Terje Venaas

Terje Venaas (30 March 1947 – April 2025) was a Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass), known from dozens of recordings and a number of international collaborations.

Career

Venaas started playing music within several local bands in the Molde area from 1962, among others within his brother's Åge Venås Orchestra (including Geir Schumann piano and Svein Jens Thorsø). He debuted on Moldejazz in 1967, and moved to Oslo where he joined the music scene Club 7 (1967–). There he started performing with musicians like Jan Garbarek, Espen Rud and Carl Magnus Neumann, and debuted on record with Terje Rypdal in 1968.

He was one of the most prominent Norwegian jazz artists, recording with international jazz greats as within Per Husby Trio featuring Chet Baker (The improviser, Cadence Jazz Records), and performed with Dexter Gordon (Club 7, 1972), Toots Thielemans (1986), Michel Petrucciani (Kongsberg Jazz Festival, 1986).

Venaas was also county musician in Sogn og Fjordane (1988–89), and also collaborated with folk singer Lillebjørn Nilsen with concert tours at home and abroad and recordings, such as "Stilleste Gutt på Sovesal 1".

Venaas died in April 2025, at the age of 78.

Honors

Discography

References

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