Jesper Lundgaard

Biography

Jesper Lundgaard was born in 1954 in Hillerød, Denmark. After first playing guitar for a few years, he started to play bass at age 16. In 1976 he began to study music at Århus University and the same year he became part of Århus' jazz scene when he joined Bent Eriksen's trio. There he met Danish jazz musicians such as Thomas Clausen, Alex Riel, Niels Jørgen Steen, Finn Ziegler, Jesper Thilo, Jørgen Emborg and Jan Zum Vohrde as well as many American musicians, including Dexter Gordon, Harry Sweets Edison, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Joe Newman, Benny Waters, Hal Singer, Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, Pepper Adams, Howard McGhee, Roy Eldridge and Doug and Jimmy Raney. Lundgaard soon established himself as one of the leading jazz bassists on the Danish jazz scene.

In 1978 he became a member of the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra and went on a 3-month European tour which would become its last before Thad Jones left the band and it changed its name simply to the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra.

After the tour both Thad Jones and Jesper Lundgaard settled in Copenhagen. Lundgaard became bassist-in-residence at the La Fontaine Jazz Club and also played in other venues such as Jazzhus Montmartre and Slukefter, accompanying musicians such as Benny Carter, Teddy Wilson, Jay McShann, Dorothy Donegan, Phineas Newborn, Mose Allison and Stanley Turrentine. In 1979 he also started recording for SteepleChase Records, appearing on around 40 albums from this label. He was also a sideman for musicians such as Benny Carter and Teddy Wilson on albums released on Storyville Records. He has also recorded with Chet Baker and Duke Jordan for some albums released by Japanese labels.

Up through the 1980s, Lundgaard was a member of the Radiojazzgruppen, Ernie Wilkins' Almost Big Band and Thad Jones' Danish big band Eclipse, Parallel to this he went on numerous tours with American musicians. These included lengthy tours with Doug and Jimmy Raney to the Netherlands, France and Germany and others with Tommy Flanagan and Ed Thigpen. In the mid-1980s he also became a member of Bob Rockwell's quartet after Rockwell had become the third former The Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra-member to permanently move to Copenhagen in 1984.

From 1989 to 1991 he was a member of the DR Big Band and in 1993 he joined Svend Asmussen's quartet in which he still plays.

In 1994 he formed the Repertory Quartet which released six albums before it was dissolved in 2000.

He has also taught and conducted master classes at educational institutions in Denmark as well as at conservatories in Rotterdam, Zürich and Helsinki.

Gallery

Photos: Hreinn Gudlaugsson

Loft Studio

Since 1986 Lundgaard worked with audio engineering. Since 1991 he has operated his own recording studio, the Loft Studio, in which he has produced some 40 albums for other artists.

ARCO-amplification

Since 2004 he has developed a new amplifier for double bass and electric bass which is small, lightweight, and very powerful and in 2007 he established a small company, ARCO-amplification, which sells it.

As a leader

-This bass was made for walking-: Bob Rockwell (ts, sop) Jacob Fisher (g) Jesper Lundgaard (b) Alex Riel (d). København (Copenhagen), Denmark, August 22–24, 1994. Music Mecca (Dan) CD 1051-2. Three and one / Mean what you say / Summary / Bird song / Upon reflection / Zec / Kids are pretty people / Scratch / A child is born / Quietude / Bitty ditty / This bas was made for talking.

-X-Mas bass-: Doug Raney (g) Carsten Dahl (p) Jesper Lundgaard (b) Frands Rifbjerg (d). København (Copenhagen), Denmark, October 1998.. Music Mecca (Dan) CD 2074-2. Mit hjerte altid vanker / Dejlig er Jorden / Velkommen igen guds engle sma / Den yndigste rose er funden / Glade jul / Nu er det jul / En rose sa jeg skyde / Barn Jesus i en jrybbe / Et barn er fodt i Bethlehem / Det kimer nu til julefest / Lad det klinge sadt i sky / Julen har englelyd / Dejlig er den himmelbla / Hojt fra traets gronne top.

-Trio-: Ole Stolle (tp, vcl) Jacob Fischer (g) Jesper Lundgaard (b). København (Copenhagen), Denmark, April 1998. Music Mecca (Dan) CD 2078-2. It don't mean a thing / Two sleepy people / On a slowboat to China / A cottage for sale / Honeysuckle rose / Pennies from heaven / Gee baby ain't I good to you / Memories of you / Sugar / In my solitude / In a mellow tone / Don't get around much anymore / Indiana.

-Two basses -: Jesper Lundgaard, Mads Vinding (b). Sweden, June 2002. . Touché Music (Swd) TMcD 020. God bless the child [8.38] / Secret love [4.55] / Trubbel (trouble) [4.17] / Top of the mountain [2.29] / Don't get around much anymore [5.02] / A child is born [4.26] / I can see the bright islands [5.56] / Loverman [5.14] / Basslines [6.15] / Nocturne [6.27]. .

-Jesper Lundgaard Thomas Clausen play the music of Børge Roger Henrichsen -: Work For Bass And Piano / Jesper Lundgaard (b) Thomas Clausen (keyboards) . Mantziusgården, Birkerød 18.-20. October 2002. Music Mecca CD 4013-2. Tonarium (uddrag) (prelude in C major / Prelude in C# minor / New prelude in D major / Prelude in A major / Prelude in Db major / Prelude in C minor / Prelude in Eb minor / Prelude in C major / Prelude in D minor / Prelude in B minor / Prelude in G# minor / Prelude in Eb minor / Prelude in G major / Prelude in B minor / Prelude in G minor / Prelude in G# minor / Prelude in G major / Prelude in c# minor / Prelude in D minor / Prelude in Bb minor) .

-Blues for Thad-: Nikolaj Gromin and Jesper Lundgaard. unknown location and date . Olufsen DOCD 5130. Solar (6:24) / Karen (4:15) / My romance (6:10) / Blues for thad (7:32) / My one and only love (5:36) / My shining hour (5:46) / In a sentimental mood (8:04) / P marken stod et birketr (5:50) / Jeg ser de bogelyse er (3:06).

-Celluloid-: Hans Ulrik (sax) rJesper Lundgaard (b) Niclas Knudsen (g). København (Copenhagen), Denmark, December 2004. Music Mecca CD 4078-2. Watch what happens / Celluloid / Do not forsake me oh my darling (High noon) / Amarcord / Everybody's talkin' / Cinema paradiso (love theme) / September song / The persuaders / The last time I saw Paris / Jean de Florette / The third man theme.

-Plays Cornelis-: Hans Ulrik (ts, bar) Niclas Knudsen (g)rJesper Lundgaard (b, el-b). København (Copenhagen), Denmark, June 29, October 14–19, 2006. Touché Music (Swd) TMcCD-024. Steamboat blues [4:45] / A song of a rose petal [4:14] / Telegram for Lucidor [2:28] / The dishonest girl [4:45] / The ballad of mr. Fredrik åkare and the fair Miss Cecilia Lind [3:00] / Telegram for a bombed village [4:16] / The ballad of Mr. Fredrik Åkare [2:17] / Spring song [4:59] / Telegram for the full moon [4.33] / Some people go in worn-out shoes [4:34] / Rose petal, rose petal [4:02] / The tent [5:36].

-Bassments-: Jesper Lundgaard, Mads Vinding (b). København (Copenhagen), Denmark, summer 2006. Touché Music (Swd) TMcCD-025. My favorite things [4:29] / Django [4:06] / Jordu [4:47] / Those who were [4:12] / Visa från Utanmyra ( Emigrantvisa [5:10] / Waltz for Debby [4:39] / Two little pearls [5:06] / I have the feeling I've been here before [3:46] / Gee blues [3:36] / Blackbird [3:54] / I've never been in love before [4:06] / Jespers samba [2:50].

-Sculpting-: same pers. København (Copenhagen), Denmark, November 29 & December 5.-12. , 2006. Music Mecca CD 5035-2. So what / Midnight run / Bob Dylan / Blocks / Little African flower / Charlie Jack / Miss Sophie / Streets / Old school / Goodmorning heartache / Noodles / Fætter krads / Lakes / Jumbo.

-Gotta dance – Jimmy Giuffre remembered -: Hans Ulrik (ts) Niclas Knudsen (g) Jesper Lundgaard (b). August 17.-20: 2010. Fclef 001. Gotta dance (4:15) / Jimmys chimney (3:49) / Sejlbåd (4:18) / Jimmys clarinet (4:50) / Pragmatism (2:56) / Sputnik (5:11) / The train & the river (4:00) / Tiden (3:25) / Crawdad suite (6:42) / Futtog (6:17) / Mingus (3:41) / Rabbit run (4:25) / Darkness (4:33) / Scope (3:48).. 3

-Walk tall: The Adderley project -: same pers. December 5.-7.: 2012. Storyville (Dan) 1014281. Walk tall (05:44)) / Aya (02:23)) / Stars fell on Alabama (07:35)) / Nippon soul (05:15)) / Reverend (05:30)) / Wheels (03:40)) / Sleeping bee (05:10)) / This here (05:03)) / Minha de saudade (02:42)) / Funny games (04:15)) / Sack o woe (04:21)). .

As sideman

With Lotte Anker – Mette Petersen Quartet

With Paul Bley

With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis

With Teddy Edwards

With Tommy Flanagan

With The Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra

With Thad Jones

With Duke Jordan

With Warne Marsh

With Phineas Newborn, Jr.

With Horace Parlan

With Doug Raney

With Jimmy Raney

Awards