Bohuslan Big Band with Steve Swallow: Swallow Songs

With respect to "Eiderdown," renowned Swedish pianist and composer Lars Jansson describes the tune in the liner notes as "a standard with a strong, beautiful melody and chord changes which lend themselves to improvisation." It may be the stand out number of the album, featuring saxophonist Alberto Pinton, Rydh and Swallow on measured solos. The lively and brassy "Ballroom" comes out swinging as another favorite, and features lead tenor Johan Borgstrom and fellow tenor Ove Ingemarsson. "Do Go On" is one of the gentler scores, starting out quite softly but then bouncing to a brisk groove for a very pleasant solo from Ingemarsson.

Another piece that makes an impression is the melodic "Belles," with pianist Tommy Kotter's delicate performance and a fine turn from trombonist Karin Hammar. The tune really showcases the band's woodwind and brass sections. Swallow is at his best on the light and mellow opener, "Away," where he leads the music on electric bass, laying down some slow-tempo lines on this rather melancholy tune. He also shines on "Thirty-Five," once again taking the limelight with a sparkling performance on yet another mellow chart.

The sounds of automobile traffic open the finale, "Playing in Traffic" (commissioned by the Harvard Jazz Band)—an aggressive big band number propelled by sturdy play from trumpeter Samuel Olson and tenorist Joakim Rolandsson. As if conveying the death-defying challenges of playing in traffic, the music races with a boisterous and powerful performance from the band, ending in a car-crashing crescendo of sounds. Big band music with a big bang flavor, Steve Swallow and The Bohuslan Big Band more than deliver their share of bursting brass orchestrations on Swallow Songs, a well-proportioned gulping session of high-energy big band music.