Photo: Tore Sætre · CC BY-SA 4.0 · credits
Tier 3 · vertical & regional
Jan Garbarek
Person · male · Norway · Momarken · born 1947 · recording since 1969
Norwegian saxophonist and composer (born 1947)
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Also known as Jan Garbarek Group · 杨·葛柏瑞克
Timeline
34 events▣ Album 28✦ Award 4◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1
1940s
1960s
· Debut release
Debut release: Esoteric Circle
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Biography
English biography515 words · 4 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1370986916
Biography
Jan Garbarek (Norwegian pronunciation: [jɑːn ɡɑɾˈbɑ̀ːɾək]) (born 4 March 1947) is a Norwegian jazz saxophonist, who is also active in classical music and world music.
Garbarek was born in Mysen, Østfold, southeastern Norway, the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war, Czesław Garbarek, and a Norwegian woman, Kari Nordbø. He grew up in Oslo, stateless until the age of seven, as there was no automatic grant of citizenship in Norway at the time. When he was 21, he married the author Vigdis Garbarek. He is the father of musician and composer Anja Garbarek.
Biography
Garbarek's style incorporates a sharp-edged tone, long, keening, sustained notes, and generous use of silence. He began his recording career in the late 1960s, notably featuring on recordings by the American jazz composer George Russell (such as Electronic Sonata for Souls Loved by Nature). By 1973 he had turned his back on the harsh dissonances of avant-garde jazz, retaining only his tone from his previous approach. Garbarek gained wider recognition through his work with pianist Keith Jarrett's European Quartet which released the albums Belonging
BelongingSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracksA1Spiral Dance4:08A2Blossom12:18A3'Long as You Know You're Living Yours6:11B1Belonging2:12B2The Windup8:26B3Solstice13:15 (1974), My Song (1977), and the live recordings Personal Mountains
Personal MountainsSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Personal Mountains16:022Prism11:163Oasis18:044Innocence7:175Late Night Willie8:46 (recorded in 1979 but released only a decade later in 1989), and Nude Ants (1979). He was also a featured soloist on Jarrett's orchestral works Luminessence (1974) and Arbour Zena (1975).
As a composer, Garbarek tends to draw heavily from Scandinavian folk melodies, a legacy of his Ayler influence. He is also a pioneer of ambient jazz composition, most notably on his 1976 album Dis, a collaboration with guitarist Ralph Towner, that featured the distinctive sound of a wind harp on several tracks. This textural approach, which rejects traditional notions of thematic improvisation (best exemplified by Sonny Rollins) in favour of a style described by critics Richard Cook and Brian Morton as "sculptural in its impact", has been critically divisive. Garbarek's more meandering recordings are often labeled as new-age music, or spiritual ancestors thereof. Other experiments have included setting a collection of poems of Olav H. Hauge to music, with a single saxophone complementing a full mixed choir; this has led to notable performances with Grex Vocalis.
In the 1980s, Garbarek's music began to incorporate synthesizers and elements of world music. He has collaborated with Indian and Pakistani musicians such as Trilok Gurtu, Zakir Hussain, Hariprasad Chaurasia, and Bade Fateh Ali Khan. Garbarek is credited for composing original music for the 2000 film Kippur.
In 1994, during the heightened popularity of Gregorian chant, his album Officium
OfficiumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Parce mihi domine6:432Primo tempore8:043Sanctus4:454Regnantem sempiterna5:365O salutaris hostia4:356Procedentem sponsum2:507Pulcherrima rosa6:568Parce mihi domine5:369Beata viscera6:3410De spineto nata rosa2:3111Credo2:0712Ave maris stella4:1413Virgo flagellatur5:2014Oratio Ieremiae5:0115Parce mihi domine6:53, a collaboration with early music vocal performers from the Hilliard Ensemble, became one of ECM's biggest-selling albums of all time, reaching the pop charts in several European countries and was followed by a sequel, Mnemosyne, in 1999. Officium Novum, another sequel album, was released in September 2010. In 2005, his album In Praise of Dreams
In Praise of DreamsSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1As Seen From Above4:452In Praise of Dreams5:253One Goes There Alone5:104Knot of Place and Time6:285If You Go Far Enough0:446Scene From Afar5:197Cloud of Unknowing5:268Without Visible Sign5:049Iceburn5:0410Conversation With a Stone4:2611A Tale Begun4:40 was nominated for a Grammy Award. Garbarek's first live album Dresden was released in 2009.
Awards and honors
1999: Knight 1st Class of the Order of St. Olav
2004: Norwegian Arts Council Award
2014: Willy Brandt Award
Memberships
Garbarek is foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 35 | 92.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 36 | 91.9th |
| Studio albums | 28 | 98th |
| Awards recorded | 5 | 97.4th |
| Timeline events | 34 | 97.4th |
| Recording span (years) | 52 | 92.5th |
| Genres | 10 | 96.5th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (36 release groups · 28 studio albums)
Albums · 28
1969 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 9 tracks · 45:07
1Traneflight2:572Rabalder8:203Esoteric Circle5:274Vips5:475SAS 6447:536Nefertite2:097Gee1:148Karin's Mode7:369Breeze Ending3:441971 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 6 tracks · 42:12
A1Sart14:49A2Fountain of Tears, Part I and II6:08B1Song of Space9:43B2Close Enough for Jazz2:02B3Irr7:18B4Lontano2:121973 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 42:48
A1Rim10:39A2Selje2:23A3J.E.V.7:32B1Sang2:51B2Triptykon12:48B3Etu Hei!2:23B4Bruremarsj4:121974 · studio album
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Tracklist · 6 tracks · 46:30
A1Spiral Dance4:08A2Blossom12:18A3'Long as You Know You're Living Yours6:11B1Belonging2:12B2The Windup8:26B3Solstice13:151974 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 50:13
A1Quintennaissance5:35A2Velvet5:37A3Waltz for A3:43A4Awakening - Midweek10:58B1Verdulac7:07B2Miss Fortune5:06B3Medley: Open Return - Cancion del momento5:44B4Medley: Meanwhile4:17B5Medley: Cherifen Dream of Renate2:061975 · studio album
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Tracklist · 20 tracks · 36:46
A1Bruremarsj1:45A2Pols1:10A3Halling1:45A4Bansull0:55A5Pols1:15A6Gukko1:05A7Bukkehornlåt4:31A8Kulokk1:55A9Bånsull2:00A10Salmetone1:00B1Bruremarsj0:40B2Halling2:40B3Bånsull1:40B4Kulokk0:45B5Halling1:20B6Kulokk fra Tolga0:30B7Halling2:10B8Pols3:20B9Vår gukko3:00B10Gukko fra Åsbygda3:201975 · studio album
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Tracklist · 3 tracks · 35:47
A1Numinor13:55A2Windsong6:35BLuminessence15:171977 · studio album
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Tracklist · 6 tracks · 49:10
1Vandrere13:422Krusning5:403Viddene5:454Skygger10:105Yr6:006Dis7:531978 · studio album
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Tracklist · 4 tracks · 48:25
A1Reflections15:05A2Entering7:50B1Going Places14:12B2Passing11:181980 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 45:45
1Tegn4:572Aftenland7:163Syn6:484Linje2:035Bue2:096Enigma3:387Kilden7:398Spill4:249Iskirken6:511981 · studio album
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Tracklist · 8 tracks · 56:16
1Soria Maria11:402Lillekort5:033Eventyr9:204Weaving a Garland2:205Once Upon a Time9:036The Companion5:507Snipp, Snapp, Snute4:338East of the Sun and West of the Moon8:271982 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 47:26
A1Theme7:16A2Souls8:44A3Event III2:23A4Vips4:23B1Stratusphunk8:40B2Esoteric Circle4:56B3Man on the Moon11:041987 · studio album
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Tracklist · 6 tracks · 43:37
1First Piece6:102Second Piece4:573Third Piece (In Memory of Andrej Tarkowskij)7:444Fourth Piece6:395Fifth Piece12:576Sixth Piece5:101988 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 54:47
1He Comes From the North13:382Aichuri, The Song Man5:033Tongue of Secrets8:124Brother Wind8:075Its Name Is Secret Road1:496Send Word7:197Voy Cantando6:558Mirror Stone I1:159Mirror Stone II2:291989 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 53:35
1Innferd0:562Rosensfole2:483Margjit og Targjei Risvollo16:154Maalfri mi fruve5:235Venelite7:406Stolt øli5:007Signe lita4:188Lillebroer og Storebroer2:419Grisilla7:2010Utferd1:141990 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 1:01:38
1Gula Gula6:002Molde Canticle Part 15:163Molde Canticle Part 25:474Molde Canticle Part 39:595Molde Canticle Part 45:156Molde Canticle Part 56:127His Eyes Were Suns6:098I Took Up the Runes5:299Buena Hora, Buenos Vientos9:0510Rahkki Sruvvis2:261991 · studio album
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Tracklist · 8 tracks · 42:24
1Star6:152Jumper4:213Lamenting6:084Anthem6:175Roses for You5:406Clouds in the Mountain4:397Snowman5:228The Music of My People3:421992 · studio album
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Tracklist · 8 tracks · 1:19:59
1Sull lull16:512Madar11:143Sebika5:334Bahia10:205Ramy3:016Jaw8:057Joron6:308Qaws / Epilogue18:251992 · studio album
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Tracklist · 5 tracks · 52:13
1Raga I8:442Saga5:283Raga II13:084Raga III11:565Raga IV12:571993 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 42:37
1Pegasos6:212Goddess7:113Forthcoming4:044Atmos5:105Time Out, Part I2:516Diversion4:517Time Out, Part II2:178Helikon3:009Hippukrene6:521994 · studio album
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Tracklist · 15 tracks · 1:17:45
1Parce mihi domine6:432Primo tempore8:043Sanctus4:454Regnantem sempiterna5:365O salutaris hostia4:356Procedentem sponsum2:507Pulcherrima rosa6:568Parce mihi domine5:369Beata viscera6:3410De spineto nata rosa2:3111Credo2:0712Ave maris stella4:1413Virgo flagellatur5:2014Oratio Ieremiae5:0115Parce mihi domine6:531996 · studio album
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Tracklist · 15 tracks · 1:15:23
1Red Wind3:542The Creek4:333The Survivor4:474The Healing Smoke7:165Visible World (chiaro)4:106Desolate Mountains I6:487Desolate Mountains II6:038Visible World (scuro)4:349Giulietta3:4710Desolate Mountains III1:3411Pygmy Lullaby6:1512The Quest3:0013The Arrow4:2314The Scythe1:5015Evening Land12:291998 · studio album
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Tracklist · 16 tracks · 1:38:16
Disc 11Rites8:282Where the Rivers Meet7:023Vast Plain, Clouds5:554So Mild the Wind, So Meek the Water6:115Song, Tread Lightly7:456It’s OK to Listen to the Gray Voice6:457Her Wild Ways6:45Disc 21It’s High Time3:352One Ying for Every Yang6:373Pan6:134We Are the Stars5:035The Moon Over Mtatsminda4:036Malinye6:237The White Clown3:488Evenly They Danced5:189Last Rite8:251999 · studio album
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Tracklist · 20 tracks · 1:45:00
Disc 11Quechua Song7:112O Lord in Thee Is All My Trust5:093Estonian Lullaby1:594Remember Me My Dear6:315Gloria6:046Fayrfax Africanus4:057Agnus Dei8:398Novus novus2:189Se je fayz dueil5:1310O ignis spiritus10:54Disc 21Alleluia nativitatis5:042Delphic Paean4:473Strophe and Counter-Strophe5:034Mascarades (Basque folksong)5:025Loiterando5:346Estonian Lullaby2:027Russian Psalm (16th century Russia)3:458Eagle Dance (Iroquois & Padleirmiut fragments)4:489When Jesus Wept3:2310Hymn to the Sun7:292004 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 52:31
1As Seen From Above4:452In Praise of Dreams5:253One Goes There Alone5:104Knot of Place and Time6:285If You Go Far Enough0:446Scene From Afar5:197Cloud of Unknowing5:268Without Visible Sign5:049Iceburn5:0410Conversation With a Stone4:2611A Tale Begun4:402008 · studio album
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Tracklist · 21 tracks · 54:57
1Clear3:012Pathway2:533Dunun Song3:254Joy Chant3:135Bell‐Painting0:596Elixir3:057Orientales3:018Metal Dew2:559Mother Drum2:3910Mountain Breath1:1611Creature Walk2:3412Spirit of Air1:0813Spirit of Sun1:5814Sheep Dream1:4015Talking Wind2:3916Totem Dance3:1817The Siren in the Well3:3018River3:0519On the Move2:2820Winter Wish4:1321Clear Recycle1:572010 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 1:01:11
1Ov zarmanali4:112Svjete tihij4:153Allting finns4:194Litany / Otche nash / Dostoino est13:075Surb, surb6:416Most Holy Mother of God4:357Tres morillas3:328Sirt im sasani4:069Hays hark nviranats ukhti6:2610Alleluia, Nativitas5:2011We Are the Stars4:1912Nur ein Weniges noch0:202021 · studio album
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Tracklist · 2 tracks · 38:33
1Det Alle Vet21:502Dikt16:43
Broadcast · 1
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Live in Hamburg, 1978Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 10 tracks · 1:46:331Spanish Samba12:48 2Timeless9:00 3Viddene14:03 4Nimbus10:16 5Krusning10:13 6Waterwheel14:18 7Backward Glance / Entering / Telegram Part 110:47 8Backward Glance / Entering / Telegram Part 29:55 9Backward Glance / Entering / Telegram Part 37:12 10Backward Glance / Entering / Telegram Part 48:01 | Live | 11 April 1978 |
Album · 6
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | WorksSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 8 tracks · 51:091Folk Song8:14 2Skrik & Hyl1:34 3Passing11:21 4Selje2:23 5Viddene5:40 6Snipp, Snapp, Snute4:31 7Beast of Komodo12:27 8Svevende4:59 | Compilation | 1984 | |
| 1989 | Personal MountainsSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 5 tracks · 1:01:251Personal Mountains16:02 2Prism11:16 3Oasis18:04 4Innocence7:17 5Late Night Willie8:46 | Live | 1989 | |
| 2002 | Selected Recordings - Rarum IISearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 24 tracks · 2:25:19Disc 1 1Skrik & Hyl1:37 2Viddene5:40 3Iskirken6:48 4Lillekort4:59 5The Path7:12 6It’s OK to Listen to the Gray Voice4:45 7All Those Born with Wings, 3rd Piece7:40 8Its Name Is Secret Road1:46 9Aichuri, the Song Man5:04 10Molde Canticle, Part 15:17 11Raga I8:42 12Twelve Moons7:32 13Red Wind3:47 Disc 21Windsong6:36 2Belonging2:16 3Oceanus11:03 4My Song6:13 5Sunshine Song12:01 6Cego Aderaldo7:56 7Song for Everyone6:21 8Rosensfole2:48 9Star6:14 10Joron6:27 11Parce mihi domine6:35 | Compilation | 29 April 2002 | |
| 2012 | DansereSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 17 tracks · 2:05:48Disc 1 1Sart14:45 2Fountain Of Tears – Part I And II6:03 3Song Of Space9:39 4Close Enough For Jazz1:59 5Irr7:15 6Lontano2:12 Disc 21A.I.R.8:15 2Kukka4:32 3Hasta Siempre8:10 4Witchi-Tai-To4:24 5Desireless20:25 Disc 31Dansere15:03 2Svevende4:59 3Bris6:11 4Skrik & Hyl1:30 5Lokk5:39 6Til Vennene4:47 | Compilation | 15 June 2012 | |
| 2012 | Sleeper: Tokyo, April 16, 1979Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 7 tracks · 1:46:56Disc 1 1Personal Mountains21:12 2Innocence10:48 3So Tender13:27 Disc 21Oasis28:14 2Chant of the Soil14:53 3Prism11:15 4New Dance7:07 | Live | 13 July 2012 | |
| 2019 | Remember Me, My DearSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 14 tracks · 1:17:411Ov zarmanali6:00 2Procurans odium3:23 3Allting finns4:01 4Litany9:00 5Dostoino est3:17 6Sanctus7:51 7Most Holy Mother of God4:12 8Procedentem sponsum4:18 9Se je fayz deuil6:17 10Alleluia nativitas5:10 11O ignis spiritus7:29 12We are the stars5:20 13Agnus dei6:10 14Remember me, my dear5:13 | Live | 18 October 2019 |
Other · 1
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | MnemosyneSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 3 tracks · 15:431Remember Me My Dear6:34 2Quechua Song7:06 3Estonian Lullaby2:03 | Demo | April 1999 |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Jan Garbarek head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 35 | 92.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 36 | 91.9th |
| Studio albums | 28 | 98th |
| Awards recorded | 5 | 97.4th |
| Timeline events | 34 | 97.4th |
| Recording span (years) | 52 | 92.5th |
| Genres | 10 | 96.5th |
Awards & honours
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Buddyprisen | won | |
| 1998 | Knight First Class of the Order of St. Olav | won | |
| 2004 | Arts Council Norway Honorary Award | won | |
| 2014 | Willy Brandt Prize | won | |
| — | Spellemannprisen | won |
Line-up
| Name | From | To | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan Garbarek - Bobo Stenson Quartet(band) | — | present | |
| Jan Garbarek Group(band) | — | present | eponymous |
| Jan Garbarek Quartet(band) | — | present | |
| Jan Garbarek Trio(band) | — | present | eponymous,original,tenor saxophone |
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jan_Garbarek_Operaen_Oslo_Jazzfestival_%28185843%29.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/ea7aba28-8853-4e30-83b7-7deeb3da36cddiscography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/ea7aba28-8853-4e30-83b7-7deeb3da36cdcore—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q290083genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q290083seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Garbarekbiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Garbarek
Why this artist is in the database
- List of Norwegian musicians
Tier rule: notable long tail (listeners 0, 35 language versions)
Image: Tore Sætre · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q290083 · MusicBrainz: ea7aba28-8853-4e30-83b7-7deeb3da36cd
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