The Phenomenal Danish Fiddler

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Svend Asmussen may be the finest little-known jazz performer in the world.  This page seeks to address the vacuum of information about this remarkable gentleman on the Web today.

A bit of a child prodigy, Asmussen's recording career spans more than 60 years.  As a young man, Svend was something of a novelty performer, beginning to excel on the violin, but also performing on vibes, and other instruments, as well as being a vocalist.

As a more mature performer he explored and recorded in a wide variety of styles, including that of the Indian subcontinent.  Now, as an elder statesman of the instrument, his jazz violin virtuosity takes a back seat to no one, including his contemporary, the much better known Stephane Grappelli.

Perhaps the primary reason that Asmussen is not well known in the United States is that he has preferred to make his native Denmark the headquarters of his operations and has made only infrequent appearances in the U.S., most notably at the 1967 Monterey Jazz Festival "violin summit" with Ray Nance and Jean-Luc Ponty.

The story of Asmussen's life would make a pretty good movie. In the late 1930s, Svend worked in Denmark with touring artists such as Fats Waller, The Mills Brothers, and Josephine Baker.  In 1939 he was quite a hit in London, Hamburg, and Paris.  But the outbreak of war in Europe postponed other proposed tours and projects.

The Nazis hated American Jazz.  At one point Asmussen was arrested and incarcerated in Berlin.  After the war, he became the most popular entertainer in Denmark, if not all of Scandinavia.  At that time, his popularity extended beyond jazz, as he was perceived primarily as a club, vaudeville, and radio performer.  There were also many film appearances and credits, some of the details of which may be found on a separate page.

His early influence was Joe Venuti, but it was a visit to Denmark by Stuff Smith that rekindled his interest in jazz.  He certainly had the opportunity to be better known abroad.  On more than one occasion, he turned down invitations from Benny Goodman to join the clarinetist's famous group.  Apparently, he was comfortable to remain a big frog in a little pond.  This is too bad, as it makes one's mouth water to imagine what the fabulous "small groups" might have produced if Asmussen had been added to the likes of Gene Krupa, Teddy Wilson, and Lionel Hampton.  Svend has, in fact, recorded with Hampton, but the details are unknown to me.

OK, so you've read this far and might be interested.  Despite his relative obscurity, there are usually a few Svend Asmussen recordings available for purchase in the United States.  Allow me to be your tour guide to this remarkable artist.

GETTING STARTED

Four CDS, featuring more-or-less straight-ahead jazz performances, represent a good starting point for most new listeners:

• Signature AK 39150  June Night
• Phontastic NCD 8804  Svend Asmussen at Slukafter
• Intim Musik 6  Fiddler Supreme
• dacapo DCCD 9429  Fit as a Fiddle

June Night is from Sony Music Special Products and may be available in a variety of reissue packaging.  The title tune was a pop hit for Svend back in 1940.  The group on this 1983 recording includes Derek Smith, Bucky Pizzarelli, Oliver Jackson, Jr., and Milt Hinton.  The cuts include such standards as "Just a Gigolo" and "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody."  Trust me, if you have any interest in violin\fiddle as a jazz instrument, you will like this album.

Svend Asmussen at Slukafter features a 1984 live performance, recorded at a club in Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark.  A couple of Svend's own compositions are mixed in with nine other cuts, including standards such as "Someone to Watch Over Me" and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be."  He is accompanied by well-known Scandinavian sidemen, plus American drummer Ed Thigpen.

Fiddler Supreme is a 1989 recording that gives a pretty good idea of what the master sounds like today. The 12 selections include re-workings of some great standards (Limehouse Blues, I Concentrate On You, I've Got Rhythm), the Asmussen original "Desperado," and an instrumental version of "June Night."  Asmussen and his quartet are in fine form on the swinging oldies as well as the more modern stuff such as two Sonny Rollins compositions.  I can recommend this Swedish import to you if for no other reason than it is actually available from many online CD mail-order stores, possibly in larger local record shops as well.

Fit as a Fiddle is the very latest CD, and a nice one too!  Here are 11 numbers recorded "Live In Concert" in 1996 at three different venues in Denmark and Sweden.  Svend and the three young members of his new quartet are in fine form on this collection which includes "Bye, Bye Blackbird," "I Loves You Porgy," and "A Night In Tunisia."  I especially enjoyed the group's version of "Columbine Polka Mazurka" and the exceptional guitar of Jacob Fischer on Duke Ellington's "The Mooche."  I defy you to listen to this record and believe that the lead player is an 80-year old man.  He's just marvelous!  This 1997 release is also available from the online record dealers.

THE EARLY YEARS

Here is our man in his early twenties in the center of an early group.  There is little doubt that these young gentlemen were having a good time.  Some of Svend's most engaging tunes may be found on two CDs recently released on the Phontastic label from Sweden.

• Phontastic 9306  Musical Miracle-Vol. 1: 1935-40
• Phontastic 9310  Phenomenal Fiddler-Vol. 2: 1941-50

Of the two, the second is probably a better introduction to Svend's early work.  A totally delightful album throughout, the 22 cuts include many swing standards familiar to American audiences (Darktown Strutter's Ball, Rhythm is Our Business, etc.).  Indeed, little of Asmussen's work could be regarded as "provincial" and of interest only to European listeners.  The first CD features Svend's very earliest work, including his original 1940 recording of "June Night."  It's great too, but, if you are pinched, the second volume gets the nod.

COMBINATIONS

Asmussen has performed with a remarkably wide variety of other musicians.  He is equally at home with traditional jazz, pop tunes, modern jazz, and even oriental variations.

• Signature A 26229  Teresa Brewer On The Good Ship Lollipop
• Atlantic 90533-2  European Encounter
• Gazell GJCD-1008  Toots & Svend Yesterday and Today
• Storyville SLP 4088  Two of a Kind (w/ Stephane Grappelli)
• Storyville SLP 4075  Garland Dr. L. Subramaniam - Featuring Svend Asmussen
• Swedish Society SCD 1025  The Chamber Choir & Eric Ericson Encounter Svend Asmussen

On The Good Ship Lollipop offers a lesson in marketing and packaging.  When I bought these 1987 performances on LP some years ago, both artists were prominently featured and given equal billing on the cover.  The CD version (1995) is offered as a "Teresa Brewer" recording ("featuring" Svend Asmussen).  This one is not for everyone, but I really like it.  You get the vocal version of "June Night" and the selection of other tunes ("Mean to Me,"More Than You Know," etc.) is a fine one.  Side men include Hank Jones on piano and Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar.

European Encounter teams Svend with John Lewis, better known as leader of the Modern Jazz Quartet.  Recorded in 1962 and reissued in 1986, this is a thoroughly delightful album, featuring seven cuts, six of which are Lewis compositions.  Listen for the rare tenor violin on "New York 19."

Toots & Svend Yesterday and Today teams our man with jazz harmonica virtuoso, Toots Thielemans.  This is a great example of how instruments not ordinarily associated with jazz can come together with success.  Svend plays violin, viola, and cello.  The first cut, an exceptional version of Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady" is a highlight.  Seek this one out!

Two Of A Kind serves up Asmussen and Grappelli together with top Scandinavian sidemen.  Three of their own compositions are included along with a couple of standards --"Honeysuckle Rose," "Satin Doll," and "SSomeone To Watch Over Me."  The two giants of the jazz violin were brought together by Bent Fabric on his popular Danish "Blue Hour" television program in December 1964.  The 1965 recording session followed.  My copy is an LP, but I have seen this on CD at Tower Records.

Garland features 6 compositions, all but one written and arranged by Dr. L. Subramaniam, the Indian violinist, and recorded in Copenhagen in 1978.  I seldom play this LP, but it certainly illustrates the versatility of our man Asmussen, who seems to be at home with just about any form.

The Chamber Choir & Eric Ericson Encounter Svend Asmussen presents an exceptional mixture of Beethoven, Schumann, and Bach pieces alongside those of John Lewis, Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington!  Toss in folk tunes from Brazil, Japan, and Africa, a live TV-audience, and the famous Swedish Chamber Choir under the direction of Eric Ericson, and the result is something quite extraordinary.  The recordings date to 1972-73.  The CD was reissued in 1988.

ALL THE REST

I have several Asmussen releases on LP which may or may not be available on CD.  In addition to compilations on which his group may have a cut or two, the following are worth mentioning and certainly worth picking up from a used record dealer if you ever have a chance to do so.

• Storyville SLP 415  Danish Jazz, Vol. 6 Svend Asmussen
• Folklyric 9025  Hot Swing Fiddle Classics
• EMI/Odeon J9-10  Dansk Guldalder Jazz Vol. 1-2
• EMI/Odeon J11-12  Dansk Guldalder Jazz Vol. 3-4

Danish Jazz, Vol. 6 covers the same period as Phenomenal Fiddler-Vol. 2, but only 4 of the 15 cuts on this album are duplicated on the CD.  Where else can you hear Svend doing the great novelty numbers "The Booglie Wooglie Piggie" and "My Old Man"?  I've had this LP for many years and if this were the kind of world that it should be, it would be released on CD as the next order of business.

Hot Swing Fiddle Classics was my introduction to Svend Asmussen.  Four of the five cuts on this 1979 release are also on Musical Miracle-Vol. 1, but the tracks by other hot fiddlers Stuff Smith and (especially) Emilio Caceres make this an attractive album nonetheless.

Dansk Guldalder Jazz Vol. 1-2 is a double-LP covering Danish Jazz releases between 1933 and 1941.  Asmussen's first recording ("Tiger Rag") is included.  Svend appears on about one-forth of the 28 cuts.  The highlights here, though, are the two cuts by "De Tre Rhythm Girls," a terrific vocal trio!

Dansk Guldalder Jazz Vol. 3-4 is another double-LP, this one covering the years 1942 to 1949. This one mainly features Leo Mathisen and others, but there are a couple of Svend offerings of interest, recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, with the late '40s version of his group

SVEND ON VIDEO

Back in 1981 the still-active Benny Goodman made an appearance at a jazz club in the Tivoli Gardens complex in Copenhagen, Denmark.  During the second half of the show Benny called upon his old friend Svend Asmussen to come up from the audience and join in a few unrehearsed numbers.  Fortunately, this concert appearance was filmed and is available on video tape.  The tape is in color and runs for about 50 minutes.  The image shown at left is from this concert tape.

   

For those of you with browsers that support certain plug-in music players, you may now click on the little arrow associated with the sliding bar and listen to Svend Asmussen playing just a taste of his signature tune "June Night."  If your system lacks the plug-in player, but does have sound capability, you may download and play the file by clicking on the "Pigmaster's Voice" button.   [18 seconds -- 205K]

Svend Asmussen recordings are not easy to find, but the Internet's leading music shop usually has them.  Clicking on the CD NOW image will take you directly to a list of available Svend Asmussen recordings.  And if you buy something, there is a small rebate to yours truly that will help defray the expense of maintaining this site.

SVEND ASMUSSEN IN PERSON

An e-mail received from a fan in June 1997 reports that he had just returned from an Asmussen concert in Reykjavik, Iceland

"two hours ago ... and am still swinging.  Since your homepage is the first I've seen on this great artist, I wanted you to know that I was there and loved every moment of it."

Regretably, I have no pipeline that keeps me informed as to the gentleman's comings and goings.  Mr. Asmussen celebrated his 85th birthday on February 28, 2001, but is still maintaining a schedule of limited appearances.  I am told that he may have decided to retire, following the death of his wife in 2000.  However, he is scheduled to appear in Aalborg, Denmark, on Friday, June 1, 2001, and at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, on Sunday, July 15, 2001.  See the festival web page for details.  Wouldn't it be great to be there?

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