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Fredrik Ljungkvist & Mattias Risberg: And Now the Queen - A Tribute to Carla Bley

By Karl Ackermann

Carla Bley's compositions have been recorded by a seemingly endless list of artists including Jaco Pastorius, Arturo O'Farrill, Eberhard Weber, Jan Garbarek, Jimmy Giuffre and extensively by her former husband, the late Paul Bley. She has been revolutionary in the scope of her work which has run from the jazz opera Escalator Over the Hill (JCOA Records, 1971) to the politically influenced Liberation Music Orchestra led by Charlie Haden. With the earlier release of Andando el Tiempo (ECM, 2016) with ...

Fredrik Ljungkvist / Yun Kan 10: Ten

By Eyal Hareuveni

Acclaimed Swedish reed player Fredrik Ljungkvist's key solo outfit is the Yun Kan band. This band, in its incarnation as a quintet, released two remarkable albums, Yun Kan 12345 and Badaling (Caprice, 2004 and 2007) and in recent years operated in a slimmed down version as Yun Kan 3 and as an ambitious outgrowth of the quintet as Yun Kan 10. Now, finally, more than five years after its last documentation, this ensemble has been beautifully recorded by Swedish Radio. ...

Tva For Tommy: Tva For Tommy

By Eyal Hareuveni

Behind the odd name Två För Tommy (Two for Tommy in Swedish) stand three of the best Swedish improvisers: reed player Fredrik Ljungkvist, a founding member of the acclaimed Norwegian-Swedish quintet Atomic; vibraphonist Mattias Ståhl, who leads his own bands, Ståhls Blå and Ståhls Trio, and has collaborated with countless other outfits; and double bassist Patric Thorman, member of the Swedish-American quintet Seval. This trio's debut--a limited edition LP of only 350 copies--is a masterful exploration of chamber jazz.

Fredrik Ljungkvist & Yun Kan 5: Badaling

By Eyal Hareuveni

Fredrik Ljungkvist & Yun Kan 5 Badaling Caprice Records 2007

Badaling is the sophomore release of the excellent Swedish quintet Yun Kan 5. The group is led by saxophonist/clarinetist Fredrik Ljungkvist, better known as one of the key composers in the Swedish/Norwegian quintet Atomic, and for his association with saxophonist Ken Vandermark in various incarnations of Vandermark's Territory Bands.

The quintet also features Jon Fält, the drummer with the Bobo Stenson Trio, tuba player ...