The recordings for HOME.S. were made only a few weeks before Esbj�rn Svensson's sudden death 2008. Svensson recorded the music in his Swedish home. For almost ten years afterwards, the album rested untouched in his wife Eva's personal archive. These new recordings are the only ones that show Svensson in a setting other than that of the trio: Intimate, concentrated and completely one with himself.

HOME.S.

Around forty artists from the ACT Family make this anniversary album a celebration of the breadth, openness and inclusive power of jazz. The core of the album consists of recordings made at a summer 2022 studio session lasting several days. In reality, it is only Nils Landgren and Siggi Loch who could have brought this panorama of musical Europe into being. The influences here range from jazz, popular song and folk to classical and contemporary music, and much more. Thirty tracks from three generations of musicians marking thirty years of ACT, with Nils Landgren as driving force. Not just a retrospective, but above all an insight into the present and future of the discovery label "in the Spirit of Jazz".

180 gram Black Virgin Vinyl with a free Download Code included! At first glance Nils Landgren might seem a bit out of place in the midst of this illustrious group of women. Landgren - isn't that the guy with the fiery red trombone who continually brings the concert halls to the boiling point? Yah - that's him. But God knows the Swedish jazz trombonist has more to offer than rock-hard, groovy funk. When it comes to ballads, Nils Landgren is an old hand. And Nils could sing practically from when he could talk. Nils remembers with amusement that, "In school we had to sing a psalm every day, which definitely didn't arouse my enthusiasm for singing." It was a convincing performance in the best James Brown manner that got the 18-year old Landgren his first recording contract. Since then Nils Landgren has never completely stopped singing, regardless of all the success of his formidable band Funk Unit. 46-year-old Nils Landgren has traveled a long way before he could begin his "Sentimental Journey". He has been involved with more than 500 recording sessions (including ABBA), jazz workshops with some of the world's most renowned big bands, successful international tours with the Funk Unit, artistic director of the 2001 Berlin Jazz Festival - the list could go on and on. One thing that makes "Sentimental Journey" so convincing is that it resists the hectic hustle and bustle that can overwhelm the music. Nils says adamantly that, "This is my baby, at least for a while." And what a beautiful, sweet, sentimental baby it is.

Marius Neset combines Brecker's power and Jan Garbarek's tonal delicacy (The Guardian) and "makes his instrument dance like a gazelle and soar like an eagle, and he's an ingenious composer too." (Telegraph) Downbeat described him as "not only an impressive technician but also a formidable composer." On "Happy" Marius Neset draws for the first time on the pop, soul and funk of the 70s and 80s.

Swedish bassist/cellist Lars Danielsson is a master improviser, who completely engages listeners by taking them on journeys of both pleasure and wonder, with themes which are always expressive and song-like. He is far too classy and refined a musician to indulge in superficial virtuosic display. Danielsson's well-honed, naturally lyrical improvisational lines remain at the service of the flow of the music, something particularly noticeable when he steps forward and takes on the role of soloist. These core traits are also there in his extensive and much-praised work as arranger, composer and bandleader of his successful "Liberettto" ensemble. Classical music and jazz are the two determining poles of Danielsson's musical career. With his double album "Symphonized", Lars Danielsson is now fulfilling a dream: In 2017 Lars Danielsson was comissioned by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra to write an own piece for the them, his "Concerto for English Horn and Contrabass" was born. Two years later it was recorded with Carolina Grinne as soloist on English horn and oboe. Later, the opportunity arose to record extra material at the same location. The idea of a "best-of" project with a difference, with pieces from Liberetto in orchestral form, was born. A full orchestra with 79 members and guest soloists was involved, with Peter Nordahl as conductor for both recordings. A cinematic wide-screen music has emerged, with echoes of Claus Ogermann, Nino Rota or Ennio Morricone, perhaps. And from there it is not too far to thoughts of Maurice Ravel, to whom Claude Debussy once said: "Pleasure is the law." This pleasure is palpable on the recordings. Supple, with timbres and textures in balance, and full of melodic variety, events unfold in a way which creates enjoyment. Lars Danielsson sees a challenge in using the orchestra in a way that leaves organic space for solo instruments. Melody, flow and emotion are central elements of his art.

For Pianist Michael Wollny, songs are like ghosts. His new album "Ghosts" is a gathering of some of the ghosts that regularly haunt him. Typically for Wollny, they range from classics like Franz Schubert's "Erlk�nig" to jazz standards, film music, songs with a certain fragility by Nick Cave, say, or the band Timber Timbre, and also include his own darkly evocative original compositions.

Catching Ghosts by revered, iconoclastic 81-year-old reedist Peter Br�tzmann with Moroccan Gnaoua adept Majid Bekkas playing two-stringed, camelskin-backed guembre and Chicago-bred drummer Hamid Drake, proves that "free" spontaneous interactions deriving power from age-old traditions can transcend cultural lines. Improvising on incantations from Gnaoua liturgy, Br�tzmann's horn cries as summons and statement; Drake's drums awaken inner impulses; Bekkas' strings, plucked and strummed, tie it all together, and his voice brings the song home. But this is no lucky success: The music is vital due to it's players' career-long practice, their knowledge of heritage, and belief the past must always be reinterpreted, renewed. American jazz giants have jammed with Gnaouans, but for Br�tzmann, Europe's exemplar of unfettered blowing, to grapple with such material is to hear a new synthesis. "My approach is get in and disturb these themes, so other things happen," he explains. "I'm not thinking about scales or harmonies. I follow Bekkas, and when he changes, I do something against it to make the music interesting to me. The dialectic is a good way to make something new, out of tension. I need that in any sort of playing." Bekkas aligns himself with Br�tzmann, championing the revival of Gnaouan culture, which originates in the uneasy history of freed Black slaves integrating with Moroccan Islamic society. The music relates to American blues, as Bekkas knows. Drake orchestrates the open format, making drama from grooves so each track of "Catching Ghosts" tells it's own story, signifying meaning though it be pre-linguistic. That suits Br�tzmann's adjustment of his signature style. "I don't have to play all high energy anymore," says the German who shook up the jazz world in 1968 with his album "Machine Gun". "Now I'm more interest in dynamics and sound." Those tangible qualities universalize the challenge of "Catching Ghosts

BEWEGTES FELD

LIFE IN THE SPIRIT OF JAZZ

CATHEDRAL

DO YOU HEAR ME

TRIO - DELUXE EDITION

MAHLER'S BREAKDOWN

Al Jarreau & NDR Bigband - Ellington (Black Double Vinyl) Recorded at Paradiso in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on 26 November 2016 and at the Opera Garnier in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on 29 November 2016. The final album and a heartfelt tribute to the world-famous American singer Al Jarreau. With Duke Ellington's timeless compositions. Experience the magic of American singer Al Jarreau one last time with "Ellington," his final album, recorded just months before his passing in February 2017. This live recording captures the essence of a true musical genius and brings Jarreau's illustrious musical journey full circle. A unique collaboration with the NDR Bigband, "Ellington" showcases Jarreau's legendary vocal artistry intertwined with Duke Ellington's timeless compositions. It's also a poignant reminder of his deep connection to Germany, where he first rose to fame, thanks to the unwavering support of Siggi Loch-then an executive at Warner Brothers and later the founder of ACT Music. Their partnership led to some of the most memorable performances of Jarreau's career. "Ellington" is a heartfelt tribute to Al Jarreau, whose groundbreaking approach transcended genres, earning him six Grammy Awards across jazz, pop, and R&B, and leaving an indelible mark on the world of music.

LIFE RHYTHM

HIGHLIFE

Vinyl LP pressing. With it's warmth, power and clarity, the music has the distinctive hallmark which makes Haffner probably the most popular drummer/bandleader in Europe, known from his albums and from thousands of concerts in more than 100 countries. And at the same time it marks an evolution in his music. Indeed, perhaps one of the key factors behind Haffner's success is that his music will always contain elements of the familiar alongside the new, and that Haffner always brings the audience along with him to participate in the flow of his ideas - and also in the 'life rhythm' which he communicates so brilliantly, and instills in everyone around him. A versatile approach and the highest level of musicianship are also factors which Wolfgang Haffner has in common with his fellow musicians on 'Life Rhythm'. At the core is his regular, completely 'played-in' trio with keyboard player Simon Oslender, also a drummer and a band leader in his own right, and Thomas Stieger, one of the most sought-after bassists on the German pop and jazz scenes. They are joined by trumpeter Sebastian Studnitzky, Haffner's regular collaborator since his ACT debut 'Shapes', and Finnish guitarist Arto Mik�l�, a real discovery with remarkable variety in his sound. Haffner also welcomes some unique musical personalities to bring their own highly individual colours to the band: Nils Landgren has been a good friend and touring colleague for more than 20 years. Also appearing are saxophone icon Bill Evans, Sting's guitarist Dominic Miller, Balkan beat star Shantel, the refined bassist Nicolas Fiszman, oud virtuoso Thomas Konstantinou and Bruno M�ller, one of the finest of German jazz guitarists.

RAW

HIGHLIFE

WONDERLAND

KOMEDA: JAZZ AT BERLIN PHILHARMONIC XIV

The final album and a heartfelt tribute to the world-famous American singer Al Jarreau. With Duke Ellington's timeless compositions. - Experience the magic of American singer Al Jarreau one last time with "Ellington," his final album, recorded just months before his passing in February 2017. This live recording captures the essence of a true musical genius and brings Jarreau's illustrious musical journey full circle. A unique collaboration with the NDR Bigband, "Ellington" showcases Jarreau's legendary vocal artistry intertwined with Duke Ellington's timeless compositions. It's also a poignant reminder of his deep connection to Germany, where he first rose to fame, thanks to the unwavering support of Siggi Loch-then an executive at Warner Brothers and later the founder of ACT Music. Their partnership led to some of the most memorable performances of Jarreau's career. "Ellington" is a heartfelt tribute to Al Jarreau, whose groundbreaking approach transcended genres, earning him six Grammy Awards across jazz, pop, and R&B, and leaving an indelible mark on the world of music. - Recorded at Paradiso in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on 26 November 2016 and at the Opera Garnier in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on 29 November 2016.

ANSWER

STEALING MOMENTS