Terje Venaas (30 March 1947 – April 2025) was a Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass), known from dozens of recordings and a number of international collaborations.
Venaas started playing music within several local bands in the Molde area from 1962, among others within his brother's Åge Venås Orchestra (including Geir Schumann piano and Svein Jens Thorsø). He debuted on Moldejazz in 1967, and moved to Oslo where he joined the music scene Club 7 (1967–). There he started performing with musicians like Jan Garbarek, Espen Rud and Carl Magnus Neumann, and debuted on record with Terje Rypdal in 1968.
He was one of the most prominent Norwegian jazz artists, recording with international jazz greats as within Per Husby Trio featuring Chet Baker (The improviser, Cadence Jazz Records), and performed with Dexter Gordon (Club 7, 1972), Toots Thielemans (1986), Michel Petrucciani (Kongsberg Jazz Festival, 1986).
Venaas was also county musician in Sogn og Fjordane (1988–89), and also collaborated with folk singer Lillebjørn Nilsen with concert tours at home and abroad and recordings, such as "Stilleste Gutt på Sovesal 1".
Venaas died in April 2025, at the age of 78.
Gammleng-prisen 1982 in the class Studio
Drøbak Jazzklubbs Reenskaug-pris 1984
1968: Bleak House, with Terje Rypdal
1973: På Stengrunn, with Lillebjørn Nilsen
1983: The Improviser, with Chet Baker
1984: Live at Jazz Alive, with Thorgeir Stubø
1984: Daydreams, with Laila Dalseth
1984: The Improviser Chet Baker, within Per Husby Orchestra feat. Chet Baker
1986: Rhythm'A'Ning, with Thorgeir Stubø
1986: I Hear a Rhapsody, with Totti Bergh
1986: Tenor Gladness, with Totti Bergh
1986: Travelling Light, with Laila Dalseth
1988: Cherokee, with Egil Kapstad