Rune Carlsson

Swedish Jazz Drummer and Percussionist

Swedish jazz drummer and jazz singer, born 4 December 1940 in Stockholm, Sweden, died 9 March 2013. Carlsson was active as a jazz musician from 1957 and studied at the Berklee College of Music in the USA in 1971. He played with, among others, Chet Baker, Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans, Art Farmer, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Coleman Hawkins, Krzysztof Komeda, and Ben Webster. Carlsson was influenced by modernists such as Art Blakey, Max Roach and Elvin Jones. His playing gave color to Sweden's jazz elite in the latter half of the 20th century, in groups led by Arne Domnérus, Bengt Hallberg, Bo Hansson, Kjell Jansson, Åke Johansson, Red Mitchell, Lars Sjösten, Bobo Stenson and Eje Thelin. In later years, Carlsson also performed as a singer, including with his own big band and together with the Peter Nordahl Trio.