Arild Andersen

Career

Andersen was born in Lillestrøm, Norway. He started his musical career as jazz guitarist in the Riverside Swing Group in Lillestrøm (1961–63), started playing double bass in 1964, and soon became part of the core jazz bands in Oslo. He was a member of Roy Hellvin Trio, was in the backing band at Kongsberg Jazz Festival in 1967 and 68, was elected Best Bassist by Jazznytt in 1967, and started as bass player in the Jan Garbarek Quartet (1967–1973), including Terje Rypdal and Jon Christensen. After completing his technical education in 1968, he became a professional musician and collaborated with Karin Krog, George Russell, and Don Cherry (Berlin 1968), and with visiting American musicians Phil Woods, Dexter Gordon, Bill Frisell, Hampton Hawes, Johnny Griffin, Sonny Rollins, Sheila Jordan, and Chick Corea. During the same period he worked with Ferenc Snétberger and Tomasz Stańko.

In the early 1970s, Andersen collaborated with Norwegian musicians Magni Wentzel, Jon Eberson, Ketil Bjørnstad, and Terje Rypdal, before leaving for an eventful visit to the U.S. in the winter of 1973–1974, and has since 1974 led his own bands, at first a quartet (1974–79). He worked with the Radka Toneff Quintet (1975–81) and has recorded more than a dozen albums as band leader for ECM Records, founded the critically acclaimed band Masqualero, and appeared as side man on a series of recordings. In January 2009 he was named "Musicien Europeen 2008" by the French Academie du Jazz, In 2010, Andersen received the Ella Award at the Oslo Jazzfestival.

Reception

In a review, All About Jazz critic John Kelman said, "Live at Belleville is Andersen's most exciting release to date. Even more, balanced with its lyrical and, at times, near-orchestral tendencies, it's the best disc of Andersen's long and varied career."

Honors

As leader/co-leader

As sideman

With Chris Dundas