Biography

Double bass player Arild Andersen was born in Lillestrøm, Norway, in 1945. He started out as a member of the Jan Garbarek Quartet, with Terje Rypdal and Jon Christensen. In the same period, he worked with Norwegian singer Karin Krog. He was also part of the rhythmic section that accompanied visiting musicians Phil Woods, Dexter Gordon, Bill Frisell, Hampton Hawes, Johnny Griffin, Sonny Rollins, Sheila Jordan and Chick Corea, Don Cherry, George Russell, Ferenc Snétberger and Tomasz Stanko. Andersen has recorded over a dozen albums, some as a leader, for ECM. Clouds in my Head was his first release, which was followed by Shimri, Green Shading into Blue, Lifelines, A Molde Concert, Sagn, Arv, Hyperborean, Sommerbrisen Achirana, The Triangle and Electra, among others appearing as a sideman. Live at Belleville, 2008, was Andersen’s first live album for ECM, recorded with Tommy Smity and Paolo Vinaccia – the two musicians completing the trio with which he will perform at this edition of the Buenos Aires Jazz. For this recording, the Académie du Jazz of France named him European Musician of 2008. With the double bass as the lead instrument, the trio plays improvisations based on folk and original pieces. Scottish Tommy Smith contributes with Garbarek-inspired lyricism, and the drums by Paolo Vinaccia add not only rhythm but also color to the band.