My name is Bengt Forsman and I play altosaxophone.

My interest in music began when I was 13-14 years old and a piano-playing friend bought some Oscar Peterson-albums. I suddently discovered there were other kinds of music than the hit-list stuff. Buying my first jazz-album, "Mercy mercy mercy" by the Cannonball Adderly Quintet, really got me going. Cannonballs 60´s group was hot and surprisingly popular in my hometown, Karlstad. Two packed full-size busses drove from Karlstad to their concert in Uppsala in 1968. For a 15 year old boy that concert was an extraordinary experience!

There was so much to discover! Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker...and pathfinders like Ornette Coleman and Archie Shepp. I also got curious about modern classical music/art music, often through radio-transmissions.

Over the years my interest has focused on Scandinavian jazz, not only because it is easily available in concert- and radioformat, but also because I find it less stuck in form than a lot of the jazz from US.

Starting to play alto-saxophone was a pure coincidence. My brother-in-law lent me his old Selmer and with my newfound passion for jazz I had to give it a try. Studies brought me to Uppsala. It was the early 70´s, and the "progressive"music-movement enhanced the attitude that anyone could play, anywhere! In this setting I met up with "Kalla Karen" (The Cold Corps), at that time consisting of Martin, both Jonas´es and Kristjan. They refused notation. their music was simple themes used as base for free improvisations, a tempting concept for me.

After leaving Uppsala in 1981 I lived in many places in Sweden. Exept for a two year stint with the "Depression Orchestra" in Jamtland I did not play. In 2004 there was a knock on our door in Ockelbo and in stepped MOVIO. They recorded in our living-room and I sat in. The same old feeling was there! So now I drive the 93 miles every Thursday to rehearse in Uppsala. Usually I grab the occasion to met my son who is studying there.

These days I play a Buffet Crampon S1 alto with a Selmer metal mouthpiece.

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