Jazz Articles

Bobby Shew / The Kjell : I Can't Say No

by Jack Bowers
May 3, 2003

Brilliance can be a blessing or a curse. Some musicians make excellence seem so easy that hardly anyone is surprised by another superlative performance, simply accepting it as a matter of course. As Exhibit A, there’s trumpeter Bobby Shew, who has been around for years, paid his dues in groups both large and small, has a lovely sound, remarkable technique, and seems incapable of fashioning a less-than-rewarding musical experience. In other words, he’s good, so good that his artistry is ...

Stan Getz: Affinity

by Jack Bowers
April 3, 2003

Talk about spontaneity. The material that comprises Affinity was taped a quarter-century ago by Stan Getz’s brother-in-law, bassist Peter Silfverskjöld, during an after-supper jam session at the Silfverskjöold home -- and was never intended for commercial release.

“I had borrowed a deck tape-recorder, which I left on during the session,” Peter writes in the liner notes. “As you can hear, the setting is very informal -- if you listen closely you can hear my grandfather’s clock chime ...

Kurt J: Make a Bet

by Jack Bowers
June 1, 2002

One never knows quite what to expect when called upon to review discs by “unknown” musicians from overseas. Will the music be straight–ahead and accessible or free–form and impenetrable? Happily, Swedish multi–instrumentalist Kurt Järnberg’s new album lands squarely in the former camp. What’s more, it’s a delight to hear as, thanks to overdubbing, Järnberg “accompanies” himself on various instruments — trumpet, flugel, euphonium, and valve and slide trombone. Equally pleasing are the sunny compositions and arrangements by Järnberg (five), pianist ...

Cecilia Wennerstr: Stuck Zipper

by Dave Nathan
September 1, 2001

Sven Larsson: Didgeribone

by AAJ Staff
August 1, 2001

One day while walking through Portland, Oregon's open-air Saturday Market, I passed a booth selling didgeridoos. (Evidently this obscure Australian aboriginal instrument has commercial potential, at least among the young and the restless.) A German Shepherd passing by paused in confusion to check out the vendor, who was busy demonstrating the musical possibilities of the instrument. The dog decided something creepy was going on, and he started to whimper. Little by little the canine decided he was hearing a threat ...

Only Jazz: Double Digit

by Jack Bowers
May 1, 2001

This compilation, encompassing selections from a dozen albums on Lars Samuelson’s splendid Four Leaf Clover label, showcases many of Sweden’s foremost Jazz artists with a handful of Americans getting in their licks as well. Personnel are listed but not specific instruments, so we’ve had to withdraw the information from our not–always–reliable memory bank and apologize in advance for any errors that may have crept in. As is usually the case with Four Leaf Clover, the music is straight–ahead and swinging ...

The Lars Samuelson Orchestra: Het Sommar

by Jack Bowers
May 1, 2000

I was familiar with Lars Samuelson as the driving force behind Four Leaf Clover Records but wasn’t aware that he was also a big–band leader until this reissue from 1975–81 arrived unannounced in the mail a couple of weeks ago. It was a pleasure to learn about this previously unknown aspect of Lars’s musical persona, as the orchestras he presided over on the two sessions documented here accommodated a number of Sweden’s most talented sidemen who had no trouble underwriting ...

Cecilia Wennestr: Minor Stomp

by Jack Bowers
December 1, 1999

Minor Stomp, major talent. Women seem to be taking to the baritone sax these days like rice to krispies, and Sweden’s Cecilia Wennerström is well–nigh as impressive as any player one can name, male or female. Wennerström (born 1947) is no young lioness; she spent years paying her dues, first as a singer and pianist before moving to tenor sax and later to baritone. The experience has served her well, and is conspicuous on almost every note or phrase she ...

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

by Jack Bowers
December 1, 1999

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 ...

Red Mitchell: A Declaration of Interdependence

by Jack Bowers
May 1, 1999

An out–of–the–ordinary 1988 session by the “Red Mitchell Trio,” which, courtesy of modern technology, is composed of Red Mitchell on bass, Red Mitchell on piano and Red Mitchell on vocals. The “leader,” of course, was known primarily as a bassist (the past tense is used because he passed away in November ’92), but his “sidemen” are respectable enough, especially pianist Mitchell who has an uncluttered, easygoing style and sensitive touch that lend themselves well to the trio format. On the ...