Árni Egilsson

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Árni Egilsson (born May 22, 1939 in Reykjavík ) is an Icelandic bassist and composer in the field of classical music and jazz , who lives mainly in the United States .

Live and act

After studying in Reykjavík and Hamburg, Árni Egilsson moved to the United States in 1969, where he began working as a studio musician in the 1970s. a. worked for Tom Waits ( Closing Time , 1973), Jaco Pastorius ( Word of Mouth , 1981) or Earth, Wind and Fire ( Powerlight , 1983). In the field of classical music, he worked with John Barbirolli and the Houston Symphony Orchestra, as well as with André Previn . For many years he worked in Hollywood studios; Since then there have also been several albums under his own name, such as the fusion album Basso Erectus (1979) and albums on which he plays with Ray Brown / Pete Jolly ( Basses Loaded ) and Vladimir Ashkenazy ( Nidur ).

From the 1990s he worked on various projects with Wayne Darling ; in 1999 he recorded a joint album ( Say What? ) and performed with him and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen ( The Art of the Bass ). He also performed with Darling on the last recorded NHØP concert. Since the 1990s he has been known as a composer of works for double bass, chamber ensemble and large orchestra as well as for solo vocal works and choral music; he also wrote compositions for lyrics by his wife Dorette (* 1941). For a long time he was a professor of double bass at California State University, Northridge . Árni also held several jazz workshops in Graz.

Compositions (selection)

  • An Old Fashioned Basspiece (for double bass)
  • Borealis (for piano)
  • Changing Times (for alto and tenor saxophone, piano and drums)
  • European Memories (for double bass)
  • Farewell (for saxophone, piano and drums)
  • Get down (for flute and alto flute, violin, viola and cello)
  • I Wander ………? (for viola and piano) (2005)
  • In the Twilight (for flute, violin and viola) (2004)
  • Just a Touch of Armadillo (for flute, violin, viola and cello)
  • Multiplicity (for alto saxophone, flute, clarinet, piano, guitar, double bass and drum)
  • Quest (for double bass and synthesizer)
  • Reflections (for symphony orchestra, 1992)
  • Steeped-in-pathos (for double bass and piano)

Discographic notes

  • Basso Erectus (1979, re-released as Bassus Re-Surrectus )
  • Basses Loaded (1985) with Ray Brown, Pete Jolly, Jimmie Smith
  • Nidur (2004) with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
  • Kaleidoscope (2005) with the Ensemble Mezzoforte , Choir of Langholt Church
  • Chamber Music (2005) with the Arnaeus Ensemble
  • Live in Vienna (Quantum Leap, 2007) with Wayne Darling , NHØP , Fritz Pauer , John Hollenbeck
  • Time After Time (2007) with Foreign Legion

Web links

Note: Icelanders are referred to by their first name or first and last name, but not just their surname. Further information can be found under Icelandic personal name .
personal data
SURNAME Árni Egilsson
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Icelandic musician
DATE OF BIRTH May 22, 1939
PLACE OF BIRTH Reykjavík