Christian Spering
web site: www.christianspering.com
He was born in 1963. In his early teens he started out playing jazz music on his Fender bass but when he was 15 years old he switched to double bass. Between 1983 and 1987 he studied at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and from 1986 to 1988 he was a member of the band led by drummer Fredrik Norйn. That line-up included trumpeter Gustavo Bergalli, saxophonist Joakim Milder and pianist Esbjörn Svensson. He also played with the Gustavo Bergalli Quintet, a group that toured extensively, including several successful tours of Latin America. Christian has also participated in many of Gustavo Bergalli’s Latin American projects including the CD «Tango in Jazz».
In 1987 he was one of the founders of the group «Encore». The others were saxophonist Jonas Knutsson, guitarist Max Schultz, pianist Anders Persson and drummer Magnus Gran. That group won the award «Jazz in Sweden 1990» which resulted in several well-received tours and a CD.
Christian has played with many of the finest Scandinavian musicians, such as Bobo Stenson, Jon Christensen, Lennart Åberg, Lars Jansson and Anders Kjellberg to name only a few. He also has performed with the likes of Paul Bley, Tom Harrell, Kenny Wheeler, Paul McCandless and Tim Hagans.
A musical meeting took place in 1993 when pianist Anders Persson, drummer Magnus Gran and Christian Spering invited Argentine guitarist Louis Salinas for a tour in Sweden. The idea was to refer to Anders Persson: ‘... see what kind of music comes out when three Swedish Jazz musicians meet in Argentine guitar player, who besides the Afro-american tradition, has assimilated the Brazilian music and above all, the music of this homeland. The tour was completed with the recording which was released in 1994 as Aire de Tango (Dragon).
Christian Spering participated in the annual ‘Nordic meeting? in January 2000 which that year had the leadership of pianist Lars Jansson? s which compositions featured such performers as reed player Paul McCandless, Italian trumpeter Paulo Fresu and Danish drummer Morten Lund. It is well documented on the CD of Lars Jansson ‘Giving, Reciving? (Imogena).
Some of the current projects is The Trio Berger-Knutsson-Spering. In April 2000 he recorded his first own CD «Pied a terre», released in October 2000 which features his own compositions with Staffan Svensson, Anders Persson, Magnus Gran and Joakim Milder. His quintet has sience then toured around Sweden and appeared at the Umea Jazz Festival as well as ‘Stockholm jazz 00?.
A live recording with ‘Berger-Knutsson-Spering? released in April 2001 «Volume 1, at Glenn Miller Café?, ‘Volume 2, at Mosebake? released on October 2001.
Christian Spering is considered one of the best of the seemingly never ending row of outstanding Swedish bass players. He is also featured on more than 30 albums.