Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Jan Lundgren Trio: Landscapes

238

The Jan Lundgren Trio: Landscapes

By

Sign in to view read count
The Jan Lundgren Trio: Landscapes
On Landscapes, the brilliant young pianist Jan Lundgren takes a break from the usual jazz and popular standards to survey and accentuate the music of his native Sweden, and what one notices almost immediately is that there is no perceptible decline in quality, melodically, rhythmically or harmonically. In other words, these are quite lovely songs; unfamiliar, of course, but no less charming because of it.

The picturesque program consists of eleven traditional themes (four comprising a medley), two new works by Lundgren and one each by Evert Taube and C.M. Bellman. Is it jazz? Most assuredly, even though the genre’s basic ingredient, improvisation, plays a subordinate role as Lundgren, bassist Mattias Svensson and drummer Morten Lund bend their energy toward emphasizing the inherent suppleness and beauty of the music. Lundgren’s songs, “Blekinge” and “Småland,” named for Swedish provinces, are especially enchanting, the first a graceful ballad, the second a toe-tapping pirouette on which the trio is inseparable.

Equally seductive are the traditional Swedish folk dance “Slångpolska Efter Byss-kalle,” the well-grooved Dalecarlian ballad “Dalvisa,” the elegant “Allt Under Himmelens Fåste” (Under the Vault of Heaven), Taube’s fast-paced “Inbjudan Till Bohuslän” (Welcome to Bohuslän), Bellman’s sensuous “Fjäriln Vingad Syns På Haga” (Butterflies Sailing Over Haga’s Meadows) or the bucolic finale, “Jämtländsk Kärleksmelodi“ (complete with earthy barnyard-style sound effects). In fact, there is nothing on offer that is less than pleasing, and that includes Lundgren’s lucid and perceptive interpretations.

Even though the songs on Landscapes depict another land and culture, you may swear you’ve heard some of them before. What’s more, you’ll want to hear them again, especially as performed by Messrs. Lundgren, Svensson and Lund.

Track Listing

Dalvisa; Allt Under Himmelens F

Personnel

Jan Lundgren, piano; Mattias Svensson, bass; Morten Lund, drums.

Album information

Title: Landscapes | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Sittel Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.