Terje Venaas (born 30 March 1947 in Molde, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass),[1] known from dozens of recordings and a number of international cooperation.

[2] Venaas started playing music within several local bands in the Molde area from 1962, among others within his brother 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.

Venaas has also been county musician in Sogn og Fjordane (1988–89), and has also collaborated with folk singer Lillebjørn Nilsen with concert tours at home and abroad and recordings, such as "Stilleste Gutt på Sovesal 1".