Jazz Articles about Nils Landgren

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Nils Landgren: Christmas With My Friends III

by Bruce Lindsay
November 27, 2012

The test of a great Christmas album is simple: will it sound good in August? Christmas With My Friends III should ace that particular test. Even those who derive most festive fun from repeatedly grunting “Bah, Humbug" at passing kindergarten children will be drawn into the spell of this music. Beautifully performed by some of the European jazz scene's finest singers and musicians, the gentle grace of the music comes to the fore and serves as a reminder of Christmas' ...

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Nils Landgren & Joe Sample: Creole Love Call

by Chris May
December 10, 2005

Nils Landgren is an odd one. On the one hand he creates good for the soul, inventive chamber jazz; on the other he turns out touristic blandofunk. Creole Love Call, recorded in New Orleans and including some of the city's musical luminaries, though too far upstage and away from the action, lies about halfway between these two extremes. It's not as good as Landgren's work with Esbjorn Svensson or Tomasz Stanko, nor as unfortunate as last year's Funky Abba, a ...

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Nils Landgren Funk Unit: Funky ABBA

by John Kelman
May 1, 2004

A whole album of ABBA tunes reinterpreted by Nils Landgren's Funk Unit could be a reason to take notice. Previous albums by the group have shown an unrelenting sense of groove with some fine playing from all concerned. Sadly, Funky ABBA , rather than being a celebration by one of Sweden's funkiest groups of Sweden's largest export, the result is a monotonous series of grooves that do little to elevate the original material beyond its original pop-ness. In fact, if ...

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Nils Landgren: Paint it Blue

by Douglas Payne
May 1, 1997

Although trombonist Nils Landgren has released several albums in his native Sweden since the mid 80s, Paint It Blue appears to be his first album available in the United States. Landgren, who calls his sextet the Funk Unit, has subtitled Paint It Blue “A Tribute to Cannonball Adderley" and, as such, has produced something that successfully brings some of Adderley's funk right into the 90s.

The most obvious choices for Adderley covers are this release's best tunes: “Walk Tall," “Why ...