 NAN EHRENSTRAALE (S) (String
Bass and Sousaphone):
Nan is one of the few female jazz musicians
playing the old style jazz music of New Orleans. She was born in Sweden and moved to
Copenhagen, Denmark in 1969.
From the beginning musicians like George Lewis, Kid Thomas Valentine and Captain John
Handy were her main idols - and still are! "Slow Drag" Pavageau, Pops Foster,
Chester Zardis, Papa John and Terry Knight (GB) are among Nan's favourite bass players,
these are the players from whom she gets her inspiration. Her rock solid, swinging,
slap-bass, helps forming a great rhythm section.
When JENSENS NewOrleans BAND performs as a Street Parade, she "climbs into" the
sousaphone, the very big horn - which is her second instrument.
|
 KURT JENSEN (Clarinet, Tenor Sax and Vocals):
"My introduction to jazz was in my
schooldays when I heard the bands of The Dutch Swing College and Chris Barber, it was then
I decided to take up playing clarinet. One day I borrowed some records from a friend, when
I played the first record I couldn't believe the sound I heard - gentle, relaxed, a great
pulsating drive with all the band working harmoniously together - it was "George
Lewis' Ragtime Band" playing Just A Closer Walk with Thee, the version where they
sing: "walkin' with Jesus..." from that moment on I was really sold!!!"Over the past 40 years Kurt has been active
on the Scandinavian jazz scene, playing his George Lewis inspired clarinet with various
bands, he has made many recording and has appeared with American musicians Kid Sheik
Colar, Wild Bill Davidson, Dave "Fatman" Williams, Joseph Thomas. |
NINA EHRENSTRAALE (Tenor Banjo and Vocals):
To complete the rhythm section we have
playing banjo Nina, she is the youngest member of the band and is a hot name within the
Danish jazz circle.
Being the daughter of Kurt and Nan, she heard the jazz music before she was born. She
started playing guitar when she was twelve years old, it did not suit her so she switched
to playing tenor banjo - she has not looked back since.
Nina not only plays a fine gentle banjo with an accurate and excellent drive, she is also
a very good vocalist and whistler.
This magical combination of wonderful banjo playing and singing has made Nina one of the
main attractions in the band. |
 ERLING
RASMUSSEN (piano, accordeon and vocal):
Erling Rasmussen has been playing jazz
for a long time. He started as a very young man on the trumpet, later he took up
the piano, and also accordeon and violin. On
piano and jazz-accordeon he is very competent, playing both instruments with a drive and
enthusiasm, that make everybody else around him swing. Not only jazz is taking Erling's
time, he also plays folkmusic, mostly traditional danish style on accordeon and
fiddle.
Erling played
with Cotapaxi Jazzband (Jutland) from 1970 to 1978, then moved to the eastern part of
Denmark, joining the famous Papa Dip's Jazzband for several years, and later
Storyville Jazzband. |
 NORBERT SUSEMIHL (DE) (trompet, cornet, flygelhorn og
vocal):
One of ”Jensens” musical
co-operators is trumpet player Norbert Susemihl. He’s a veteran on the trumpet in
Denmark, New Orleans, Germany , where he was born.
Since a young age he has been known to be a musician of a high professional level.
He has from time to time lived in New Orleans where he has played with all of the old jazz
veterans He has recorded with many of them, for instance with Willie Humphrey and Father
Al Lewis (GHB). He has toured with Sammy Rimington, Lillian Boutté and many others. |
 BRIAN
CARRICK (GB) (Clarinet / tenorsax / vocal):
Brian is very often a guest with the band. He
is a widely known clarinet player, inspired by old jazz masters, especially by clarinet
player George Lewis (as a matter of fact he plays an old metal clarinet which has belonged
to George Lewis). But he is also a master on his tenor sax with which he can put the
audience "on fire". His swinging jazz style has made him famous in Europe, in
Scandinavia and in the USA, and he is often on tour in these countries.
Brian and Jensens New Orleans Band were touring for the first time in 1999 and have since
made many tours to festivals, jazz clubs and venues in Denmark, Sweden and England.
Jensens New Orleans Band has released four CDs with Brian Carrick. In England Brian leads
his own band "Algiers Stompers".
|
EDDIE BRUHNER (s)
(Trumpet / vocal):
Eddie Bruhner's musical career began as a
young kid with an interest in the old New Orleans jazz, especially in Louis Armstrong.
Later he got interested in swing and mainstream but lately this Swedish entertainer and
trumpet player has once more taken the original jazz into his heart, inspired by the music
of George Lewis and Kid Howard.
Eddie is very
well-known in Sweden. He leads his own band "Sveriges jazzband" (Eddie Bruhner's
Swedish Jazz All Stars) and has done so since the 1960's. He is much in demand as a
soloist, he's a bandmarshal, he's an entertainer and he's a singer too!.
"Jensen" and Eddie met at Alingsås Jazzfestival (Sweden) in 2002 and Eddie's
trumpet style with lots of swing and drive has impressed not only the musicians of the
"Jensen" band but the audiences, too. Eddie is now a often used solist in
"JENSENS NewOrleans JAZZBAND" and "JENSENS jazz SERENADERS". |
