Oslo Jazz Festival – 1991

Svend Asmussen

3 songs performed by the great Danish jazz violinist

Svend Asmussen (1916-2017) was one of the greatest jazz violinists of all time, a musician on the level of Stephane Grappelli, Joe Venuti, and Stuff Smith.

He would be better known today if he had not spent most of his life performing in Europe and his native Denmark where his humorous personality made him a popular attraction for many decades.

From his appearance at the 1991 Oslo Jazz Festival (when he was 75), the ageless violinist performs spirited versions of “I Got Rhythm,” “June Night,” and “Limehouse Blues” in a quartet with pianist Ole Kock Hansen, bassist Mads Vinding, and drummer Aage Tanggaard, swinging in his typically good-humored manner.

-Scott Yanow