Harald Lassen

Harald Lassen (born March 13, 1987, in Kristiansand, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician, songwriter, and bandleader. In addition to being the front man of LASSEN, he has played with several other bands, including DUPLEX, No. 4, Mopti (with Bendik Baksaas on the album Bits & Pieces), Pixel, and No. 4. Early on, he was drawn to the attention of musicians like drummer Jon Christensen and bassist Arild Andersen. He's worked with the following people: Rob Waring, Mathias Eick, Ray Phiri, Mohamed Issa Matona, LABtrio, Corrie Dick, Arthur Kay, Tord Gustavsen, Morten Qvenild, Emilie Stoesen Christensen, Anja Lauvdal, and Bram De Looze.

Career
Harald Lassen grew up in Greipstad, Norway's Songdalen. He studied to become a saxophonist after spending many years as a pianist. Lassen studied from 2006 to 2007 at Toneheim Folkehøgskole and from 2007 to 2008 at the Institutt for Rytmisk Musikk at Universitetet i Agder. From 2008 to 2012, he undertook additional training at the Norwegian Academy of Music in jazz and improvised music.

Lassen has collaborated with African musicians and dancers from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Uganda. He later relocated to Zanzibar in 2013 for a three-month stay in order to teach and start a jazz program at Dhow Countries Music Academy for young musicians.

Lassen joined the Oslo Jazzfestival's board in 2015.

Honors

 * 2012: "This year's young jazz musicians", the Jazzintro award at Moldejazz, within Mopti
 * 2013: Featured at Young Nordic Jazz Comets within Pixel

Discography

 * 2019: LASSEN feat. various artists - Remix-Eventyr (Jazzland Recordings)
 * 2018: LASSEN - Eventyrer (Jazzland Recordings)
 * 2016: Harald Lassen & Lab Trio - Rainbow Session (Hagen Recordings)
 * 2019: No. 4 - Duell (Samkjørt)
 * 2018: Matonas Afdhal Group - Matonas Afdhal Group (OK World)
 * 2017: No. 4 - Hva Nå (Arch Rec)
 * 2016: No. 4 - Henda i været (Arch Rec)
 * 2015: Pixel - Golden Years (Cuneiform Records)
 * 2015: Mopti - Bits & Pieces (Jazzland Recordings), feat. Bendik Baksaas
 * 2015: Duplex - Èn (NorCD)
 * 2014: Sjøen - Live 1 (Havtorn Records)
 * 2013: Mopti - Logic (Jazzland Recordings)
 * 2013: Pixel -  We Are All Small Pixels (Cuneiform Records)
 * 2013: Duplex - Duolia (NorCD)
 * 2013: Duplex - Sketches Of … (NorCD)
 * 2013: Andrea Kvintett - Russian Dream (NorCD)
 * 2013: Dr Kay And His Interstellar Tone Scientists - Dr. Kay and the search for true happiness (Brass&Bangle)
 * 2012: Pixel - Reminder (Cuneiform Records)
 * 2012: Ronja - Il Calebrone (Havtorn Records)
 * 2012: Bendik Baksaas - The Shape of Beats To Come (Dayladore Collective), feat. on «Nobody Will Laugh»
 * 2012: Andrea Kvintett - Andrea Kvintett (NorCD)
 * 2010: Martin Rane Bauck - Suite For A Distant Present Time (Bauckstadt)
 * 2009: Team Båt - På Lag (Mudi)