ArtistInfo

Lasse Karlsson

as, ss,
Musician of Jazz
A.k.a. Lars Rune Karlsson Lars Karlsson (4)

Clarinetist and saxophonist. Lasse Karlsson, born on October 9, 1947 in Helsingborg, Sweden, almost never travels without his dear clarinet as a companion. Jazz music has meant a lot to him since his early life in the 1950s. His parents gave him and his sister a record player as a gift, but their parents only allowed them to buy one record each per month. The first two he bought were by Louis Armstrong. In 1957, he left jazz music for a short while after hearing and seeing Tommy Steele at the local cinema in Helsingborg. His parents also gave him a guitar as Christmas present, which was a great thing for him. He went to school dances and other festivities and then listened eagerly to all of the musicians in the different orchestras. He especially liked the sound from the saxophones. His uncle, living in Billesholm at the time, showed him pictures from jazz concerts in Denmark and talked about the dixieland music they played there. So he became interested and started to listen to the music by the four great bandleaders: Papa Bue, Chris Barber, Kenny Ball and Acker Bilk. In 1961, at the age of 14, he formed his first band in Ödåkra, with only borrowed instruments because no one in the band could really play at that time. Therefore, the band's first gig came in the fall of 1962 in Höganäs, then with a young Stellan Sundahl on banjo. Jack Andersson also joined the band. Lasse Karlsson as clarinetist had a halt after a gig with Vieux Carré in 1964. He injured an arm and could not play the clarinet for awhile. During that time he began playing soprano saxophone and did not take up the clarinet until more than 10 years later. He has been a member of different groups, as an example Jazz Union from Malmö, but, in 2018, for the last 37 years he is the clarinetist in Jazzin' Jacks. The band has had several different constellations, but has a frontline with Jack Andersson (trumpet), Hans Ingelstam (trombone) and Lasse Karlsson. Lasse Karlsson also has an education as psychologist and has worked as a recruiter in Denmark until 2005, almost always with his clarinet as a companion on his travels from Helsingborg.

Instruments

• Alto sax
• Soprano sax
• Saxophone

Genres

• Jazz
• Blues
• Rock
• Children's Music

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Acknowledgements

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