Bengt Hallberg

{{Short description|Swedish jazz pianist, composer and arranger}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Bengt Hallberg

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| image = Bengt hallberg 2011.jpg

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| image_size = 200px

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| caption = Bengt hallberg in October 2011

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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1932|9|13|df=y}}

| birth_place = Gothenburg, Sweden

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| death_date = {{Death date and age|2013|7|2|1932|9|13|df=y}}

| death_place = Uppsala, Sweden

| genre = jazz

| occupation = composer, musician

| instrument = piano

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Bengt Hallberg (13 September 1932 – 2 July 2013){{cite news|author=Marcus Boldemann |url=https://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/musik/bengt-hallberg-har-avlidit/ |title=Bengt Hallberg har avlidit |newspaper=Dagens Nyheter |publisher=Dagens Nyheter |date= 2 July 2013|access-date=2013-07-05}}{{cite web|author=Doc Rock |url=http://www.thedeadrockstarsclub.com/2013b.html#sthash.9nGhXT1h.dpbs |title=July to December |publisher=The Dead Rock Stars Club |date= |access-date=2013-07-05}} was a Swedish jazz pianist, composer and arranger.John Fordham [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/aug/07/bengt-hallberg "Bengt Hallberg obituary"], theguardian.com, 7 August 2013

Born in Gothenburg, he studied classical piano from an early age, and wrote his first jazz arrangement at the age of 13. At the age of 15 he recorded his first record as a member of a group led by bassist Thore Jederby[http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/musician.php?id=7350#.UgYghHJIFrY "Bengt Hallberg"], All About Jazz, 3 July 2013 and in 1949 he recorded with the Swedish alto saxophonist Arne Domnérus for the first time, and the two musicians continued to play together for several decades.

During the 1950s, Hallberg played with leading visiting American players, including the tenor saxophonist Stan Getz, recording "Dear Old Stockholm" (originally "Ack Värmeland du sköna") with him, and alto player Lee Konitz in 1951, and trumpeters Clifford Brown and Quincy Jones in 1953. Jones first recorded arrangement featured Hallberg.{{cite web |title=Bengt Hallberg Biography |last=Yanow |first=Scott |authorlink=Scott Yanow |publisher=Allmusic |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bengt-hallberg-mn0000788577|access-date=18 April 2010}} In the same period he worked with baritone saxophonist Lars Gullin, another leading Swedish player of the time. Both players were associated with the 'Cool Jazz' scene in their country, influenced by the American school around pianist Lennie Tristano, a Hallberg favouriteLuca Cerchiari, Laurent Cugny, Franz Kerschbaumer (eds.) [https://books.google.com/books?id=3cU2J-2hw5UC&pg=PA220 Eurojazzland: Jazz and European Sources, Dynamics, and Contexts], Northeastern University Press, 2012, p.220 with whom Konitz was associated.

Hallberg had a versatile style and in his later years he wrote music for film and television, as well as choral arrangements, and he also played the accordion. With Domnerus and Georg Riedel among others, he participated in the Jazz at the Pawnshop sessions in December 1976. According to Chris Mosey, while Hallberg was: "usually an extremely delicate and very measured player, [he] was obviously affected by the general ambience, and here and there cuts loose with awesome force".Chris Mosey [http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=27417#.UgY6_XJIFrY "Arne Domnerus: Jazz at the Pawnshop - 30th Anniversary Edition (2007)"] All About Jazz, 30 October 2007

Hallberg died from congestive heart failure.Doug Ramsey [http://www.artsjournal.com/rifftides/2013/07/bengt-hallberg-rip.html "Bengt Hallberg RIP"], Rifftides/Arts Journal, 2 July 2013