Sten Åke Henry Hasselgård, known professionally as “Stan” Hasselgård, was a Swedish jazz clarinetist born on October 4, 1922, in Sundsvall. He grew up in Bollnäs and began playing clarinet at age 16 before attending the University of Uppsala. During his studies, Hasselgård led a student dance band that performed frequently on the radio. In 1941, he played with the Royal Swingers and won a prize at Stockholm’s Nalen-Tanzpalast. Following military service between 1943 and 1944, he performed with orchestras led by Arthur Österwall and Simon Brehm. Hasselgård moved to New York City in 1947, where he performed with musicians including Jack Teagarden and Max Roach. In 1948, he joined the Benny Goodman Septet as a soloist. Hasselgård died on November 23, 1948, in an automobile accident near Decatur, Illinois. His collaboration with Goodman was released posthumously as the album Swedish Pastry in 1980. In 2002, he received the Swedish Django d’Or award.
