Frode Thingnæs (20 March 1940 – 15 November 2012) was a Norwegian jazz composer, arranger, conductor and trombone player who formed the Frode Thingnæs Quintet in 1960.

Career

Thingnæs was introduced to music at eight years old, when he started to play in a Sinsen school band. His first instrument was the trumpet, but in 1953 he took up the instrument he would come to be known for: the trombone. Due to his success at a young age, he was able to continue his musical education at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, where he met other rising musicians. From 1959 onward, Thingnæs met and performed with the bands of Bjørn Jacobsen, Gunnar Brostigen, Mikkel Flagstad and Kjell Karlsen. Starting in 1961, he led his own quartet, which over time included Egil Kapstad, Terje Rypdal, Laila Dalseth, Espen Rud, Bjørn Alterhaug and Per Husby. However, it was the Frode Thingnæs Quintet (including Henryk Lysiak, Jan Erik Kongshaug, Pete Knutsen, and Thor Andreassen) that was included on Norway's first jazz album, released in 1963. In 1967 Thingnæs was named best trombonist in the magazine 'Jazznytt musician vote' and in 1969 he led a Norwegian sextet at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival.

Selected discography

Solo albums

;Big Band

  • 1974: Feelin' All Right (Polydor Records)

;Frode Thingnæs Quintet

  • 1978: Nightsounds (Talent Records)
  • 1980: Direct to Dish (Philips Records)
  • 1981: Queen Python (Philips Records)
  • 1994: Watch What Happens! (Gemini Records), including with Svein Christiansen & Terje Gewelt

Collaborations

;Kampen Janitsjarorkester

  • 1990: Sing as we Go (Kampen Janitsjar)
  • 2002: From Kampen to New Orleans (Kampen Janitsjar)
  • 2008: Samspill(Kampen Janitsjar)

;With Bjørn Alterhaug, Bjørn Johansen, Egil Kapstad & Laila Dalseth

  • 1991: Some Other Time (Gemini Records)

;Antonsen Big Band

  • 2007: Antonsen Big Band (Ponca Jazz)

;Kjell Karlsen Big Band

  • 2008: Edvard Grieg in Jazz Mood (Universal Music)

References

  • Frode Thingnæs er død memorial by Tone Staude & Oddvin Aune on NRK (in Norwegian)
  • Maren lager film om sin far Frode Thingnæs (in Norwegian)