{{Short description|Norwegian band leader (1931–2020)}} {{for|the Norwegian composer and organist|Kjell Mørk Karlsen}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Kjell Karlsen | image = | image_size = | birth_name = Kjell Oddvar Karlsen | birth_date = {{birth date|1931|7|29|df=y}} | birth_place = Sarpsborg, Norway | death_date = {{death date and age|2020|5|5|1931|7|29|df=y}} | death_place = | instrument = Piano, organ | genre = | occupation = Band leader, arranger, composer, musician | years_active = | label = | associated_acts = | website = }}
'''Kjell Oddvar Karlsen''' (29 July 1931 – 5 May 2020) was a Norwegian band leader, composer, arranger, jazz pianist and organist, and a Nestor of Norwegian music and show business, with a career spanning more than 60 years.<ref name=snl>{{Cite web |url=http://snl.no/Kjell_Karlsen |title=Biography Kjell Karlsen - Store Norske Leksikon|date=18 June 2024 }}</ref> He was the father of the singer Webe Karlsen.
==Career== Karlsen was born in Sarpsborg. Inspired by the Nat King Cole jazz ensembles from the time of World War II, he started his own orchestra at the age of 16 in 1947, ''The Syncopators Band'', in Sarpsborg, and he soon became a central figure in the local jazz scene. In the period 1953–59, he had a series of bands with local musicians, many to be influential on the Norwegian and some on the World jazz scenes, like the jazz singer Karin Krog (1955–56), the saxophone players Totti Bergh (1955–59), Bjørn Johansen (1956–58) and Harald Bergersen (1959), and drummer Ole Jacob Hansen (1959), most of whom later would play central roles in the renowned Kjell Karlsens Big Band that he started together with saxophone player Mikkel Flagstad (1959–64). In addition to the ones listed above, K.K.B.B. featured musicians like trombonist Frode Thingnæs, bassist Erik Amundsen and the singers Grynet Molvig, Laila Dalseth, Odd Børre and Kirsti Sparboe among others. Karlsen also worked as a pianist and was an accompanist for a number of Norwegian and International Jazz soloists. He attended the first International Jazz Festival in Molde in 1961.<ref name=mic>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mic.no/nmi.nsf/doc/art2009021710070715905241 |title=Biography Karlsen, Kjell - MIC.no |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160116180427/http://www.mic.no/nmi.nsf/doc/art2009021710070715905241 |archivedate=2016-01-16 }}</ref>
Karlsen founded the record label Viking Music in 1962, and among the signed bands and artists were The Beatniks, Rannie Rommen, Lorne Lesley and Jack Dailey.<ref>The cover of the album ''Norsk rocks gyldne år'' (1981) with The Beatniks</ref> Kjell Karlsen's Big Band and Finn Eriksen also made recordings for the label. Karlsen was the initiator and opened the concert series ''Jazzakademiet'' in Oslo Konserthus (1997). Karlsen and a new generation of Norwegian musicians with Even Skatrud Andersen as one, gathered a new edition of the ''Kjell Karlsen Big Band'' and made the renowned arrangements to ''Edvard Grieg in jazz mood'' for the 10th anniversary of the ''Jazzakademiet'' in 2007, recorded in 2008.<ref name="mic"/>
In the summer of 2011, Karlsen was 80 years old and was celebrated with an anniversary gala at Oslo Konserthus where a large number of artist friends and partners lined up with a Big Band and choir for a musical event constituting a party out of the ordinary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oslokonserthus.no/action/displayArticle?aid=3617|title=Kjell Karlsen 80 års jubileumsgalla med storband og kor - Oslo Konserthus|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429045642/http://www.oslokonserthus.no/action/displayArticle?aid=3617|archivedate=2014-04-29}}</ref>
Karlsen died on May 5, 2020.<ref>[https://www.aftenposten.no/kultur/i/wP2xjM/orkesterleder-kjell-karlsen-er-doed Orkesterleder Kjell Karlsen er død] {{in lang|no}}</ref>
==Composer to the Melodi Grand Prix==
{|class="wikitable" !Year !Title !Artist !Lyrics !Positioning in the Norwegian final !Positioning in the international final |- |1962 |''Kom sol, kom regn'' |Inger Jacobsen |Ivar Andersen |No. 1 |No. 10 |- |1969 |''Lena'' |Odd Børre |Kjell Karlsen |Nr. 2 | |}
==Releases== *''I selskap med K. K. Orkester'' vol 1, 3 and 3 (1968–71). *''K. K. Big Band Bonanza'' (Tylden, 2001) *''Edvard Grieg in jazz mood'' (Universal Music, 2009). Vokalbesetning: Pitsj, Heidi Ruud Ellingsen, Kåre Conradi, Torun Eriksen, Carsten Loly and Bjørn Johan Muri.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.artistpartner.no/artist.asp?uid=155 |title=Biography Bjørn Johan Muri - Artistpartner.no |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304231358/http://artistpartner.no/artist.asp?uid=155 |archivedate=2012-03-04 }}</ref>
==Awards== *Gammleng-prisen 1995 in the class Veterans.
==Filmography (as composer)== *1962: ''Sønner av Norge kjøper bil'' *1963: ''Freske fraspark'' *1964: ''Marenco'' *1974: ''Ante'' (TV series)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{portal|Norway|Jazz}} *{{cite SNL|Kjell_Karlsen|Kjell Karlsen}} *[http://mic.no/nmi.nsf/doc/art2006051613321345206225 Biografi] and images from the Norwegian Music Information * {{Discogs artist|Kjell Karlsen}} *{{IMDb name|id=0439574}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karlsen, Kjell}} Category:20th-century Norwegian pianists Category:21st-century Norwegian pianists Category:Norwegian jazz pianists Category:Norwegian composers Category:Norwegian male composers Category:Norwegian bandleaders Category:Musicians from Sarpsborg Category:1931 births Category:2020 deaths Category:20th-century Norwegian male musicians Category:21st-century Norwegian male musicians Category:Norwegian male jazz pianists