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Mysen, Oslo, Norway
Jan Garbarek (born March 4, 1947 in Mysen, Norway) a Norwegian tenor and soprano saxophonist, active in the jazz, classical, and world music genres. Garbarek was the only child of former Polish prisoner of war, and a Norwegian farmer’s daughter. Garbarek grew up in Oslo. At 21, he married Vigdis. Their daughter Anja Garbarek is also a musician.
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 strongly reminiscent of Islamic prayer calls, 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.
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. This textural approach, which rejects traditional notions of thematic improvisation (best exemplified by Sonny Rollins) in favor 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.
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 strongly reminiscent of Islamic prayer calls, 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.
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. This textural approach, which rejects traditional notions of thematic improvisation (best exemplified by Sonny Rollins) in favor 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.
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Top Albums
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In Praise of Dreams
Jan Garbarek
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Visible World
Jan Garbarek Buy- Download Album
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I Took Up The Runes
Jan Garbarek Buy- Download Album
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Twelve Moons
Jan Garbarek Buy- Download Album
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Shoutbox
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qpskeifjtygh wrote:
I'm flying in cold air with sunrays piercing my body when I listen to him! [4] exactly !
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MTYZH wrote:
I'm flying in cold air with sunrays piercing my body when I listen to him! [3]
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Oskoreii wrote:
Words lack the power to describe his music. I'm flying in cold air with sunrays piercing my body when I listen to him!
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Junna-Junna wrote:
His music takes on a life inside you, brings the deepest emotions, makes you a person of sensitive, and .. multifaceted.
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lolkanon wrote:
So far I've only gotten to hear Officum and In Praise of Dreams, but they're truly magnificent albums.
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bitsandbytes wrote:
Jan Garbarek on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/artist/jan-garbarek/id22119895
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JanViool wrote:
Lees het artikel over het album Rosenfole van Jan Garbarek en Agnes Buen Gårnas in New Folk Sounds 134 (april/mei 2011). www.newfolksounds.nl
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surazul wrote:
what are you talking about? it's an instrumental?!
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Membroza wrote:
I didn't mean the translation of the word 'scythe' -.- but the song's LYRICS. It's surely not in English :P
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PurpleWayne wrote:
A scythe is a cutting tool. You would use it to cut down wheat, tall grasses, etc. It's an English word.
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Membroza wrote:
Could anyone translate 'The scythe' for me? Or at least tell me what language the song is in?
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Saxophonistin wrote:
Jan Garbarek, an extraordinary saxophonist. ...really great music!
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751126 wrote:
cool , great music
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johntywilks wrote:
Will be playing this artist at our weekend chillout, meditation, electronica live music event on Saturday 13th November 2010, only 20 minutes from Stansted Airport, UK see: http://www.last.fm/event/1685434+Chillout+and+Meditative+Live+Music+-+Dj
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greyorgold wrote:
im just starting to get into him...can someone tell me what album to get first? i tend to like the darker,late-night sounding stuff,so...let me know on my page;thanks!
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rod72lop wrote:
Beautiful.
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diepaprikantin wrote:
♥
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opuszeki wrote:
like the sounds of the clashing clouds...
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Kershlaus91 wrote:
Viddenne is a great track.... beautiful
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hbreckman wrote:
Join: http://www.last.fm/group/European+Jazz
Videos
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& The Hilliard Ensemble - Hays…
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& The Hilliard Ensemble - Surb,…
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& The Hilliard Ensemble - Sirt…
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Ov zarmanali
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Events
- Feb 16 Officium Novum - The Hilliard Ensemble & Jan Garbarek Aarhus Domkirke, Aarhus, Denmark
- Feb 17 Officium Novum - The Hilliard Ensemble & Jan Garbarek Roskilde Domkirke, Roskilde, Denmark
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May
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Officium Novum - The Hilliard Ensemble & Jan Garbarek
Szent István Bazilika, Budapest, Hungary
4 going
1 shout
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Recent Activity
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gerdabaer, martalozynska, mmarkuzel and 4 other people added Jan Garbarek to their libraries. yesterday evening
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Councellor tagged Jan Garbarek with world music, experimental, chillout and 6 other tags. Friday afternoon
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andrzej-kajetan, CieloTurco, pavelhan2009 and 1 other person added Jan Garbarek to their libraries. Friday morning
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jdactix tagged Jan Garbarek with progressive jazz, world fusion, modern creative jazz and 8 other tags. Wednesday morning
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daniildiy, BigVag, ondratoir and 6 other people added Jan Garbarek to their libraries. Wednesday morning
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verulamio added Jan Garbarek to the lineup of Officium Novum - The Hilliard Ensemble & Jan Garbarek at Mariendom. Monday afternoon
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fpiedade, Panormino, error_2 and 19 other people added Jan Garbarek to their libraries. last week
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verulamio added Jan Garbarek to the lineup of Officium Novum - The Hilliard Ensemble & Jan Garbarek at Thomaskirche. last month
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tpfo, lauriola, sdelacosta and 22 other people added Jan Garbarek to their libraries. last month
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Jarkus71 tagged Jan Garbarek with norwegian and jazz. last month
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