Eythor Gunnarsson

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Keyboards Born in Reykjavik, Iceland, in 1961 Eythor started playing the piano at an early age, taking private lessons on and off until the age of 12. After a brief detour into trumpet lessons, he acquired a YAMAHA organ (like the one Chick Corea used to play) and the course was set for a carreer as a keyboardist. Early influences included rock groups Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Gentle Giant. School friend Fridrik Karlsson introduced him to the music of Chick Corea’s Return To Forever, Weather Report and other fusion greats, and the two youngsters soon teamed up with bassist Johann Asmundsson and drummer Gulli Briem to form Mezzoforte. After graduating from college in 1981, music became a full time occupation, Mezzoforte being the main interest, but session work with various pop artists providing the income. The success of his composition Garden Party in 1983 opened up a world of possibilities for Mezzoforte who have toured extensively in Europe and Asia ever since. In recent years the acoustic piano has become Eythors main instrument and collaborations with many of Iceland’s leading jazz-musicians have made him the most recorded sideman in Icelandic jazz-history. He has also played with many visiting jazz musicians in Iceland, including Frank Lacy, Jens Winter, Mads Vinding, Doug Raney, Tommy Smith and others. In 1991 Eythor toured with American singer Randy Crawford. Other musical activities include record production and arranging for many of Iceland’s top pop artists. Eythor has received several Icelandic Music Awards both as a Keyboardist and Jazz- Musician.