Olof Grafström

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"Grave-Olle" orchestra in Nalen 1947 (from left: Sune "Sumpen" Borg (piano), Olle Persson (banjo), Sven Lindahl (trombone), Bengt "Buddy" Söderqvist (drums), Olof "Grave-Olle" Grafström (Cornet), Stig Ericsson (clarinet) and Leif "Kleppe" Nyberg (bass))

Claes Olof Emanuel "Grave-Olle" Grafström (born February 14, 1927 in Ulricehamn ; † May 15, 2009 ibid) was a Swedish jazz musician ( cornet player and pianist ) and visual artist.

Life and work

Grafström came from a musical family. In his youth he mainly played the clarinet, for example in the school band "The Three Swingers". When he discovered King Oliver , Louis Armstrong and Kid Ory , he switched to the cornet as the main instrument. He also played the piano.

In the 1940s Grafström moved from the Stockholm region to begin studying art. In 1944 he founded the combo "Olle Grafstrom & His New Orleans Band", which from 1945 to 1947 achieved some prominence among the Swedish youth. Together with Nisse Näs and his combo “Gin Bottle Five”, the formation was a leader in the old-time jazz “revival” wave of that time.

From 1947 Grafström belonged to the band Orkesterjournalen and the Nalen Orkester , and he also appeared with Bunta Horn's band in the Storyville Club in Stocksund , in which Sture "Stubben" Kallin and Jan Bark and as a guest musician Rex Stewart also played. His bohemian lifestyle was legendary among his peers. He made a living from the entrance fees to the live dance events he performed at.

In the summer of 1949 he moved to Paris for a few months , where he met his idol Louis Armstrong. During this time he played a. a. in Claude Luter's orchestra and with Sidney Bechet . He briefly formed a jazz combo there with students of the same age.

Grafström spent most of his adult life on his 7 m long ship “Mariska”, with which he nomadized along the European coasts. He painted and drew, occasionally devoting himself to jazz music, but rarely appeared in public. After selling the "Mariska", he returned to his hometown Ulricehamn in 1987. In old age he lived in a local retirement home until his death.

Discography (selection)

Few historical recordings have survived through republication, including:

  • Grave-Olle's Storyville Four / Grave-Olle & Britta Lindahl: Call of the freaks private recording from May 5, 1949, later republished on Bromma Jazz BJLP3, Flash Music FLCD5-6 and Caprice CAP22041 (Britta Lindahl (voc), Olle Grafstrom (cor ), Bo Forssell (git), Albrecht von Konow (dr))
  • Grav-Olle's Storyville Four / Grav-Olle & Britta Lindahl: Kansas City man blues private recording from May 5, 1949, later re-released on Bromma Jazz BJLP3, Flash Music FLCD5-6 and Caprice CAP22041
  • Bunta Horn's Storyville Jazz Band: My sweet lovin 'it private recording from May 7, 1949, later re-released on Bromma Jazz BJLP3
  • Bunta Horn's Storyville Jazz Band: London cafe blues private recording from May 7th 1949, later re-released on Bromma Jazz BJLP3
  • Grave-Olle's Hot Five: Revolutionary blues , Gazell 1004, with Olle Grafstrom (co), Jan Kallstrom (ss), Sune Borg (pn), Leif Nyberg (sb), Buddy Söderqvist (dr)
  • Bunta Horn's Storyville Jazz Band: Jackass Blues recording from May 24th 1949, Gazell 1001

According to Lars Olson in “Jazz Form” there are other, previously unpublished private recordings with Grafström in the jazz department of the Swedish National Archives in Stockholm.

Literature sources

  • Bernt Carlsson: "The legends' Grave-Olle 'is dead' in Ulricehamns Tidnings on April 17th, 2009
  • Albrecht von Konow: "From school bands jazz's birth" in Bo Everling and Rolf Yrlid (Eds.): Swedish subtitles on jazz (Stockholm 1997)
  • Albrekt von Konow: Supplement to the double CD: Albrekts Swingband 1949-1994 (Flash Music FLCD 5-6)
  • Lars Olson: "Jazz legends Grav-Olle död" In: Jazzbladet nr 2 2009
  • "In memoriam" In: Orkesterjournalen No 5 2009

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bernt Carlsson: “The legends' Grave-Olle is dead” in Ulricehamns Tidnings of April 17, 2009
  2. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from September 8, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.visarkiv.se
personal data
SURNAME Grafström, Olof
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Grafström, Claes Olof Emanuel (full name); Grafström, Grave-Olle (nickname)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swedish jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH February 14, 1927
PLACE OF BIRTH Ulricehamn
DATE OF DEATH May 15, 2009
Place of death Ulricehamn