Jón Páll Bjarnason

Jón Páll Bjarnason (2008)

Jón Páll Bjarnason (born February 6, 1938 in Seyðisfjörður ; † August 16, 2015 ) was an Icelandic jazz guitarist who was one of the pioneers of Icelandic modern jazz .

Live and act

Jón Páll was the son of Anna G. Jónsdóttir, a nurse, and Gunnar Bjarnason, an engineer and director of the National Engineering School. As a child he learned the cello and piano and studied classical music until 1957. He was self-taught at the electric guitarist . As a professional musician, Jón Páll Bjarnason worked in Iceland from 1955 and founded a jazz combo in 1957 , then he worked in Denmark and Sweden; he also played on cruise ships in the Caribbean. In his later years he earned another university degree in music in the United States, where he worked in the Buddy Rich big band, among others . From 2000, back in Iceland, he taught at the FÍH Music School and the Akranes Primary School . Páll was married three times: with the singer Ellý Vilhálms , with the stewardess Erna Haraldsdóttir (who died in a plane crash in 1978) and with the American author Roberta Ostroff. In the field of jazz he was involved in seven recording sessions between 1959 and 2002, in addition to recordings under his own name, also with Ragnheiður Gröndal , Megas , Scotty Young and Frank Collett .

Discographic notes

• Trio Jons Pals (Jazzvakning, 1959), with Gunnar Ormslev (ts), Sigurbjorn Inghvorsson (b)
• Ice (Peridot, 1990), with Ray Pizzi , Andy Simpkins , Lew Malin
• 2 Jazz Guitars (Tonalion, 2002), with Olafur Gaukur

Web links

• Jon Pall Bjarnason at Allmusic (English)
• Jón Páll Bjarnason at Discogs (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} obituary (English)
2. ^ Lögberg-Heimskringla , June 14, 1991
3. ↑ Tom Lord : The Jazz Discography (online, accessed August 21, 2015)

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 .