Thomas Tidholm and Jonas Knutsson
Jonas Knutsson - Blåslåtar
Jonas Knutsson with Janne Hansson at Atlantis Studios
Jonas Knutsson
Jonas Knutsson
Berger Knutsson Spering 2015
JonasKnutsson (photo Thomas Gidén)
Jonas Knutsson (photo: Viktor Gårdsäter)
Berger Knutsson Spering
Berger Knutsson Spering (photo Thomas Gidén)
Berger Knutsson Spering (photo Thomas Gidén)
Berger Knutsson Spering + Niklas Rådström 2011
Mats Öberg, Jonas Knutsson, Thomas Gustafsson w Beches Brew BIG in Lund October 4, 2014 (photo Christer Männikus)
Beches Brew practising (photo Jon Edergren)
Spering Knutsson Berger, selfie 2014
Jonas Knutsson (photo Jon Edergren)
Jonas Knutsson and Kjell Westling (photo Jon Edergren)
Westling, Knutsson, Almqvist
Berger, Spering, Knutsson. Oil on Canvas.
Beches Brew - First Edition
BKS, Indra String Quartet and Niklas Rådström, Lyckå 2012
Jazz Studion Jonas Knutsson och Mats Öberg.

Jonas Knutsson

Posted 2013-08-12

 Apple Music  Tracklib  Spotify

Orsa by Night Swedish saxophone hero Jonas Knutsson is one of Country & Eastern’s most important artists. The wish to release an album with the group Berger Knutsson Spering was what actually triggered the start of the label in 2005 and Jonas is featured in quite a few of our albums.

In March 2019 Jonas is receiving a HUGE prize of 250.000 SEK! Very well deserved indeed!

This is what All About Jazz had to say about Jonas:
“Knutsson is also one of the most expressive saxophonists playing today. Combine this with his flawless technique and Knutsson becomes an artist in the Liszt tradition. His playing may not be dramatic as Liszt’s was, but with deep—often aching—emotion he is able to summon feelings from the very depths of his soul. This might put Knutsson in the same league that was once occupied only by Charlie Parker and John Coltrane—not only in terms of sheer mastery of technique, but also when it comes to innovation and creativity. Geographically challenged Americans might cry blasphemy, but then they probably did when Gismonti arrived on the scene too.”

Swedish National Treasure No 5

In August 2021, Jonas has published a saxophone school in tandem with Kristin Uglar. You find it HERE!

 


all records with Jonas Knutsson


more info

Jonas Knutsson bio: Swedish soprano, alto, baritone, sopranino saxophonist and composer Jonas Knutsson was born in Umeå, 1965. He began playing alto saxophone in the local music school and with the local wind band in the mid seventies. One early inspirator was saxophonist Sahib Shihab who Jonas met several times during summer jazz workshops. 1980 he became a member of the jazz rock group Cabazz, based in Umeå at that time. In 1981 he moved to Skellefteå for musical studies and got involved in a project with traditional sami yoik singing. This created a fascination for folk music and the luminiscent melodies of the north. Since his move to Stockholm in 1983 he has worked with a number of groups, artists and projects within jazz, fusion and folk music. Some examples are: Mynta, Elise Einarsdotter Ensemble, Encore, Enteli, Nordan, Jonas Knutsson Band, Triptyk, Stockholm Folk Big Band, Världsorkestern and Bertrand Renaudin’s Larbre Voyage.

Jonas is presently performing with Berger Knutsson Spering and Beches Brew as well as with guitarist Johan Norberg in the formation ”Norrland”. They have released 3 CD:s on the german label ACT and toured all over europe. He leads Horn Please and Jonas Knutsson Quartet and records and tours with Belgian composer/pianist/singer Mathilde Renault and Maroccan percussionist Khalid Kouhen as well as with Nils Landgren. He is also teaching in the conservatory in stockholm where he is conducting a world music big band in the folk music department among other things.

Jonas’ album Blåslåtar was nominated for a grammy 2011 and Jonas himself was nominated for the Artist of the Year 2011 award at the Folk and Worldmusic-Gala in Gothenburg, Sweden. In 2015 he is featured on two C&E albums, Beches Brew BIG and Beches Brew BAG and in 2016 on two more, Blue Blue w Berger Knutsson Spering Schultz and Orsa by Night, a duo album w poet/musician Thomas Tidholm. In 2017 He is an essential part of Beches Indian Brew. He leads his own Jonas Knutsson Quartet.

Jonas’ albums on Country & Eastern:

CE03 Berger Knutsson Spering & Friends: See You in a Minute – memories of Don Cherry.
CE04 Berger Knutsson Spering: Up Close
CE08 Jonas Knutsson: Horn Please!
CE10 Jonas Knutsson & Mats Öberg: LIVE!
CE12 The Party Band: Country & Eastern Christmas
CE13: Bengt Berger: Beches Brew
CE15 Haci Tekbilek: Türlü
CE16: Jonas Knutsson: Blåslåtar
CE25 Willemark, Knutsson, Öberg
CE27 Beches Brew – BIG
CE34:Berger Knutsson Spering Schultz: Blue Blue
CE35: Thomas Tidholm – Jonas Knutsson: Orsa By Night
CE38: Beches Indian Brew

Digital albums:
CEX01 See You In A Minute –  The Extra Takes
CEX05 Up Close – Extra Takes
CEX10 Horn Please – Extra Takes
CEX17 Beches Brew – BAG
CEX33 Viltvarning – Live at Fasching 2002
CEX37 COOL FUNERAL BEER – DAY 1 – The Final Ancestor Shrine

On associated labels:
AMCD738 Enteli Live
AMCD880, BKS – Om Natten
AMCD889, BKS – Live  at Glenn Miller vol 1
AMCD890, BKS – Live  at Glenn Miller vol 2
AMCD885 Old School – All Time High
Impala007, Mäkelä BKS – Arco Iris
GAFCD_1114 BeFive