Olav Dale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Olav Dale
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| Background information | |
| Born | 30 October 1958 Voss, Norway |
| Died | 10 October 2014 (aged 55) |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Saxophone |
Olav Dale (born October 30, 1958 – died October 10, 2014) was a talented Norwegian musician. He was known as a composer, a leader of orchestras, and especially as a jazz saxophonist. Besides the saxophone, he also played other woodwinds (like clarinets or flutes). Even though he didn't have much formal music education, he studied at two folk high schools, which are special schools in Norway.
Contents
Olav Dale's Musical Journey
Early Career and Collaborations
Olav Dale started his music career early. He made his first public appearance at the Vossajazz festival in 1974. He played with the Voss Storband, which is a big band from his hometown. A big band is a large group of musicians who play jazz music.
After this, Olav played with many different groups. He joined the Bergen Blues Band from 1975 to 1984. He also played with the Bergen Big Band. This included working on a project called Monk Moods in 1980.
Olav also played with international groups. These included 'Son Mu' and 'The Gambian/Norwegian Friendship Orchestra'. He played woodwind instruments on several albums with Dag Arnesen. He also performed with bands in Oslo, like 'Oslo 13'.
Leading His Own Bands
In 1995, Olav Dale started his own band, the Olav Dale Quartet. A quartet is a group of four musicians. On their 1997 album, the quartet included Dag Arnesen on piano, Sébastien Dubé on bass, and Frank Jakobsen on drums.
For the 2007 version of his quartet, the band members changed. Erik H. Halvorsen played keyboards, Stein Inge Brækhus played drums, and Torbjørn Hillersøy played electric bass. With this band, Olav Dale traveled to India in 2005. He toured there many times in the following years.
Playing with Jazz Stars
During the 1990s, Olav Dale had the chance to play with many famous international jazz musicians. These included guitarists like Philip Catherine and saxophonists like Paquito D'Rivera and Phil Woods. He also played with singers like Diana Krall. This shows how respected and talented he was in the jazz world.
Olav Dale's Legacy
Olav Dale passed away on October 10, 2014, after being ill. To honor his memory, his family created a special fund. The first award from this fund went to the Bergen Big Band, where Olav was a leader.
Olav Dale's Band Projects
Olav Dale was involved in many different music groups:
- Olav Dale Quartet: His own band, which had different musicians over time.
- Olav Dale Quintet: A group of five musicians. This band included Dag Arnesen (piano) and Frank Jakobsen (drums).
- Grand Scale Trio: A group of three musicians. This trio included Ole Amund Gjersvik (double bass) and Stein Inge Brækhus (drums).
- Bergen Big Band: Olav was the leader of this large jazz orchestra.
- Lille Frøen Saksofonkvartett: A saxophone quartet he was part of from 1986 to 1989.
- Groovy: A band he joined in 2002.
- Gips Baga Bo Pooh: A special band that made music for kids!
- Rolf Arild og Olav Jazz trio: A jazz trio with Rolf Prestø (bass) and Arild Seim (guitar).
Awards and Recognition
Olav Dale received several important awards for his music:
- Gammleng-prisen in 1991: This award was given to him in the category of Session Musician. A session musician is someone who plays on recordings for other artists.
- Vossajazz Award in 1988: This award came from the Vossajazz festival, where he first performed.
- Sildajazz Award in 2008: Another award from a jazz festival.
Olav Dale's Music Albums
Albums as a Leader
These are albums where Olav Dale was the main artist:
- 1997: Little waltz by Olav Dale Quartet (NorCD)
- 2007: Dabrhahi (NorCD)
Albums as a Sideman
Olav Dale also played on many albums with other artists and bands: With Dag Arnesen's Ny Bris
- 1982: Ny Bris (Odin)
With Bergen Big Band
- 2005: Seagull (Grappa)
- 2007: Meditations on Coltrane with The Core (Grappa)
- 2008: Som den gyldne sol frembryter (Grappa)
- 2010: Crime Scene (ECM)
- 2014: Another Sky (Grappa)
With Gambian/Norwegian Friendship Orchestra
- 1982: Friendship (Odin)
