A Spellemann Award-winning singer/songwriter and country-rock artist,
Jonas Fjeld expanded his fan base beyond his earliest music-comedy releases with the
Jonas Fjeld Rock 'N' Rolf Band and
Jonas Fjeld Bing Bang Band upon releasing his first solo album, the singer/songwriter-styled Take Aspirins & Call Me in the Morning (1975). A series of English-language country-rock albums with the Jonas Fjeld Band in the late '70s and '80s included the Steven Van Zandt-produced
Neck 'n' Neck (1985). Collaborations with
Eric Andersen and
the Band's
Rick Danko as
Danko Fjeld Andersen followed in the '90s, and beginning with 2007's Amerikabesøk, he recorded several bluegrass-informed releases with North Carolina's
Chatham County Line. While
Fjeld contined to issue periodic solo albums, many of them Top Ten hits in Norway including 2015's Hustrig, the 2019 LP Winter Stories was a collaboration with
Judy Collins featuring
Chatham County Line.
Born
Terje Lillegård Jensen in Bodø, Norway in 1952,
Fjeld was raised primarily in Drammen. The singer, songwriter, and guitarist made his recording debut in 1973 with the
Jonas Fjeld Rock 'N' Rolf Band, a group that also included comedian and songwriter
Herodes Falsk. They followed up with Pans Fløyte (as
Jonas Fjeld Bing Bang Band) and
The Best of Jonas Fjeld Rock 'N' Rolf Band, both in 1974, before
Fjeld made his solo debut. Inspired by hearing
Eric Andersen's
Blue River album, 1975's Take Aspirins & Call Me in the Morning focused on songwriter fare, including a pair of
Beatles covers and a cover of the 1933 standard "Hold Me" alongside his original songs. Some of the tracks were co-written with producer/songwriter Audun Tylden, who also contributed to Jonas Fjeld Band. Signing with Mercury, that band released their full-length debut, Tennessee Tapes, in 1977, following it with Back in the U.S.A. in 1978 and the
Bent Bredesen-produced
Make Up in 1979. A second solo album, Living for the Weekend, arrived in 1982 featuring all-original songs. Jonas Fjeld Band produced their fourth album, 1984's
Neck 'n' Neck, with Steven Van Zandt. Released in 1986,
Time and Motion would prove to be the final release under
Fjeld's band moniker, though he continued to work collaboratively, issuing Norwegian-language albums with singers
Sidsel Endresen and
Ingrid Bjoner in the late '80s.
Fjeld returned with more solo material in the '90s, beginning with
Svært Nok for Meg, a 1990 collaboration with songwriter
Ole Paus that hit number two in Norway and led to an ongoing partnership between the two artists under the name
To Rustne Herrer. Meanwhile,
Fjeld formed the country-rock trio
Danko Fjeld Andersen with
Eric Andersen and
Rick Danko; they made their debut with a self-produced eponymous album in 1991. It won
Fjeld his third Spellemann award. Another Norwegian-language solo album, Texas Jensen, arrived in 1993 before
Danko Fjeld Andersen followed up with the more folk-rock-leaning Ridin' on the Blinds in 1994. A third album from the trio never came to fruition due to
Danko's drug arrest and eventual death of heart failure in 1999.
Fjeld released a Spellemann-winning live album (Nerven I Min Sang) and greatest-hits collection (Beste) to close out the decade.
The solo albums Voice on the Water (in English) and Tidevann (mostly in Norwegian) arrived in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Working again with producer
Asle Karstad, Mårrakvist followed in 2006. He then began a fruitful partnership with North Carolina Americana group
Chatham County Line, issuing the live album Amerikabesøk with them in 2007 on RCA.
Fjeld and
Chatham County Line got back together for 2009's
Brother of Song (which hit the Top Ten in Norway) before
Fjeld issued the solo Hjemmeseier in 2011. It peaked at number seven on Norway's album chart. A third record with
Chatham County Line, Western Harmonies, followed in 2013 and went to number four in Norway.
Fjeld returned to the number four spot with the 2015 solo effort Hustrig.
Chatham County Line was featured on
Fjeld's next release, as well, a duo album with folksinger
Judy Collins. Entitled Winter Stories, it arrived on the Wildflower label in 2019. ~ Marcy Donelson