Jazz Articles about Ronny Johansson

Ronny Johansson: Manhattan

by Jack Bowers
May 1, 2018

Manhattan, Swedish-born pianist Ronny Johansson's thirteenth album as a leader, is being reviewed on a Friday, the thirteenth (a rather odd coincidence but one that in no way impairs its worth). The album also marks Johansson's seventy-fifth birthday. In honor of the occasion he abandoned his usual trio format in favor of a quartet, adding Rolf Jardemark's clear-voiced guitar (on five tracks) to Matz Nilsson's resonant bass and Michael Anderson's unwavering drums (and percussion). None of them is a member ...

Ronny Johansson: Japanese Blue

by Jack Bowers
January 15, 2015

Abandoning for the moment his usual piano-bass-drums format, Swedish pianist Ronny Johansson has the stage to himself on Japanese Blue, an album whose name and spirit epitomize a country in which Johansson has spent many pleasurable moments. Aside from pointing out the obvious --that Johansson's harmonic figures are engaging and his technique flawless --a number of salient qualities should be noted at the outset. First, the album has been wonderfully recorded, mixed and mastered by Lars Nilsson; ...

Ronny Johansson Trio: Jubilee

by Craig W. Hurst
March 16, 2004

Pianist Ronny Johansson has been part of the jazz scene in Sweden for over 40 years, performing with great artists such as Art Farmer, Benny Bailey, Don Byas, Red Rodney and Warne Marsh. Johansson, who grew up in Uppsala, also played piano with on Eric Dolphy’s 1961 album The Complete Uppsala Concert. Since 1975, Johansson has been teaching piano at the State College of Music in Goteborg, Sweden while continuing to perform and record. Jubilee is an upbeat swinging piano ...

The Ronny Johansson Trio: Jubilee

by Jack Bowers
May 2, 2003

A splendid piano trio album from Sweden, Jubilee is beautifully played and beautifully recorded as well. While the names were new to me, it was clear from the outset that Messrs. Johansson, Mori and Karlsson have played together on more than one occasion. Each anticipates the others’ every move and reacts without question or pause, the way a working trio should.

Johannson is an accomplished post-bop pianist who betrays the usual influences from Bill Evans and Billy ...