Steinar Raknes (born 22 March 1975) is a Norwegian jazz bassist, composer, and the younger brother of Jazz singer and pianist Eldbjørg Raknes. He is considered to be one of the most talented double bass players of his generation in Norway, and is known from collaborations with the like of Chick Corea, Michael Brecker, Bobby McFerrin, Ola Kvernberg and Hallgeir Pedersen.
Raknes was born in Midsund Municipality. He started to play bass at the age fifteen, graduated from the Music school in Kristiansund in 1994, and from the "Sund Folkehøgskole" 1995. As a student on the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium (1995âÂÂ98) he established the bands The Core and Urban Connection (bouth in 1996). He played with the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra featuring Chick Corea as soloist, and the quartet "BounceTones". He contributed to the cooperated broadcast NRK/EBU "Jazz jorda rundt" as the bassist within the Hallgeir Pedersen Trio 2003.
Raknes has played on releases by Jens Arne Molvær (1998) and Ole Reinlund (2003), and is also steady in the band line up with Ola Kvernberg, played in the Kirsti Huke Trio and initiated Shagma in 2004. In 2008 he debuted as solo artist with the album Tangos, Ballads & More, followed up in 2012 by the album Stillhouse. He has also worked as instrumental double bass teacher on the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium.