Frode Gjerstad

Frode Gjerstad
Frode Gjerstad
	Gjerstad during the Moers Festival in Germany, 2008
Background information
Born	24 March 1948 (age 76); Stavanger, Rogaland, Norway
Genres	Jazz
Occupation	Musician
Instrument(s)	Saxophone, clarinet, flute
Website	frodegjerstad.com

Frode Gjerstad (born 24 March 1948)^[1] is a Norwegian jazz musician with alto saxophone as principal instrument, but he also plays other saxophones, clarinet, and flute. He has collaborated with Paal Nilssen-Love, Borah Bergman, Peter Brötzmann, Evan Parker, Derek Bailey, Bjørn Kjellemyr, Terje Isungset, William Parker, Sabir Mateen, John Stevens, Johnny Dyani, Kent Carter, and since 1979 has contributed to more than 50 recordings.^[2]^[3]

Career

Gjerstad played in the trio Detail together with the British drummer John Stevens, in the period 1981–1994, and they released fourteen albums. Other members of the band were the pianist Eivin One Pedersen (1981–82) and the mega bassist's Johnny Dyani (1981–1986) or Kent Carter (1987–1994).

In 1985, he initiated "Circulasione Totale Orchestra", a band with varying lineups, where young musicians, mostly from Stavanger, could get a chance. To the Moldejazz 1989 he composed the commissioned work Dancemble which was performed by a 13-man version of the band. The band was active until 1995 and produced three recordings. In 1998, the band reemerged and released the album Borealis.

He also collaborated with numerous musicians in various small groups, which has resulted in several albums, tours and festival recordings in Norway, United States and Europe. The most long-lasting partnership in recent years is the current issue of Gjerstad Trio where he plays with drummer Paal Nilssen-Love and bassist Øyvind Storesund. They debuted at Nattjazz in Bergen 1999 and have released five albums.

Honors

1996: Jazz Musician of the Year by "Foreningen norske jazzmusikere"
2008: "Buddyprisen"
2010: "Stavanger kommunes kulturpris"

Discography

Solo albums

1998: Ism (Circulasione Totale)

As front man

Frode Gjerstad and the Circulasione Totale Orchestra

1998: Borealis (Cadence)

With John Stevens, Derek Bailey

2001: Hello Goodbye (Emanem)

With Terje Isungset

2002: Shadows and Light (FMR)

With Peter Brötzmann

2003: Soria Moria (FMR)

With John Edwards & Mark Sanders

2003: The Welsh Chapel (Cadence)

With Derek Bailey

2003: Nearly A D (Emanem)

With Steve Hubback

2003: Demystify (FMR)
2005: One Foot Moving (Utech)

With Lasse Marhaug

2003: Tou (FMR)

With Paul Hession

2004: May Day (FMR)

With Kevin Norton

2004: No Definitive (FMR)
2011: Tipples (FMR) with David Watson
2013: Live Tipple (FMR) with David Watson

With Anders Hana, Morten Olsen, Per Zanussi

2003: Born To Collapse (Circulasione Totale)

With Sabir Mateen

2005: Good Question (FMR)

With John Stevens

2005: Keep On Playing (FMR)

With Nils Henrik Asheim

2005: The Shortest Night (FMR)

With Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut - The Organic Plastic Band

2006: We Are As Organic As Cars (Nolabel)

With Daniel Carter, Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut

2006: Behind the White Fences (Nolabel)

With Eivind One Pedersen, Kevin Norton

2006: The Walk (FMR)

With Fred Lonberg-Holm

2006: The Cello Quartet (FMR), including with Amit Sen, Paal Nilssen-Love - The Cello Quartet
2010: Sugar Maple (FMR), including with Michael Zerang
2011: Tistel (FMR)

With Paal Nilssen-Love

2007: Day Before One (Tyyfus)
2010: Gromka (Not Two)
2012: Side By Side (CIMP)

With William Parker & Hamid Drake

2008: On Reade Street (FMR)

With John Edwards / Mark Sanders

2009: Bergen (FMR)

With Nick Stephens

2012: Different Times (Loose Torque)

With Skaset _ Tafjord _ Mølstad _ Moe

2013: Deichman (Conrad Sound)

With Luis Conte

2013: Mirrors Edges (FMR)

Collaborations

Within Detail

1983: Backwards and Forwards / Forwards And Backwards (Impetus Records), with Johnny Dyani and John Stevens

In trio with Rashid Bakr and William Parker

1996: Seeing New York From The Ear (Cadence)

With John Stevens

1996: Sunshine (Impetus)

With Peter Brötzmann

1999: Invisible Touch (Cadence )

With Borah Bergman

2003: Rivers in Time (FMR)

With Jeffrey Shurdut

2004: Everything Is Divisible By 1 (Nolabel)

With Lasse Marhaug

2004: Red Edge (CD) Breathmint, Carbon Records, Little Mafia Records, Sunship Records, Gameboy Records BM 96, CR092, LM035, SUN38, GB55 2004

With Bobby Bradford

2009: Reknes (Circulasione Totale), including with Ingebrigt Håker Flaten + Paal Nilssen-Love
2012: Kampen (NoBusiness), including with Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Paal Nilssen-Love
2012: Dragon (PNL), including with Paal Nilssen-Love
2014: Silver Cornet (Nessa), including with Ingebrigt Håken Flaten, and Frank Rosaly