Svend Undseth

Svend Undseth is a flautist/saxophonist who has been part of the jazz-rock scene since its infancy. Undseth's muscial career has embraced many genre, but in his new album The Neon Jazz Collection, he is returning to his early inspiration. His early albums with his first group, Vanessa, were pioneering works in the jazz rock canon, and in returning to his roots he has found new inspiration. His work with Prima Vista. collects the lyrical threads woven from the past as he once again let the melody guide the compositions.Svend started his musical career as a leader and later CO-leader with Frode Holm in the jazz-rock group Vanessa back in 1971.The group made two albums, “City Lips” 1973 and “Black and White” 1977.He released his first solo album “Grenseland” on Polygram in 1980. Grenseland or “Borderland” was one of the very first albums in the style of Ambient / Electronica made in Norway.He subsequently joined Avitel as composer/sound technician, composing and producing music sound tracks for video, ballet and multimedia performances. He has also initiated and developed his own multimedia projects such as 'Ultra Environments',1984, which toured throughout Norway and in Denmark with the support of the Norwegian Government, and 'Is that called Love' with the singer Berit Lohne and drummer Svend Kalmar. He also formed a fusion band with keyboard player Jan Simonsen called USB in the same period. The band was put together with musicians from another fusion group, Lava, Alex and the Georg Keller band.lIn 1990 Svend released a collection of music used in different multimedia shows under the name “Windshave” and started a group with three singers called Conspiracy Mares. Founded in 1993, Prima Vista has released two CD's, as well as producing sound and music for a number of video, TV and film productions.His background illustrates some of the competence, skill and musical expression shared through his compositions, songs, and melodic instrumental paintwork.

My Jazz Story

I was first exposed to jazz listening to my fathers Louis Armstrong records.