About
Ted Olsen is a musician from Minneapolis, MN who plays double bass and bass guitar.
As a composer, he focuses on creating bright moments within the framework of spontaneous group interplay. As an instrumentalist, he plays with a bouncy rhythmic vitality and a fiery optimistic spirit.
"The sprawling yet cohesive songcraft on Ted Olsen's new album, "Joyfire," attests to why he won an American Composers Forum award five years ago and followed it up as a finalist for the ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Awards in 2015." - Star Tribune
"Playing with the same swinging post bop that has distinguished their performances at the Black Dog and other local venues, the quartet romps through a setlist of Ted’s original compositions." - jazzpolice.com
As a bandleader his groups have been featured at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, The Artists’ Quarter, and Icehouse. He has also performed at Nocturne Jazz Club in Denver, CO and Festival No Improviso in Curitiba, Brazil. In 2017 he released his début record, Joyfire, on Shifting Paradigm records. In 2019 he was named an alternate to the International Society of Bassists' Jazz Competition. He has been a stalwart of the Twin Cities music scene for the past decade and is regularly enlisted by top jazz luminaries. He has also branched out into working with artists from the folk, rock, R&B, and contemporary classical scenes.
Artists Ted has performed with include: Javier Santiago, Greg Gisbert, John Raymond, Dean Magraw, J.T. Bates, Aby Wolf, and Eric Mayson.
Sounds! Sights! Scroll down for audio & video.
Booking and other inquiries, please use the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Video
Upcoming shows
4/9 Miguel Hurtado Trio at Icehouse
6-8:30 pm, 2528 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis MN
Playing an early set with one of my favorite collaborators, the sensitive & hyper-musical Miguel Hurtado on drums
No cover!
4/16 Ted Olsen Quartet at Jazz Central Studios
8 pm, 407 Central Ave SE $10
Go all the way down the hall, then turn left and head downstairs
Also available streaming!!!
It's been over a year since my quartet has played at Jazz Central- we're very excited to be back in the room. It's an intimate listening room and nonprofit music space committed to our uniquely American art form.
4/22 Jake Baldwin Quartet at Volstead's Emporium
10 pm, 711 W Lake St, Minneapolis, No cover!
Jake is a close compatriot and a ferocious improvisor
I recorded on his debut record which came out this past October.
It's available to stream here!
https://open.spotify.com/album/2kgG22AX1K1YmIkO6Wfx4P?si=-Vq7tlJiRKC-eFG2evZxLg
4/23 Pete Whitman Quartet at Jazz Central Studios
8 pm, 407 Central Ave SE $10
Go all the way down the hall, then turn left and head downstairs
Pete is one of the premier saxophonists in the Twin Cities- melodic, expressive, and forceful- I'm excited to be joining his group on this date!
