Results for "Sweden"

Ilaria Capalbo: In Fearless Pursuit Of Her Muse

by Ian Patterson
May 5, 2022

After years playing in different bands and drawing widespread praise for her lyricism and rhythmic agility, double bassist Ilaria Capalbo has stepped up to front her own project. The Neapolitan's debut album, Karthago (Bluenord Records, 2022), is a remarkable statement of intent. Inspired by the ancient Mediterranean city of Carthage and its near-mythical figurehead, queen Alyssia, ...

Karin Johansson

Swedish pianist, improviser and composer, based in Gothenburg. Educated at the Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg and active since many years in Sweden and internationally. Working with extended techniques and preparations. Playing in several groups and collaborations, among others:

Paul Jarret / Karin Johansson / Donovan von Martens ( https://pauljarret.bandcamp.com/album/h-misph-re-hemisf-r )

Rosanna Gunnarson / Karin Johansson ( https://outerdisk.myshopify.com/ )

ORD ( https://karinjohanssonord.bandcamp.com ),

Karin Johansson / Lisen Rylander Löve duo ( https://johanssonrylanderlove.bandcamp.com ),

Isabella Lundgren: Looking For The Silver Lining

by William H. Snyder
June 18, 2021

Isabella Lundgren was born on the winter solstice of 1987. Each day after her birth the sun shone longer until summer came. Kind of how one feels listening to her latest album Look for the Silver Lining (Ladybird, 2021). One of Sweden's gifts to the music scene, she's a young woman with a heart and soul ...

Stefan Wistrand

Stefan Wistrand got hooked on jazz in the early 70s and at the same time took up playing the saxophone. At first involved in the then-current jazz rock scene, he soon encountered free jazz through the duo he formed in the mid 70s with drummer Peter Olsen. In 1978 they released the album "Duo" on composer Leo Nilsson’s label Studio Viarp. (Reissued in 2023 as "Duo (1977)" on Einnicken Records) Throughout the 80s Wistrand was active on the alternative rock scene, touring Sweden and Scandinavia and recording three albums with rock group Memento Mori.

In the 90s he returned to jazz and improvisational music and was initially mainly active as leader of free jazz group Nods Off, with Olsen, bassist Stefan Larsson and guitarist Daniel Berton. Nods Off has released five CDs on Einnicken Records. Other jazz musicians who have been members of Nods Off are drummer Erik Dahlbäck, bassist Tommy Skotte, trumpeters Tommy Adolfsson and Emil Strandberg.

In 1999, together with musician Per Åhlund, Wistrand formed the musician collective and scene Memento in Eskilstuna. A coalition of creative musicians in the genres of electronica, jazz, rock and improvisation.

Wistrand started several projects with young musicians around the turn of the century 99-00, as for example jazz group Blue Room Repository Ensemble, "big band" Memento Creative Orchestra, free improvising units Fundamental Form and Two Sounds Ensemble.The latter, a duo with pianist Joakim Simonsson, has released two albums "Inversions" (2004) and "Fictions" (2009).

In 2002-2003 Wistrand played as a soloist on soundtracks by film composer Thomas Rydell, among them the music for the Swedish motion picture “Hot Dog” by director Alexandra-Therese Keining. In 2007 Wistrand received an honorary award from the Memorial Foundation of ground-breaking Swedish saxophonist Börje Fredriksson “for considerable achievements in jazz with connection to (the city of) Eskilstuna”. 2008 saw the forming of the Wistrand/Rytzler Quartet, which plays in a style with considerable roots in 60s modal jazz. Wistrand and pianist Johannes Rytzler also perform as a duo.

The long-awaited debut album by Fundamental Form was released in 2010. The same year Wistrand also was assigned the County Council of Sörmland’s cultural scholarship for long time service as “an engine and driving force in the musical life, and in its forefront.”

The three-day Nordic Sound Station 2012 in Eskilstuna had Wistrand as its curator and featured electronic experimentation, free improvisation, contemporary art music, new jazz and rock music. Also, curator for the music at the Nordic Art Station in Eskilstuna in 2013.

In 2013 Wistrand formed The Electric MZ as a tool to find a new way to approach the jazz rock he had experienced in the 70s. The present incarnation includes David Lindh, guitar, Johannes Rytzler, keyboards, Mattias Green, bass & flugelhorn, Johan Carlsson, drums & percussion and Gunnar Fridh, congas & percussion. The Electric MZ's debut album “Silent in the Murmur” was released in 2015 and was followed by a second album entitled ”Eternity & A Day” in 2018.

The fall of 2017 saw Wistrand receiving Eskilstuna municipality’s music prize. The motivation by the jury read: ”This year's music prize winner, has as saxophonist, with thorough knowledge of improvisational music and its development in Sweden, been an inspiration and music creator together with many young musicians. On the record company Einnicken Records, established in 1993, there are several releases that have received great appreciation in free form and jazz circuits, not only in Sweden but around the world.”

In his research on Swedish jazz history, Wistrand has written two books: ”Jazzen och dansorkestrarna i Eskilstuna – 1924-1969” (Jazz and its dance orchestras in Eskilstuna – 1924-1969) in 2017 and ”Börje Fredriksson, saxofonist” in 2019. The latter a biography about the early dead saxophonist Börje Fredriksson (1937-1968). One of the truly rare voices in Swedish jazz, both as saxophonist and composer. Following the biography, a digital double album with the same title consisting of rare unreleased recordings by Fredriksson and compiled by Wistrand was released on Caprice Records.

The same year as the Fredriksson biography Wistrand also participated with a piece of music for the film "Hans Arnold - the witch master of the brush" - a documentary about the Swiss/Swedish artist Hans Arnold by filmmaker Micke Engström.

An album entitled "Intro: Version" with a "lost" edition of free jazz group Nods Off was released in April 2021. Containing compositions by Wistrand and recorded live in a club atmosphere in 1999. At that time, in addition to Wistrand, the band consisted of drummer Erik Dahlbäck and bassist Tommy Skotte. Both with experiences from playing free jazz with i.a. Per Henrik Wallin (Dahlbäck) and Peter Brötzmann (Skotte).

The Electric MZ's third album saw the light of day in November 2022. Titled "Tales of Trees", it had been delayed for almost two years due to the worldwide pandemic and its effects on the music industry. This new endeavour sees the band working in a more collective way on Wistrand's material than on previous albums, while at the same time incorporating influences from electronic music yet retaining the pulsating flow they are known for.

Jacob Karlzon

Born: October 19, 1970

Swedish jazz pianist and composer Jacob Karlzon has been compared to luminaries such as Keith Jarrett,Bill Evans, and Sweden’s own legendary Jan Johansson. Karlzon’s playing style oozes technical brilliance, rhythmic and harmonic complexity with a perfect feeling for form. Karlzon describes what drives him:

“We are a modern people with a long history, and it is precisely this which I want to reflect in my music. I am fascinated with the possibilities of new technologies but I also need warmth and a connection with the earth in order to feel happy.”

For a piano virtuoso, he likes to add edge; metal and electro all have their place in his music as well as folk songs from his Swedish homeland

Pontus de Wolfe: The Genre's First Responder

by Jim Worsley
December 17, 2020

When we think of first responders, are thoughts immediately go to firemen, policemen, medical personnel, military, teachers, counselors, and such. As we should. Their tireless efforts and selflessness will always stand tall in our minds. There are, however, first responders in other walks of life as well. Meet pianist, composer, and arranger Pontus de Wolfe, music's ...

Claes Janson

Born: July 30, 1947

Claes Janson is one of Sweden's truly broad-based artist, if not a jack of many trades. He sings rhythm and blues, jazz and songs, he interprets the popular versifiers Cornelis Vreeswijk,Povel Ramel, Carl Michael Bellman and Evert Taube, he's part of everything from small groups to big bands including such well known ones as Good Morning Blues, Ohman&Janson VSOP and Velvet Boys. Through the past 30 years he has also collaborated with Sandvik Big Band, Mel Lewis Orchestra,Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, Norrbotten Big Band,Monday Night Big Band, Bohuslan Big Band, Nogenja, NDR Big Band Hamburg, BRT Big Band Bryssel, Danish Radio Big Band,Georg Riedel,Arne Domnerus, Nils Landgren, Ulf Wakenius, Joe Newman, Harry Edison, Hank Crawford, Red Mitchell, Eddie Harris, Jimmy Witherspoon, Georgie Fame and others

Anders Hagberg

Born: September 11, 1958

Anders Hagberg – flautist · saxophonist · composer · professor of musical performance

Critically acclaimed and innovative virtuoso Anders Hagberg is a unique soloist on a variety of flutes and soprano saxophone. His musical synthesis, combines the improvised freedom of jazz with an archaic Scandinavian lyricism and influences from his longtime collaborations with Oriental musicians. Creative, and with instrumental mastery, these elements are merged into a profound and personal expression.

Improvisation and boundary crossing collaborations are the hallmarks of Anders, and his projects often includes artists from various genres and cultures as well as other art forms such as dance and visual arts

He has been touring worldwide with his own groups and as a soloist with Yggdrasil, Mynta and New Jungle Orchestra as well as musicians like Marilyn Mazur, John Tchicai, Anders Jormin, Vikku Vinayakram, Shankar Mahadevan to name a few

Leif Jordansson

Born: January 27, 1960

I am a composer, sound artist, writer, singer, guitar player, arranger and more. Also artistic director of The Great Learning Orchestra and guest teacher in the art of listening. I am also a musician and singer in different constellations such as: FCOC (electric guitar), BAD LIVER (vocals, guitar, banjo and piano), THE STRING THEORY (acoustic and electric guitar), MISOK (string instruments and electronics), REKON (acoustic and electric guitar). I give lectures in the art of listening and how to cope with sounds in daily life.

Jon Lipscomb

Born: October 18, 1987

Guitarist/improviser and audio engineer from Baltimore based in Malmö. With a heavy emphasis on free improv, rock, noise and free jazz, he has performed in the U.S.A. and Europe and has collaborated and improvised with Brandon Lopez, Jarrett Gilgore, Anders Lindsjö, Wendel Patrick, Ole Mofjell, Jaimie Branch, Ian McColm, Amirtha Kidambi, Dave Treut, Anais Blondet, Jason Nazary, Sam Weinberg, Andrew Smiley, Luke Stewart, Zach Rowden, Kurt Kotheimer, Sam Ospovat, Chris Pistiokios, Nick Jozwiak, Ola Rubin and Anders Uddeskog. Projects include Loplop, The Invisible Party, Pantagruelian Quintet, Swedish Fix, Lipscomb Quartet, Whoarfrost, Reina Terror, Windhorse, Start Again Ensemble, ad hoc and solo improvisation.