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Arne Maltéus was born in Lund June 26th 1936 and grew up in the south of Sweden in the 30´s and 40´s. In 1953 Arne moved to Östersund, in northern Sweden, to join the national service as a musician in the Jämtlands Fältjägarregementet’s Music Band. Playing the drum was included in the education which set the start of Arne’s long carreer as a drummer.
In 1955 Arne moved to Stockholm and joined at once a Christmas Tour with former Count Basie’s trumpeter Peanuts Holland and his band. In Stockholm he also played with pianist Jimmy Woods (bassist Jimmy Woods’ father) for three months.
After the years in Stockholm, Arne moved to Helsingborg in the beginning of the 60´s. He got married and built his family there. He also started his own advertising agency in 1964. Arne’s family life and his company didn’t leave much time for music during the rest of the 60´s.
In 1974 Arne took up music again when he joined a local pub’s ensamble in Helsingborg, where they invited soloists from Denmark, Sweden and the USA. Over the years Arne has had the privilege to play jazz with several American musicians visiting Sweden: Dexter Gordon, Karen Stevens, Count Basie-trombonists Al Grey and Richard Boone, Tim Hagans, Harry ”Sweets” Edison, Eddie ”Lockjaw” Davis, Ruby Braff, Bud Freeman, Ernie Wilkins, Mundel Lowe, Tee Carson and Benny Waters, just to mention a few.
Arne collaborated with Al Grey and Richard Boone, who in the 60’s had previously played in the Count Basie’s Orchestra’s trombone section. They recorded a CD of live jazz music and did two jazz tours in Denmark and Sweden in the 90´s. This was the start of a good friendship between Al and Arne. Arne also visited Al and stayed at Al’s place in New York.
While in the States visiting Al, both Arne and Al were supposed to play with Benny Waters in a club in New York. However, to Arne’s big disappointment, Benny got ill. Some years later Benny Waters toured in Copenhagen, and then Arne got a new chance to play with Waters at a concert in Sweden. Waters liked playing with Arne Maltéus Trio and they did some more concerts together.
Today Arne Maltéus plays with his different bands, Arne Maltéus Trio, Arne Maltéus Quintet and Arne Maltéus Blues Band in jazz clubs and at several jazz festivals in Denmark and Sweden. He has been arranging two annual jazz festivals in Sweden for the last five years and is involved in the Helsingborg’s Jazz Club, where he also was chairman over a period of time.
Having played with several well-known American jazz musicians over the years, Arne would like to come to the USA and play at clubs or festivals together with local musicians, either as a guest drummer or together with his quartet.