The official list of bands formed and led by Jono El Grande.

The Jono El Grande & The Luxury Band

The Jono El Grande Orchestra (2000 – 05)

^{Photo: Per Heimly (PS by Monica Sutter)}

The Jono El Grande Orchestra #5
(2003 – 04)

Erik Løkra – soprano and tenor saxophone
Tomas Gantelius – Fender Rhodes, synthesizer and piano
Håkon Stene – xylophone, vibrafone and percussion
Terje Engen – drums
Eivind Henjum – bass
Jono El Grande – guitar, conducting, vocals and kazoo

Guest appearance(s):
Kai Sundin Gjessing: percussion
Øyvind Brække – trombone

The Jono El Grande Orchestra #4
(2003)

Kjell Asbjørn Bunæs – flute
Lise Herland – oboe
Erik Løkra – soprano and tenor saxophone
Tor Kvande – Fender Rhodes
Håkon Stene – xylophone, vibrafone and percussion
Ståle Liavik Solberg – drums
Eivind Henjum – bass
Jono El Grande – conducting

Guest appearance(s):
Halvard Godal – baritone saxophone

The Jono El Grande Orchestra #3:
(2001 – 03)

Kjell Asbjørn Bunæs – flute
Lise Herland – oboe
Erik Løkra – soprano and tenor saxophone
Rolf-Erik Nystrøm – alto and baritone saxophone
Tomas Gantelius – Fender Rhodes and piano
Håkon Stene – xylophone, vibrafone and percussion
Terje Engen – drums
Håkon Thelin – double bass
Jono El Grande – conducting

Guest appearance(s):
Kjell Tore Innervik – xylophone

The Jono El Grande Orchestra #2:
(October, 2000)

Erik Løkra – soprano and tenor saxophone
Rolf-Erik Nystrøm – alto and baritone saxophone
Karl Strømme – trumpet
Tomas Gantelius – Fender Rhodes
Håkon Stene – xylophone, vibrafone and percussion
Terje Engen – drums
Håkon Thelin – double bass
Jono El Grande – conducting

The Jono El Grande Orchestra #1:
(May, 2000)

Anne-Sofie Halvorsen - bass clarinet
Erik Løkra – soprano and tenor saxophone
Karl Strømme – trumpet
Tomas Gantelius – Fender Rhodes
Håkon Stene – xylophone, vibrafone and percussion
Terje Engen – drums
Håkon Thelin – double bass
Jono El Grande – conducting

Vidunderlige Vidda (The Wonderful Mountain Plateau) (1996 – 98)

Vidunderlige Vidda

Jono El Grande – guitar, vocals (sometimes clarinet and tenor saxophone)
Stein Stølen Bjerkaker – bass, vocals
Sjur Odden Skjeldal – drums, vocals

Øyvind Brække – trombone (1997 only)
Owe Egon Grandics (banner holder, some shows 1997 – 98)
Kai Gjessing (nude dancer, some shows 1997 – 98)

Additional Studio Musicians on Opest (Endless Studio version, 1997):

Per Willy Aaserud – trumpet
Afrode Barzittimo – tambourine

Additional Studio Musicians on Pfote-Brei (Endless Studio version, 1997):

KS Buflod – backing vocals
? – backing vocals
Afrode Barzittimo – nylon guitar
Jan Tariq Rui-Rahman -piano

Vidunderlige Vidda in concert at photographer Per Heimlys studio, Darres gt. 3, Oslo, 1997.

The Gringo Quartet
(1997)

One performance at Volapük.

Kjell Asbjørn Bunæs – flute
Christian Hoel Schønhaug – acoustic bass
Stein Stølen Bjerkaker – guitar
Jono El Grande – lead guitar

Grande Corpse
(1996 – 97)

Grande Corpse #2
A few rehearsals and one recording session in GL Studio, 1997

Cathrine Bryhn – soprano
??? – soprano saxophone
Sjur Miljeteig – trumpet
Knut Aalefjær – drums and glockenspiel
Helge Mamen – bass
Afrode Barzittimo – rhythm guitar
Jono El Grande – vocals, guitar and conducting

Grande Corpse #1
A few rehearsals only, 1996

Øyvind Brække – trombone
Sjur Miljeteig – trumpet
Tord Riiser – drums
Erland Hansen – rhythm guitar (one rehearsal)
Ole Christian Wetten – bass
Jono El Grande – guitar

Menü Tizz Aura (performance group)
April 1995 – Jan 2000

Menü Tizz Aura #3
Two shows: Metropol Live and Betong , 2000

Jono El Grande
Stein Stølen Bjerkaker
Sjur Odden Skjeldal

Menü Tizz Aura #2
Three shows: Café MIR, Fru Hagen, NRK TO, 1996

Jono El Grande
Stein Stølen Bjerkaker
Afrode Barzittimo
Stein Holte
Alexander Stenerud
Christian Hoel Schønhaug

Menü Tizz Aura #1
A lot of shows, 1995 – 96

Jono El Grande
Stein Stølen Bjerkaker
Owe Egon Grandics
Trond Fausa Aurvåg

^{Menü Tizz Aura at Head On, Oslo, Sept 1995}

NOTE: In 1995 Stein Stølen Bjerkaker and Jono El Grande met Hans Broch Nielsen, leader of the avangarde scene Volapük, at Palace Grill. He then invited them to do a special performance art show at his venue, which lead to the performance duo Menü Tizarra (an utterly silly word game on the original bands name Menü Bizarra; tiss = pee). Later Jono El Grande told a woman in a café line about this performance thing, who misunderstood the name with ‘Menü Tizz Aura’. And then the name of the group was changed.

Menü Bizarra
Three concerts Jan – June 1995

Torstein Birkedal(?) – tenor saxophone
Jono El Grande – guitar and vocals
Frank Bjaanes – drums
Ole Kristian Wetten – bass
Stein Stølen Bjerkaker – acoustic guitar and vocals
Trond Fausa Aurvåg – guest acting performance on first show, Jan 29, 1995
Owe Egon Grandics – guest acting performance on first show, Jan 29, 1995