About Me
At a very late night party when I was a student in 1993 a couple blokes were playing some Eagles-tunes on their guitars. I sang along. One of the blokes, Stig Rismo (God knows where he is at the moment...), yelled: "Jesus! You can sing! Let's start a band". And we did and we lasted for two weeks... At the same time me, Tore Rydgren and Gøran Kristiansen did some acoustic jamming together up at Tore's place, a small timber house by the farm Rostad. That was the spot where it all began...in this house we all developed our huge interest for traditional r&b, blues and soul music. We started Way Out Bluesband (later The Magic Bullet Band). Me, Tore, Stig and Gøran hooked up with Kenneth Steinfelt, a heavymetal drummer (!) from Askøy (Bergen) and Kjetil Holen, bassplayer and fish grocer from Vang (Hamar). Stig left the band after a while. Tore was the driving force with his passion for and knowledge of all kinds of bluesmusic. You can say we were exploring the art of blues. We followed everything that moved in the business. We tried to pick up and learn from all of it. After a while, Thomas Haugbro joined us on guitars along with Gøran. We never actually split up, even though we hardly ever play together any more. But we still have contact. We never were a top band, not even close to half way. But we had a ball! And we did some hilarious shows at the most unexpected places you don't want to go... This was the time when you came together with the boys some weekends and really LIVED. It was nothing but pure joy - no business attached to it. In the mean time I’ve moved to Oslo and became a regular at Oslo Bluesclub’s shows at Smuget and later on at Muddy Waters. I practically lived there...and I was then just a part of the audience. On a Sunday evening in 1999, the eminent guitarist and one of my Norwegian blues heros, Erik Harstad from Buzz Brothers, hosted the jam session at Muddy Waters. I came in to club that night, and Erik said: "Now, it's your turn to sing! You have a good chance to show what you are made of". I was surprised! Even though I had sung with Erik before on several gigs elsewhere, this was Muddy Waters and a lot of people were there: RC, Rune Pettersen, Billy T, Rune Endal, Bjørn Thomassen and a few others. It went pretty well. Rune Petteren, who then was the booking manager at Muddy Waters, told Rune Endal: "Get together a band and let this man sing!" A week after I was invited to join Oslo Allstars for a charity gig at Smuget. Huge for me - a pure leisure blues amateur. I was a damn nervous fella that night at Smuget, I can tell you. More gig's at Pettersen's Muddy Waters followed with top artists as Knut Hem, Rune Endal, Erik Harstad, Eirik Sandnes, Martin Winstad, Kyrre Sætran, Jørn Fodestøl, Espen Liland and more. In 2000 Tore Rydgren brought me in as a vocalist for a band called Jelly Rollers. Together with Tore on harmonica, Anders Westhagen - the rockabilly king of Norway, Jon Reidar Furulund - a mighty fine drummer from Hadeland and Roar Wagenius on bass we formed a 50's r&b based band, which later won the Union Blues Band of 2004. What a thrill! In the mean time Tore left the band and was replaced with Iver Olav "the fingers" Erstad on B3 and piano. Right the before the Union Blues Band competition at Notodden Bluesfestival autum 2003, the band changed name to Greasy Gravy. Because there was another band attending the festival - Jelly Roll Kings from Mississippi. We did't want to offend anyone you know... However, Greasy Gravy won, and a tour around Norway followed shortly. Suddenly we became a name the blues community was talking about and a regular act at the blues club Muddy Waters, Oslo. In 2005 Roar Wagenius was replaced by the most experienced blues bassplayer in Norway, Rune Endal. (Vazelina Bilopphøggers, Vidar Busk, Kritin Berglund band, Male Bluesband, Jeremy Spencer among others). During the spring 2006 Anders Westhagen left the band and was replaced by the one and only, Espen Liland. Espen has for years been one of my favourite Norwegian blues guitarists and he is way up there in the international top league level. I was thrilled when Espen accepted our offer. The band now, as well as 50's R&B, are also exploring 60's soul music. A record idea is in shape...one hell of a record. I promise you... As a vocalist I'm not purely up to blues 'n' soul music. I also enjoy singing country, rock'n'roll, 70's funk and rock. Late 60's and early 70 singer-songwriter musicians as the likes of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, John Denver, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Dave Mason, Jim Croce, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman, Gordon Lightfoot, Nick Drake, Tom Rush, Phil Ochs, Eric Andersen, Carly Simon, Cat Stevens, Bruce Cockburn, Van Morrison, Townes van Zandt, Harry Chapin, James Taylor, Loretta Lynn and Johnny Cash. These fantastic artists are all my heroes. Besides Greasy Gravy (and of course The Magic Bullet Band, he, he) I also have my own band Rhythmakers with Erik Harstad, Rune Endal and Jon Reidar Furulund. Welcome to a show sometime...see ya!
