Svend Asmussen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Svend Asmussen
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Svend Asmussen on the cover of
the Swedish weekly Se 1945 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Svend Harald Christian Asmussen |
| Born | 28 February 1916 Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Died | 7 February 2017 (aged 100) Dronningmølle, Denmark |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupations | Violinist |
| Years active | 1923–2010 |
Svend Asmussen (born February 28, 1916 – died February 7, 2017) was a famous Danish jazz violinist. People often called him "The Fiddling Viking" because he was so good at playing the violin in a jazz style called Swing. He played with many other well-known jazz musicians like Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Stéphane Grappelli. Svend played music for over 80 years, right up until 2010!
Contents
Early Life and Musical Start
in 1961, with Alice Babs at the center
and Ulrik Neumann to the right.
Svend Asmussen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He grew up in a family that loved music. He started taking violin lessons when he was just seven years old.
When he was 16, Svend heard recordings by another jazz violinist named Joe Venuti. He loved Venuti's style and started to play like him. At 17, Svend began working as a professional musician. He played the violin, a vibraphone (a musical instrument with metal bars), and also sang. He stopped his formal music training to focus on his career.
Early in his career, Svend played in Denmark and on cruise ships. He performed with famous artists like Josephine Baker and Fats Waller. Later, he was greatly influenced by the jazz violinist Stuff Smith, whom he met in Denmark. During World War II, Svend played jazz with Valdemar Eiberg and Kjeld Bonfils. At that time, jazz music was sometimes played secretly as a way to show protest.
Famous Groups and Collaborations
In the late 1950s, Svend Asmussen started a music group called the Swe-Danes. He formed this trio with singer Alice Babs and guitarist Ulrik Neumann. The Swe-Danes became very popular in Scandinavia. They were known for their fun music hall style shows. The group even toured the United States!
Svend also worked with many other jazz legends. He played with Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton. Duke Ellington invited Svend to play on his special recording called Duke Ellington's Jazz Violin Session in 1963. On this recording, Svend played alongside other great violinists like Stéphane Grappelli and Ray Nance.
In 1966, Svend Asmussen took part in a jazz event called Violin Summit in Switzerland. He played with Grappelli, Stuff Smith, and Jean-Luc Ponty. This performance was even released as a live album. He also appeared at the 1967 Monterey Jazz Festival, where he had another amazing violin summit with Ray Nance and Jean-Luc Ponty. In 1969, he was a guest musician on an album by the jazz-rock band Made in Sweden. Svend continued to play the violin actively even when he was 94 years old!
Later Years and Legacy
Svend Asmussen lived a very long life. He became a centenarian (someone who lives to be 100 years old) on February 28, 2016. He passed away peacefully in his sleep on February 7, 2017. This was just three weeks before his 101st birthday.
Svend Asmussen's amazing collection of jazz music, photos, posters, and other items is now kept at the jazz collections at the University Library of Southern Denmark. Svend's son, Claus Asmussen, is also a guitar player in Denmark. He was a member of the band Shu-bi-dua.
See also
In Spanish: Svend Asmussen para niños
