Odd-Arne Jacobsen was born 29.12.1947. He stands today as a unique personal "voice" in european improvisation music, with his own distinctive tonelanguage. Odd-Arne has worked with most of the leading artists in Norway, both with theatre and music, and has also presented his art internationally, in Carnegie Hall, New York in 1990 (solo concert with his own compositions), on tour and in his own television programme in Russia, as well as a solo concert at the Moscow International Jazz Festival. He have toured Usa, Mexico, Russia, France, China, Kuwait, Scottland and also Japan.
Musical career
In the early 1970's Jacobsen toured with the saxophonist Jan Garbarek, bassist Arild Andersen and the finish drummer Edward Wesala. Odd-Arne soon discovered he didnt want to be a commersial ECM artist and decided to go his own ways. Projects and tours in Japan and China soon led him to expressions his music would be influenced by. Odd-Arne Jacobsen is the only norwegian guitar player ever to hold a solo concert in Weil Recital Hall at Carneige Hall, New York. He has also done his own tv-shows both in norwegian television (NRK) and in russian tv with the show "Vinter nattens hemmeligheter". He’s sucsess in Russia has also included a performence at Moscow international jazzfestival as a guest solo artist with the russian guitar legend Alexei Kuznetsovs quartet.
Jacobsen has worked with many of the worlds leading musicians. He had a project in Japan with the pianist/composer Haruna Miyake and the percussionist Yoshiaki and Yoshihisa Ochi, where they used improvisation as their musical language. Jacobsen has explored the traditions of jazz through his swedish friend and colleague Rune Gustavsson. Odd-Arne is also one of the few norwegians who have toured with alt saxophonist Arne Domnerus.
Composer and teacher
Odd-Arne has also had great sucsess as a composer. In the recent years he have written ”Music for the silence minority” for guitar, string quartet and bassoon. It was performed for the first time at an art-exhibition with works from Edvard Munch and Gustav Vigeland. Beside his musical works Odd-Arne is also know for his teaching qualitys. He’s been given a mastergrade at the university of Tromso. He has also lectured at Gnessin Academy in Moscow, Ferris University in Tokyo, The Mexican Academy of music and at the Shang Hai Academy of music. Odd-Arne is currently working as a supervisor for guitar master students at the University of Tromsø, Faculty of Fine Arts, Music Concervatory.
