Jan Garbarek in Malmo

Jan Garbarek is a Norwegian saxophonist and composer, born in Mysen in 1947, whose music draws on jazz, Scandinavian folk traditions and spacious ensemble writing. He became closely associated with ECM Records through albums including Afric Pepperbird and Dis, his work in Keith Jarrett’s European Quartet, and Officium, recorded with the Hilliard Ensemble. In the 1970s, Jan Garbarek toured and recorded with Keith Jarrett’s European Quartet, the group heard on Belonging and My Song. He later led the Jan Garbarek Group in theatres and at jazz festivals, while Officium opened a separate concert partnership in churches and concert halls. That collaboration continued through Mnemosyne and Officium Novum before farewell performances in 2014 by Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble.