Career
Johnsen was a graduate of the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium (Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet, 1989-1992). He participated in the "two basses event" with the Trygve Seim led Trondheim Art Orchestra later called Trygve Seim Ensemble. He played a key role in a variety of jazz bands, including Nils-Olav Johansen Trio, Christian Belt Trio, Svein Olav Herstad Trio, January Erik Kongshaug Quartet and Køhn/Johansen Sextet.
He has also played a while with Ditlef Eckhoff, releasing an album Impressions of Antibes (1997).
In the last years of his life he had great success in the Tord Gustavsen Trio. Johnson has participated on several recordings, such as with Ditlef Eckhoff and Eric Reed on the album Impressions of Antibes (1997), and on the Einar Iversen led album Merry Christmas (1999) by Ditlef Eckhoff.
Around the turn of the millennium, he joined Silje Nergaard Band and Tord Gustavsen Trio, which led to international releases. In addition he has played on recordings with, among others Karl Sundby (2004).
Johnsen also played with guitarist and composer Frode Barth regularely since 1984.
Many years of collaboration, improvisation and compositional exchange between the two musicians formed the basis for their debut album, Frode Barth & Harald Johnsen Blue Spheres (MTG Music), 2007. The release received excellent reviews. Blue Spheres can be described as modern jazz, where a melodic idiom is set up against the elements of contemporary music and electronica.
Frode Barth, Harald Johnsen and drummer Andreas Bye accounted Barth & Johnson Trio.
Johnsen got an illness that prevented him gradually from playing actively, and he died on 24 July 2011, after a heart attack at the age of 41.