Bent Jædig

Bent Jædig
Background information
Born	(1935-09-28)September 28, 1935 Copenhagen, Denmark
Died	2004
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, saxophonist, composer
Instruments	Tenor saxophone, flute
Years active	1957–2004
Associated acts	Danish Radio Big Band

Bent Jædig (28 September 1935^[1] – 9 June 2004^[2]) was a Danish jazz musician. He played tenor saxophone and flute.

Born and raised in Copenhagen, Bent Jædig first studied clarinette before playing saxophone. Late 1950s he went to Germany and led a band with trombonist Rudi Fuesers, later joint another band with trombonist Peter Herbolzheimer in Munich. In the 60s he was back to Denmark and worked with Danish trumpet player Allan Botschinsky and pianist Bent Axen, with whom he recorded for Debut Records. Jædig recorded his first album Danish Jazzman in 1967 with Axen, Botschinsky, Dusko Goykovich, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Alex Riel. In following years he played with the Dollar Brand Quintet which included Don Cherry. As a side-man, Jædig was always in demand. He joint the bands such as Tete Montoliu, Jimmy Woode, Philly Joe Jones/Dizzy Reece, and Louis Hjulmand. He later formed his own trio included bass player Hugo Rasmussen and drummer Kresten Osgood. In a duo with pianist Carsten Dahl, Jædig recorded live shows in 2002 which later became part of a compilation release from Timeless Records.^[3]

In the 70s and 80s Jædig worked with Wild Bill Davison, Art Farmer, Stan Getz, in the Thad Jones Big Band (Live at Montmartre, 1978), also with Duke Jordan, Horace Parlan (Arrival, 1973), Sahib Shihab (Orgy in Rhythm), and in Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band. In the 80ern he was also member of the Erling Kroner Tentet; he played th Danish radio big band (conducted by Palle Mikkelborg), recording the Miles Davis album Aura. In 1987 Jædig was a member of Pierre Dørge's New Jungle Orchestra.

End of the 90s Jædig played in a quintet with Dennis Drud, Erling Kroner, Jørgen Emborg, and Peter Hansen. After Jædig's death in 2004 saxophonist Charles Davis recorded the album Charles Davis Plays the Music of Bent Jædig (2006).^[4] In 2008 in the Jazzhus Montmartre was held a Bent Jædig Memorial Award Celebration.^[5]

Reception

Kjeld Frandsen, a veteran music critique and journalist from Berlingske Tidende Denmark mentioned about Bent Jædig's influence on Danish Jazz scene for years, in an article published in DanishMusic.Info in January 2008.^[6]

Music journalist Kjeld Frandsen said, "A Danish tenor saxophonist who was of immeasurable importance to the Danish jazz scene died in the summer of 2004; bebop veteran Bent Jædig. Young musicians flocked around him, learning from his style and his indomitable approach to the music, and it was widely held that an evening on stage with Bent Jædig was worth more than a whole semester at the Conservatory." (The Danish Jazz Scene: "Rich in activities – In Touch With the Whole World", Kjeld Frandsen)^[7]

Discography

• Let's Keep the Message (Danish Debut, 1960)
• Danish Jazzman (Debut, 1967)^[8]
• Egon Denu & Bent Jædig (Olufsen, 1991)
• Sizzlin' (1996)
• Bent the Sailor (2001)
• Bent Jædig Was Here – Live at the Montmartre 1969 (2012)

Compilations

• From Jædig's Galaxy (Storyville, 1966–83, ed. 2003)
• The Free Spirit (Little Beat, 1963–2003)^[9] with Tete Montoliu, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Dusko Gojkovich, Carsten Dahl, Allan Botschinsky, Duke Jordan, Kenny Drew, Pierre Dorge, Dollar Brand, Don Cherry, Mads Vinding, Art Farmer, Jesper Lundgaard, Dizzy Reece, Isla Eckinger, Philly Joe Jones

References