The impact of Norwegian folk music on Norwegian jazz, 1945-1995

Dickenson, JW

Abstract

My research explores the interrelationship between Norwegian folk music and Norwegian
jazz from 1945 to 1995 (with updates to 2002) and assesses the extent to which the results
can now be considered as constituting an indigenous art form.
A short historical overview of Norwegian geography and history contextualises the
development of Norwegian folk music and, in particular, its musical characteristics. It is
argued that the geographical remoteness of many Norwegian communities isolated the
local culture from the rest of the land's population, a situation which continued until
collectors such as Lindeman and Sandvik began their tours of the landlying districts from
about 1830 and 1900 respectively, collecting material and comparing it with what was
discovered elsewhere.
The end of World War II heralded the start of an important phase of development in
Swedish jazz, which began to cultivate a Scandinavian style of performance and a
Scandinavian repertoire. In Norway, some years later, jazz musicians were influenced by
indigenous folk music and the principal folk music types that provided inspiration are
scrutinised. I then concentrate on defining a Scandinavian jazz style and a recognisable
Norwegian variant. The importance of the Lydian mode in Norwegian music is discussed,
and the theories of Geirr Tveitt and George Russell receive critical evaluation in relation to
Norwegian jazz. Jan Garbarek's composition Molde Canticle is analysed, as is one of its
successors, the album Uncharted Land. The contributions of ECM and Manfred Eicher are
evaluated, and I conclude with a survey of the contributions of other central figures in the
combined field of Norwegian folk music and jazz.

Citation

Dickenson, J. The impact of Norwegian folk music on Norwegian jazz, 1945-1995. (Thesis). University of Salford, UK

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jun 10, 2009
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 10, 2009
• Additional Information: Additional Information : PhD supervisor: Dr Sheila Whiteley
• Award Date: Jun 1, 2003