Barock -

Barock was a Norwegian jazz-rock/folk band that released the 1976 Mercury album Bare en Blåveis.

Members: Magne Høyland, Anders Bru, Bjørn Aslaksen, Reidar Olsen, Sveinung Sand, Tommi Haukland

Background

Barock formed around 1970 in Stavanger as a continuation of Witchcraft, which included singer Magne Høyland, guitarist Bjørn Aslaksen, bassist Reidar Olsen, guitarist Terje Munthe, and drummer Trond Hansen.

Witchcraft rehearsed in the Randaberg basement of Sverre Hansen and played Stavanger Jazzklubb. The group combined jazz and blues with original material and arrangements of classical pieces, including a treatment of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The musicians also recast Beatles songs as bossa nova arrangements.

Høyland grew up in the Pedersgata district of Stavanger and joined The Nurk Twins as a teenager. In 1965, The Nurk Twins shared first place in a Nordic pop-and-rock contest in Oslo; the group won the Rogaland pop championship at Atlantic Hall the following year. In 1964, Anders Bru started in The King Bees; three years later, he joined Høyland in Nitric Acid. Aslaksen was the son of Stavanger jazz and folk guitarist Kåre Aslaksen; uncle Paul Aslaksen also played jazz guitar.

By autumn 1974, violinist Sveinung Sand and drummer Tommi Haukland joined Barock from Keryx, which served as the band for Stavanger youth choir Sky Sing and recorded the 1973 album Underveis under bandleader Håkon Berge. Barock settled on singer Høyland, bassist Olsen, drummer Haukland, violinist-keyboardist Sand, and guitarists Aslaksen and Bru.

In December 1975, Barock appeared at the inaugural Jazziladen festival at Rogaland Teater. In 1976, the group entered sessions for the Mercury debut Bare en Blåveis with producer Johnny Sareussen.

Discography: