Hjort Anders Olsson

Considered a legend in Swedish folk, Hjort Anders Olsson was among the most acclaimed fiddle players of the first half of the 20th Century. However, he started playing the fiddle at a time when recording technology hadn't yet been invented. Born in the small Swedish village of Bingsjö in 1865, Olsson was heavily influenced by Swedish fiddler Pekkos Per and was already 44 at the beginning of the 20th Century. Olsson's recording career began in the 1910s, and he continued to record until 1952, when he was in his late 80s and passed away. The instrumentalist's work can be heard on Hjort Anders Olsson, a comprehensive, three-CD boxed set from the Swedish Giga label. ~ Alex Henderson