Robert Normann
| Robert Normann | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Robert Uno Normann |
| Born |
27 June 1916 Borge, Østfold |
| Origin | Norway |
| Died | 20 May 1998 (aged 81) Kvastebyen, Sarpsborg, Østfold |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instruments | Guitar, banjo, accordion, tenor saxophone |
| Website | robertnormann |
Robert Uno Normann (27 June 1916 in Sundløkka in the former Borge kommune, now Fredrikstad – 20 May 1998 in Sarpsborg, Norway) was a Norwegian guitarist, and is considered one of the jazz guitar pioneers.
Normann was an autodidact performer on the accordion and tenor saxophone, and eventually on the guitar as his main instrument. He was one of the swing era's most sought guitar soloists in Norway, and was also a pioneer of electric guitar. His first electric guitar was enabled in 1939 by constructing a pickup of copper wire, magnets and pitch, stolen from public phones, Normann told in an interview with Jon Larsen.
Normann began his musical career as a wandering street and backyard musician at age 12. He was a professional musician in 1937. On Oslo jazz scene he performed in several swing jazz groups. He played with Freddy Valier in 1938, String Swing in 1939–42, Gunnar Due in 1939–41, and simultaneously led his own quartet. In this period he also played tenor saxophone and was with the Pete Brown Big Band from 1945 and various random jazz groups. He played concerts with his own solo section and could be heard at the revue theaters "Edderkoppen" and Chat Noir for several years. He also played with Frank Ottersen, and later Willy Andresen. He got several career offers from international artists, including from Benny Goodman and Barney Kessel, that he turned down. In 1988 the jazz recordings of Normann were for the first time collected and reissued on the label Hot Club Records (produced by Jon Larsen, who also wrote biographical articles about Normann). After his death, the old recordings were taken over by his family (Normann Records).
Normanns play can mislead people into thinking that Django Reinhardt was the inspiration, but by his own account he never listened recordings with the French guitarist, but to American musicians Teddy Wilson and Leon Chu Berry, and various accordionists. From 1955, he was less active in the jazz context, for example because of significant alcohol problems.
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Wikipedia