Biography of James Dickenson

James hails from Manchester although he and his family have lived in Norway since 1988. By profession a classically-trained organist and pianist he held the post of kantor in Sor-Fron, Gudbrandsdalen in mid-Norway until 2007. He is now freelance again.

He has a Ph.D in Norwegian folk music and jazz (2003). He has been actively engaged in music education since the 1960s. He was Secretary of the Inter-University Jazz Federation during his undergraduate days at Bristol University and has taught performance and theory at most levels since then. He taught jazz piano at Salford University from 1983 - 1988 and started a big band in Norway in 1994. He there came into contact with the young Norwegian saxophonist and Chicago University jazz graduate Lena Lien and they both have worked in the crossover fields of folk music and jazz. The album "Homesickness" is a product in this area of music.

He has appeared in Norway as accompanist to Nils Landgren, Ole Edvard Antonsen, Georg Reiss, the late Putte Wickman and others. He is an established composer and is a member of TONO.

James, with bassist Harald Juliussen has a regular jazz trio which performs in Oslo and elsewhere. Saxophonist Njaal Arder, writing in the Oslo weekly Akers Post has described the trio as "radiating a joy and jazz instinct in their performances fired up by the strength of the pianist's left hand (the envy of most jazz pianists!), outstanding bass work and the drummer's drive and intense playing".