff (oboe) added[2]
1995 Invisible Friends Imogena Trio, with Lars Danielsson (bass), Anders Kjelberg (drums)[2]
1996 The Time We Have Imogena Trio, with Lars Danielsson (bass), Anders Kjelberg (drums)[2]
1996 The Blue Pearl Phono Suecia With the Bohuslän Big Band[2]
1998 One Poem, One Painting Imogena With the Bohuslän Big Band[2]
1999? Hope Spice of Life Trio, with Lars Danielsson (bass), Anders Kjelberg (drums)
2001? At Ease Spice of Life Trio, Mori Yasuhito (bass), Anders Kjellberg (drums); in concert
2000 Jan 25-27 Giving Receiving Imogena Sextet, with Paolo Fresu (trumpet, flugelhorn), Paul McCandless (English horn, soprano sax, bass clarinet); Johan Borgström (tenor sax), Christian Spering (bass), Morten Lund (drums)[3]
2002? Witnessing Imogena Trio, with Lars Danielsson (bass), Anders Kjelberg (drums)[4]
2003 Temenos Spice of Life With the Bohuslän Big Band[2][5]
2004 I Am That Imogena Trio, with Lars Danielsson (bass), Anders Kjelberg (drums)[2]
2005? Sound Pictures Spice of Life Duo, with Tommy Kotter (piano)
2008? Worship of Self Amuse With Christian Spering (bass), Anders Kjellberg (drums), Ensemble MidtVest[6]
2010 What's New Spice of Life/Naxos Trio, with Thomas Fonnesbak (bass), Paul Svanberg (drums)
2011? In Search of Lost Time Prophone Trio, with Christian Spering (bass), Anders Kjelberg (drums)[7]
2012? Koan Spice of Life Trio, with Thomas Fonnesbak (bass), Paul Svanberg (drums)[8]
2014? Everything I Love Spice of Life With Ove Ingemarsson (tenor sax), Thomas Fonnesbak (bass), Paul Svanberg (drums)
2015? Facing the Wall Spice of Life Trio, with Thomas Fonnesbak (bass), Paul Svanberg (drums)
2016? More Human Spice of Life Trio, with Thomas Fonnesbak (bass), Paul Svanberg (drums)
2018? Just This Storyville Trio, with Thomas Fonnesbak (bass), Paul Svanberg (drums)[9]

Compilations

  • Ballads (Imogena, 1991–97)[2][10]

As sideman

With Arild Andersen

With Hans Ulrik

With Ove Ingemarsson

References

  1. ^ "Lars Jansson Biography". All About Jazz. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. pp. 766–767. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  3. ^ Bowers, Jack (1 October 2001). "Lars Jansson Giving Receiving". All About Jazz. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  4. ^ Bowers, Jack (2 May 2003). "The Lars Jansson Trio Witnessing". All About Jazz. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  5. ^ Bowers, Jack (10 August 2004). "Lars Jansson/Bohusl Temenos". All About Jazz. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  6. ^ Mosey, Chris (16 January 2012). "Lars Jansson Trio with Ensemble MidtVest: Worship Of Self". All About Jazz. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  7. ^ Mosey, Chris (13 July 2011). "Lars Jansson Trio In Search of Lost Time". All About Jazz. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  8. ^ Mosey, Chris (26 November 2012). "Lars Jansson: Koan". All About Jazz. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  9. ^ Mosey, Chris (20 October 2018). "Lars Jansson: Just This". All About Jazz. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  10. ^ Bowers, Jack (1 June 2002). "Lars Jansson Ballads". All About Jazz. Retrieved 21 August 2011.