Biography
Started in 1972 by the trombone player Gunnar Gotaas, is one of few bands playing New Orleans Revival Jazz, a style from the 40´s: a mix between tradicional Jazz and “Rythm Blues”.
Magnolia Jazzband has performed many times all around Norwegian, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Spain, Singapore, Switzerland, Germany, Rusia and Colombia.
The most renowned was the one in the Jazz Festival of Molde, in 1981, with the jazz singer from New Orleans, Lillian Boutté. Other famous singers that have performed with Magnolia Jazzband are Elaine White, Ruth Reese, Topsy Chapman, Jan Harrington, Thais Clark, Al Carson and Juanita Brooks. The Band has performed many times in the New Orleans Revival Jazz and several of their records have been recorded there. Up until now the band has released 15 records.
The New Orleans Revival Jazz was named after being discovered by music researchers/scholars in the 1940s, then gained widespread popularity and flourished once again.
This music style binds traditional jazz music with rhythm and blues. The New Orleans musicians have always freely combined the musical genre/manners, and this is one of the core elements in the development of jazz. In the churches the gospel rhythms would swing, and brass bands played rhythmic music for funerals and parades. Combined with elements from blues and ragtime the New Orleans jazz developed with its special beat.
Many known musicians (amongst them King Oliver and Louis Armstrong) emigrated from New Orleans around 1920, but those who stayed behind in the home town also kept a special style, for instance Percy Humphrey, “Kid” Thomas and “Sweet” Emma Barret.
Even today one still finds a musical and cultural diversity in New Orleans, and Magnolia Jazzband is a worthy representative for this music style. MJB has been characterized as one of the most authentic Norwegian jazz bands, a band striving to play this genuine New Orleans jazz rooted in blues and gospel.
Repertoire
Don't Give Up The Ship A. Dublin, H. Warren
Weary Blues (Shake It, And Break It) A. Matthews
You Can't Tell The Difference After Dark Alberta Hunter
Salme 148 Anders Frostenson/
Lennart Jernestrand
Float Me Down The River Armand Hug
I'm Nobody's Baby B. Davis, M. Ager, L. Santly
Fine And Mellow Billie Holiday
Bye And Bye C. A. Tindley
What A Friend We Have In Jesus C. C. Convevse
When My Dreamboat Comes Home Cliff Friend, Dave Franklin
I Love You Cole Porter
The Same Old Love Dave Williams
My Sin Was Lovin' You De Sylva-Brown-Henderson
Without You For An Inspiration Desconocido
I Balladetone Edvard Grieg
Over In The Gloryland Emmet S. Dean
Big Jim G. Gotaas
Roses Of Picardy Haydn Wood, Freerick Weatherly
Lily Of The Valley Hays/Fry
Close To You Hoffman-Livingston-Lampl
Climax Rag J. Scott
Sus Fra Varaldskog Jenny Rogstad
A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening Jimmy McHugh
Canal Street Blues Joe Oliver
I'm Through With Love Joseph Gus Kahn
C'est Magnifique Keith O. Murray, Kevin Jones
Don't Leave Me Now Lieber, Stoller - arr. G. Gotaas
Day By Day Lina Sandell/Oscar Ahnfeldt
The Holy Wings, O Savior Lina Sandell/trad
When I Come To The End Of My Journey Lucy E. Campbell
Everywhere You Go M. Fisher, J. Goodwin
New Orleans Workshop Blues M. G. Larsen
Yesterday Paul McCartney
My Man Pollack Yvain
Laughing Samba R. Vincent, G. Johnson
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered Richard Rogers, Lorenz Hart
In The Sweet Bye And Bye S.F. Bennett/J.P. Webster
Please, Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone Stept-Clare
Take My Hand Precious Lord Thomas E. Dorsey
Skal Vi Ustridig Hist trad./Henning Sommero
Blood And Tears Tradicional
Do You Know My Jesus Tradicional
Down By The River Side Tradicional
Give Me A Clean Heart Tradicional
Give Me That Old Time Religion Tradicional
Gje Meg Handa Di / In Sally’s Garden Tradicional
Lord, Lord Tradicional
Only A Look Tradicional
The Old Rugged Cross Tradicional
We Shall Walk Through The Streets Of The City Tradicional
Move The Body Over Tradicional
My Little Girl Von Tilzer
Yellow Dog Blues W. C. Handy
Discography
Magnolia Jazzband & Topsy Chapman -- Live at Oslo Concert Hall (2008)
An evening prayer (2005)
Classic Magnolia- Vintage 1976 (2004)
In that sweet old garden of Eden (2002)
A lovely way to spend an evening (2001)
25th Anniversary Concert… with Bill Carson (1998)
Christmas time (1996)
Anytime (1995)
Topsy Chapman and Magnolia Jazzband- Fine and Mellow (1993)
Just a little while with Aline White (1991)
Everywhere you go (… Sunshine follows you) (1983)
Magnolia Jazzband y Lillian Boutté- New Orleans Gospel in Molde Kirke (1991/81)
