Henning Gravrok | |
Birth Date: | 19 March 1948 |
Birth Place: | Tovik, Troms |
Origin: | Norway |
Instrument: | Saxophone |
Genre: | Jazz |
Occupation: | Musician, composer |
Henning Gravrok (born 19 March 1948 in Tovik, Northern Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (saxophone) and music teacher, raised in Harstad and educated as teacher. Since 1975 he has been central to the Tromsø and Bodø jazz scenes.[1]
In Tromsø, he played in the bands "Hei og Hå" (1975–79) and "Heracleum" (1976–78), "Inge Kolsvik Quartet" (1979–80), "Fusion Band" (1980–81), "Kjell Svendsen Quintet" (1981–83), "Øystein Norvoll Quintet" and "Synk" (1983–84). In recent years he has taken part in the Northern Norwegian band "Bossa Nordpå", and participated in Marit Sandvik Band.[1]
His debut recording was as a member of Thorgeir Stubø Quintet (1981). In Bodø he led "Bodø Big Band" for a period and the "Ad Lib Jazzklubb", Gravrok has written Minner om i morgen (1991) which was awarded "Stubøprisen" (1991). With his own Henning Gravrok Band he released Hyss (1996) and Ord (1999), with lyrics by Rolf Jacobsen. His latest release was Sense (2006), in cooperation with Eivind Valnes (piano), Rune Nergård (bass), Børge Petersen-Øverleir (guitar) and Andreas Håkestad (drums).[1]
As a composer he has contributed work to "Festspillene i Nord-Norge" (1980, 1989) and the 175th Anniversary to Bodø (1991), and composed music to the novel series "Peder Seier" by Ole Rølvåg, set up on Nordland Teater (2006). He is also Associate Professor at the Conservatory of Music at the University of Tromsø.[2]