Terje Venaas

Terje Venaas
Ola Kvernberg, Ingeborg Hungnes, Stian Carstensen and Terje Venaas perform 'Toner fra Romsdal' at Vågøy church 2006.
Background information
Born	(1947-03-30) 30 March 1947 (age 70) Molde, Møre og Romsdal
Origin	Norway
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Upright bass
Labels	Odin

Terje Venaas (born 30 March 1947 in Molde, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass), known from dozens of recordings and a number of international cooperation.

Venaas started playing music within several local bands in the Molde area from 1962, among others within his brother Åge Venås Orchestra (including Geir Schumann piano and Svein Jens Thorsø). He debuted on Moldejazz in 1967, and moved to Oslo where he joined the music scene Club 7 (1967–). There he started performing with musicians like Jan Garbarek, Espen Rud and Carl Magnus Neumann, and debuted on record with Terje Rypdal in 1968.

He is one of the most prominent Norwegian jazz artists, recording with international jazz greats as within Per Husby Trio featuring Chet Baker (The improviser, Cadence Jazz Records), and performed with Dexter Gordon (Club 7, 1972), Toots Thielemans (1986), Michel Petrucciani (Kongsberg Jazz Festival, 1986).

Venaas has also been county musician in Sogn og Fjordane (1988–89), and has also collaborated with folk singer Lillebjørn Nilsen with concert tours at home and abroad and recordings, such as "Stilleste Gutt på Sovesal 1".