thumb|Mezzoforte at the 2017 [[Kongsberg Jazzfestival. Closest to the camera is Friðrik Karlsson.]]
Mezzoforte is an instrumental jazz-funk fusion band from Iceland, formed in 1977.
They signed a record deal with Icelandic label Steinar. "Garden Party" was later covered by Herb Alpert, at a slower speed than the original, apparently as he had learned the track from the single played at the wrong speed.
Band members
Original line-up from 1977:
- Eyþór Gunnarsson – keyboards
- Jóhann Ásmundsson – bass
- Gunnlaugur Briem-Gulli Briem (Gulli) – drums
- Friðrik Karlsson (Frissi) – guitars
Other members, present and past:
- Bruno Müller – guitars (2005–2014)
- Sebastian Studnitzky – trumpet & keyboards (2005–present)
- Thomas Dyani – percussion (2004–present)
- Jonas Wall – saxophones (2013–present)
- Ari Bragi Karason – trumpet
- Staffan William-Olsson – guitars (2003–2004)
- Joel Palsson – saxophones (2003)
- Guðmundur Pétursson – guitars (2003)
- Óskar Guðjónsson – saxophones (1996–2003, 2005–2013)
- Kåre Kolve – saxophones (1991–1994)
- Björn Thorarensen – synthesizers (1980–1982)
- Kristinn Svavarsson – saxophones (1982–1985; died 2026)
- David O'Higgins – saxophones (1985–1989, 2002–2004)
- Jeroen De Rijk – percussion (1984–1986)
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Title
! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Album details
! colspan="8" |Peak chart positions
|-
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | ICE<br />
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | AUS<br />
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | GER<br />
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | NL<br />
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | NOR<br />
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | SWE<br />
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | SWI<br />
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | UK<br />
|-
! scope="row" |Mezzoforte
|
- Released: November 1979
- Label: Steinar
- Formats: LP, MC
|10
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|-
! scope="row" |Í Hakanum
|
- Released: November 1980
- Label: Steinar
- Formats: LP, MC
- Released outside of Iceland as Mezzoforte
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|-
! scope="row" |Þvílíkt Og Annað Eins
|
- Released: November 1981
- Label: Steinar
- Formats: LP
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|-
! scope="row" |4
|
- Released: October 1982
- Label: Steinar
- Formats: LP, MC
- Released outside of Iceland as Surprise Surprise
|1
|46
|33
|10
|—
|—
|—
|28
|-
! scope="row" |Yfirsýn
|
- Released: December 1983
- Label: Steinar
- Formats: CD, LP, MC
- Released outside of Iceland as Observations
|7
|—
|39
|—
|6
|46
|23
|—
|-
! scope="row" |Rising
|
- Released: November 1984
- Label: Steinar
- Formats: CD, LP, MC
|10
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|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|-
! scope="row" |No Limits
|
- Released: November 1986
- Label: Steinar
- Formats: CD, LP, MC
|9
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|—
|—
|12
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|—
|—
|-
! scope="row" |Playing for Time
|
- Released: April 1989
- Label: RCA
- Formats: CD, LP, MC
|8
|—
|—
|—
|5
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|—
|—
|-
! scope="row" |Daybreak
|
- Released: November 1993
- Label: Spor
- Formats: CD, MC
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|-
! scope="row" |Monkey Fields
|
- Released: July 1996
- Label: Spor
- Formats: CD, MC
|7
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|—
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|-
! scope="row" |Forward Motion
|
- Released: November 2004
- Label: BHM Productions
- Formats: CD
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|-
! scope="row" |Volcanic
|
- Released: 18 October 2010
- Label: Koolmusik, BHM Productions
- Formats: CD, digital download
|—
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|-
! scope="row" |Islands
|
- Released: 6 July 2012
- Label: BHM Productions
- Formats: CD, digital download
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|-
| colspan="10" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
|}
Live albums
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Title
! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Album details
!Peak chart positions
|-
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | ICE<br />
- Label: Skífan/Íslenskir Tónar
- Formats: 2xCD
|—
|—
|-
! scope="row" |The Very Best of Mezzoforte
|
- Released: 24 October 2001
- Label: Skífan
- Formats: CD, MC
|—
|—
|-
! scope="row" |Anniversary Edition
|
- Released: April 2007
- Label: BHM Productions
- Formats: 2xCD
|—
|—
|-
| colspan="4" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
|}
Video albums
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Title
! scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Album details
|-
! scope="row" |High Voltage
|
- Released: 1985
- Label: Castle Hendring
- Formats: VHS
|-
! scope="row" |Live in Reykjavik
|
- Released: November 2008
- Label: BHM Productions
- Formats: DVD
|-
! scope="row" |Live from London – Live from the Marquee Club
|
- Released: May 2013
- Label: The Store for Music
- Formats: DVD
|}
Singles
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:17em;" | Title
! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:2em;" | Year
! colspan="7" |Peak chart positions
|-
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | ICE<br />
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | AUS<br />
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | GER<br />
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | NL<br />
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | UK<br />
|-
! scope="row" |"Dreamland"/"Shooting Star"
|1982
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|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|-
! scope="row" |"Garden Party"
| rowspan="3" |1983
|8
|32
|10
|36
|23
|5
|17
|-
! scope="row" |"Rockall"
|—
|—
|31
|—
|—
|43
|75
|-
! scope="row" |"Midnight Express" <small>(live)</small>
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|-
! scope="row" |"Midnight Sun"
| rowspan="3" |1984
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|102
|-
! scope="row" |"Spring Fever"
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|100
|-
! scope="row" |"Take Off
|—
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|-
! scope="row" |"Taking Off" <small>(vocal mix)</small>
| rowspan="3" |1985
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|-
! scope="row" |"Garden Party" <small>(sunshine mix)</small>
|—
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|-
! scope="row" |"This Is the Night" <small>(featuring Noel McCalla)</small>
|—
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|-
! scope="row" |"Nothing Lasts Forever" <small>(featuring Noel McCalla)</small>
|1986
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|—
|-
! scope="row" |"No Limit"
|1987
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|—
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|—
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|-
! scope="row" |"Expressway"
| rowspan="2" |1989
|—
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|—
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|—
|-
! scope="row" |"High Season"
|—
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|—
|—
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|—
|—
|-
! scope="row" |"Better Love"
|1991
|—
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|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|-
! scope="row" |"After Hours"
|1994
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|-
! scope="row" |"Step Right Back"
| rowspan="2" |1996
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|-
! scope="row" |"Monkey Fields"
|—
|—
|—
|—
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|—
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|-
! scope="row" |"Garden Party" <small>(2002 remix)</small>
|2002
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|-
! scope="row" |"Hún veit hvað ég vil" <small>(with Auður)</small>
|2020
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|-
! scope="row" |"Broke n Hip"
|2021
|—
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|—
|—
|—
|—
|-
| colspan="9" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
|}
References
External links
- mezzoforte.com (official site)
- gullibriem.com (Gulli Briem's site)
- thefeelgoodcollection.com (Fridrik Karlsson's site)
- bruno-mueller-music.de (Bruno Müller's site)
- studnitzky.de (Sebastian Studnitzky's site)
- jookraus.de (Joo Kraus' site)