Hot Club De Norvege
Biography
Hot Club de Norvège is a Norwegian acoustic jazz group specializing in gypsy jazz/manouche swing, the style associated with Django Reinhardt and the Quintette du Hot Club de France. Guitarist Jon Larsen formed the group in 1979 with friends Per Frydenlund and bassist Svein Aarbostad; violinist Ivar Brodahl joined soon after, later succeeded by Finn Hauge. They also helped launch Norway’s Django Festival in 1980.
The classic lineup combined two guitars, upright bass, and violin—with Hauge also playing harmonica. The sound is largely acoustic and drumless: propulsive guitar-and-bass rhythm, nimble lead guitar, and violin taking melodic solos. They’ve performed with artists including Stéphane Grappelli, Jimmy Rosenberg, Stochelo Rosenberg, and the Vertavo String Quartet.
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A good entry point is Django Music (2008), which pairs Django standards such as “Nuages,” “Tears,” and “Swing 42” with traditional tunes and originals. Try “Nuages” for a more lyrical mood or “Joseph, Joseph” for a brisker swing feel. Other notable releases include Swing de Paris (1986), White Night Stories (2002), and Hot Cats (2005).
The band’s lineup has evolved over the decades. Jon Larsen retired from performing in 2019; listings identify guitarist Ola Erlien, guitarist Gildas Le Pape, Finn Hauge, and Svein Aarbostad as members from there. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.