Svend Asmussen | |
|---|---|
 Svend Asmussen on the cover of the Swedish weeklySe 1945 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Svend Harald Christian Asmussen (1916-02-28)28 February 1916 Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Died | 7 February 2017(2017-02-07) (aged 100) Dronningmølle, Denmark |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupations | Violinist |
| Years active | 1923–2010 |
Svend Asmussen (28 February 1916 – 7 February 2017) was a Danishjazz violinist, known as "The Fiddling Viking".[1] A Swing-style virtuoso, he played and recorded with many other notable jazz musicians, includingDuke Ellington,Benny Goodman andStephane Grappelli. He played publicly until 2010 when he had a blood clot, his career having spanned eight decades.
Asmussen was born inCopenhagen,Denmark, was raised in a musical family, and started taking violin lessons at the age of seven.[2] Aged 16, he first heard recordings by jazz violinistJoe Venuti and began to emulate his style. He started working professionally as a violinist,vibraphonist, and singer at age 17, leaving his formal training behind for good. Early in his career he worked in Denmark and on cruise ships, with artists such asJosephine Baker andFats Waller. Asmussen later was greatly influenced byStuff Smith, whom he met in Denmark. Asmussen played withValdemar Eiberg andKjeld Bonfils duringWorld War II, during which time jazz had moved to the underground and served as a form of political protest.
In the late 1950s, Asmussen formed the trio Swe-Danes with singerAlice Babs and guitaristUlrik Neumann.[2] The group became quite successful inScandinavia for theirmusic hall style entertainment and also toured the United States. Asmussen also worked withBenny Goodman,Lionel Hampton, andDuke Ellington.[2] Asmussen was invited by Ellington to play on hisJazz Violin Session recording in 1963 withStéphane Grappelli andRay Nance.[2]
In 1966, Asmussen appeared alongside Grappelli, Stuff Smith, andJean-Luc Ponty in a jazzViolin Summit in Switzerland that was issued as a live recording.[2] He made an appearance at the 1967Monterey Jazz Festival, which included a celebrated violin summit with him, Ray Nance and Jean-Luc Ponty. In 1969, he guested onSnakes in a Hole, an album by the jazz-rock bandMade in Sweden. He was still active playing violin at the age of 94.[3]
Asmussen became acentenarian on 28 February 2016.[4] He died peacefully in his sleep on 7 February 2017, three weeks before his 101st birthday.[5]
Asmussen's collection of jazz music, photographs, posters and other material is held in thejazz collections at the University Library of Southern Denmark. Asmussen's son,Claus Asmussen, is a guitar player in Denmark and a former member of the bandShu-Bi-Dua.
Sources
Notes
Media related toSvend Asmussen at Wikimedia Commons
