Steinar Raknes

Steinar Raknes (born 22 March 1975) is a Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass) and composer, and the younger brother of Jazz singer and pianist Eldbjørg Raknes. He is considered to be one of the most talented double bass players of his generation in Norway, and is known from collaborations with the like of Chick Corea, Michael Brecker, Bobby McFerrin, Ola Kvernberg and Hallgeir Pedersen.

Raknes was born in Midsund. He started to play bass at the age fifteen, graduated from the Music school in Kristiansund 1994, and from the "Sund Folkehøgskole" 1995. As a student on the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium (1995–98) he established the bands The Core and Urban Connection (bouth in 1996). He played with the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra featuring Chick Corea as soloist, and the quartet "BounceTones". He contributed to the cooperated broadcast NRK/EBU "Jazz jorda rundt" as the bassist within the Hallgeir Pedersen Trio 2003.

Raknes has played on releases by Jens Arne Molvær (1998) and Ole Reinlund (2003), and is also steady in the band line up with Ola Kvernberg, played in the Kirsti Huke Trio and initiated Shagma in 2004. In 2008 he debuted as solo artist with the album Tangos, Ballads & More, followed up in 2012 by the album Stillhouse. He has also worked as instrumental double bass teacher on the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium.

Solo albums

• 2008: Tangos, Ballads & More (Park Grammofon), with Ola Kvernberg, John Pål Inderberg & Håkon Mjåset Johansen
• 2012: Stillhouse (Reckless Records), with Mickey Raphael, Solveig Slettahjell, Unni Wilhelmsen, Kaja Bremnes, Paolo Vinaccia & Andrew Utnem

Collaborative works

Ola Kvernberg, Erik Nylander and Steinar Raknes with the Jazzland Community at the Jazz club Sardinen, USF Verftet in November 2012.

• 2001: Urban Connection (Bergland Productions)
• 2002: French Only (Bergland Productions)
• 2004: UC 3 (Bergland Productions)

• Love Seriously Damages Health (2001, Bergland Prod.)

• 2004: Vision – (Jazzaway Records)
• 2006: Blue Sky – (Jazzaway Records)
• 2007: Office Essentials – (Jazzland Recordings)
• 2010: Party – (Moserobie Music)

• 2005:Music – (Jazzaway Records)

• 2005: Live in Molde – (MNJ Records), feat. Chick Corea

• 2006: Night//Driver – (Jazzland Recordings)
• 2009: Folk – (Jazzland Recordings)

• 2007: The Indian Core – (Grappa Music)

• 2007: Deloo – (Grappa Music)
• 2009: Kirsti Huke – (Fairplay)

• 2007: Meditations on Coltrane – (Grappa Music), feat. The Core

• 2010: My Sister Said – (Turn Left Prod.)