Bengt Hallberg

by Scott Yanow
One of Sweden's top jazz pianists, Bengt Hallberg made his first trio recordings when he was 17. In the 1950s, he recorded with Lars Gullin, Arne Domnerus, and such traveling Americans as Clifford Brown, Stan Getz, and Quincy Jones. He worked as a member of the Swedish Radio Big Band (1956-1963), and, although in demand as a writer for films and television, Hallberg has continued playing jazz on a part-time basis (often with Domnerus and Karin Krog), mostly recording for Swedish labels such as Metronome, Sonet, and Phontastic.