Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Sandviken Big Band: 30 Years in Business...

274

The Sandviken Big Band: 30 Years in Business...

By

Sign in to view read count
The Sandviken Big Band: 30 Years in Business...
I've heard and reviewed a great number of marvelous big'band albums from Europe, but none that surpasses this dynamic concert date by Sweden's superb Sandviken Big Band which has 'desert island candidate' written all over it. One can present nothing beyond an acclamatory appraisal, as Sandviken simply provides no credible reason for censure ' nor do its superb guest artists, trumpeter Bobby Shew and organist / composer Kjell 'hman. Shew, whose stylish horn has embellished big bands all over the world, solos on the standard 'Mean to Me' and a brace of compositions by the legendary trumpeter Clifford Brown, 'Joy Spring' and 'Daahoud.' 'hman, who must be Sweden's answer to Jimmy Smith, Groove Holmes, Mel Rhyne and other prominent organ masters, is heard on three of his admirable compositions, 'Whipper Snapper,' 'Alice's Fax' and 'Blues for Ann'Marie,' and he and Shew team up on the Ellington classic, 'In a Sentimental Mood.' There are no dead spots anywhere; everything is brightly packaged and buoyantly performed. And when neither Shew nor 'hman is present, Sandviken takes up the slack with its breathtaking ensemble work and a task force of capable soloists. These include trumpeter Joakim Tromark (who sprints with Shew almost stride'for'stride on 'Joy Spring'); guitarist Sten H'stf'lt ('Whipper Snapper'); Tromark, clarinetist Adam Dahlberg and trombonist Per Haglind ('Second Line'); bassist Hans Wikman ('Mean to Me'); tenor Peter Nordwall ('Daahoud'); Dalhberg again, this time on alto ('Blues for Ann'Marie') and last but not least, a tenor saxophonist who, like Madonna or Cher in this country, is known to Jazz fans in Sweden by only one name, Jonken. The given name is Lennart Jonsson, and he's in topnotch form alongside 'hman on 'Alice's Fax' and (with pianist Niklas Bjarneh'll) on the Alec Wilder ballad, 'I'll Be Around.' As for Shew, he gladdens the occasion whenever he appears ' as, for that matter, does 'hman, whose artistry has heretofore been unheard on these shores but should be heard more often. As for highlights, there are a number on every track ' but please check out the walkin' intro by Shew (muted) and Wikman on Frank Mantooth's first'class arrangement of 'Mean to Me' and the trumpeter's soulful sparring session with 'hman on 'Sentimental Mood.' This was a great concert. I wish I'd been there, but that wasn't possible. Thanks, then, to Four Leaf Clover for sharing the event with the rest of us via this wonderful recording.

Track listing: Joy Spring; Whipper Snapper; Second Line; Alice's Fax; Mean to Me; I'll Be Around; Daahoud; In a Sentimental Mood; Blues for Ann'Marie (69:31).

Personnel

Adam Dahlberg, Tomas Dunker, alto sax; Peter Nordwall, Jan Larsson, tenor sax; G?ran Hedstr?m, baritone sax; Per Haglind, Bj?rn Samuelsson, Bj?rn Agren, Krister Petersson, trombone; Kurt Carlberg, bass trombone; Torbj?rn Isaks, Henrik Westlin, Bo Hedwall, Joakim Tromark, trumpet; Niklas Bjarneh?ll, piano; Sten H?stf?lt, guitar; Hans Wikman, bass; Rolf Andersson, drums. With special guests Bobby Shew, trumpet; Kjell ?hman, Hammond B?3 organ.

Contact: Four Leaf Clover Records, Box 1231, S?1722 24 Sundbyberg, Sweden (e?mail [email protected]; web site, www.flc.se).

Album information

Title: 30 Years in Business... | Year Released: 1999 | Record Label: Four Leaf Clover 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

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

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