At long last! In the image of all the great jazz stars with any self-respect, the band Louis Prima Forever has taken up some of the immaculate standards and popular songs (by Mariah Carey, George Michael)associated with the magic of Christmas. You can catch the scent of fir trees already, so watch out... because Louis Prima Forever doesn't totally belong to the "Xmas album" tradition that reeks of squeaky-clean tinsel. These guys are as hot as chestnuts and swing so hard that Santa Claus would slip a disc. In fact this record would shake any party to life and make your Christmas feel like New Year's Day!

Saxophonist Jasper Staps and pianist Rembrandt Frerichs, lifelong friends with a 25-year bond and extensive shared stage experience, have combined their talents to release their eagerly awaited debut album titled The First At Last. This album aims to rekindle the spirit of genuine human interaction in jazz by focusing on musical storytelling and the inherent beauty of the genre. Backed by Staps' seasoned saxophone and Frerichs' historic 1903 Erard grand piano, the quartet highlights their passion for swinging rhythms, resonating melodies, and intricate harmonies. A fresh rhythm section, featuring Matheus Nicolaiewsky on double bass and Mitchell Damen on drums, engages in a dynamic interplay with the veterans. Their profound personal connection fortifies this musical partnership, underpinning a unique chemistry that bridges their differing artistic approaches – Staps, a craftsman driven by lyrical sounds, and Frerichs, an experimental composer. Working with Just Listen Records, renowned for capturing live energy, underscores their commitment to an unfiltered jazz encounter The First At Last celebrates their friendship while honoring their shared love for jazz.

Renowned jazz trumpeter and composer Angelo Verploegen selected some of his own compositions for, A Handful of Stories, a new album with Just Listen Records. This swinging jazz quintet project, led by Verploegen, is a testament to his versatile musical journey, showcasing his unique ability to traverse various jazz styles, from straight-ahead jazz to free improvisation.

In A Handful of Stories, Verploegen takes a moment of retrospection, bringing to life a selection of original compositions crafted over the past 25 years. These compositions, designed for a variety of formations and occasions, are now reimagined by a quintet of exceptional musicians. Verploegen is joined by saxophonist Nils van Haften, pianist Marc van Roon, bassist Guus Bakker, and drummer Jasper van Hulten in this musical adventure.

The album's themes of reflection, celebration, and musical storytelling are woven throughout compositions inspired by life experiences, magical performances, and moments of reflection. This album promises to be a treasure trove of musical experiences, blending the essence of swinging jazz with the art of storytelling, all wrapped up in Verploegen's unique style.

Orjan Hulten

Erik Palmberg - Trumpet Joona Toivanen - Piano Martin Sundstr�m - Bass Paul Svanberg - Drums & Percussion

Jenna Nyman

Isabel Berglund

Linnea Jonsson

Irma Neumuller & Seth Sjostrom are two Swedish jazz musicians and composers based in Berlin. Their collaboration began as early as 2020 at Skurups Folk High School, where they quickly connected through their shared love of jazz and improvisation. In this project, they come together in an intimate duo setting, interpreting jazz standards, original compositions, and selected favorites from the Swedish pop and folk music repertoire. The contrasts between Irma and Seth-both as musicians and as individuals-are explored. The result is a unique and intimate sound that sheds new light on both the compositions and themselves. Over the past few years, Irma and Seth have performed in various ensembles across Sweden and the rest of Northern Europe, and both have made a name for themselves on the Nordic jazz scene.

Recorded live in concert at the Krematoriet, Stockholm, on 12 October 2024. Recorded by Adam Forkelid. Mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann, 4ohm Berlin. Photos by Joona Toivanen (front cover) and Fredrik Gille. Cover design by Jonas Holmberg

Film music soundtracks have established themselves over the years as major providers of popular tunes. But jazz is quite different, because it has always had an appetite for transforming standards into something of its own. The Swingin’ Affair quartet brings new colors to the famous melodies heard in films, adding unrivalled freshness with some sumptuous arrangements that draw on different palettes, including swing, cool jazz and bossa nova… Imagine Darth Vader playing in the Cotton Club with Duke Ellington and his Orchestra! The Swingin’ Affair quartet give a marvelous demonstration of how fertile our music heritage can be when it comes to being creative.

Emmalisa Hallander, vocals Filip Ekestubbe, piano Niklas Fernqvist, bass Henrik Jaderberg, drums Daniel Migdal, violin 1 Jonna Simonsson, violin 2 Riikka Repo, viola Amalie Stalheim, cello Special guests Peter Asplund, trumpet & Per Texas Johansson, saxophone

With her album B.O. Paradiso, singer Do Montebello pays a tribute to film songs that have marked her life. With this third opus, the artist - who devotes her performances to both well-known material and her own compositions - enchants the world with melodies and songs that mingle peace of mind and poetry. The album was produced by Marc Berthoumieux, whose sumptuous arrangements here provide settings that move between jazz, song, pop music and bossa nova. It's an intoxicating mixture, intimate and yet universal in it's perspective, and it takes listeners into a world that is weightlessly soft... and touched by grace.

Stina Hellberg Agback - harp Filip Augustsson - double bass Jon Falt- drums

Emmalisa Hallander, vocals Filip Ekestubbe, piano Niklas Fernqvist, bass Henrik Jaderberg, drums Daniel Migdal, violin 1 Jonna Simonsson, violin 2 Riikka Repo, viola Amalie Stalheim, cello Special guests Peter Asplund, trumpet & Per Texas Johansson, saxophone

The music on this album reflects upon and responds to the state of the world it's wars, polarization, and climate change. It fills me with melancholy and sorrow, yet within this darkness, I also see hope through the people I encounter in my life and the power of the positive initiatives that still take place. Hope grows in intimate conversations, in the creative space of music where we intuitively understand each other through listening, in children's play, and in resistance against narrow-mindedness. In the resilience of nature, society, and people during this uncertain time of change. Photographer Anders Petersen has generously allowed me to use his image Hamburg as the album cover. To me, the image speaks of an unfathomable moment of mutual connection of resonance in the midst of everyday life. And perhaps hope lies precisely there, in our wonder and resonance with the world around us. Three compositions Ruins, Evening Hymn, and With Hope draw inspiration from traditional hymns of Gammelsvenskby in Ukraine. Parts of the theme in Arctic Call are based on phrases from an Inuit drum song from Greenland, and the original idea for Woods in Blue comes from a polska from Harjedalen, Sweden. The closing piece, O Magnum Mysterium by Francis Poulenc, was originally written for soprano solo and choir.

Vocals: Stina Agustsdottir Guitar: Mikael Mani asmundsson Keys & Synths: Magnus Johann Ragnarsson Bass: Henrik Linder Drums: Magnus Trygvason Eliassen

Erik Palmberg Trumpet, flugelhorn, compositions Anton Dromberg Piano Niklas Wennstrom Double Bass Sebastian Voegler Drums "We have had a busy, yet inspiring time since our last album. I began working on the new material just back from our tour, after weeks not only spent playing the music, but also talking about music with my band mates. The discussions and musical exchange sowed the seeds for the new songwriting. I was inspired by a new understanding and awareness towards the different musical styles and ideals that were existing within the group. " /Erik

Pianist Anton Dromberg (Bear Garden, Erik Palmberg Quartet) and vocalist Anna Berglund (Anna Arco, Berglund Band) are no novices on the Swedish jazz scene. In 2021, they celebrated their tenth anniversary as a duo and released the debut EP Dream Maker, which was appointed "Vocal and Piano Album of the Year" by Lira Music Magazine. The duo's songs have aired on Swedish national radio, P2, and found their way onto several major Spotify- playlists such as "Svensk Jazz". The music has been described as heartfelt, melodic and with exceptional interplay whether it is original material or a new version of a Burt Bacharach ballad

This is a celebration to one of my favourite composers, the great French composer, piano player and conductor Michel Legrand. On this album I have chosen to interpret some of my favourite songs, arranged by Swedish piano player and arranger Martin Sjostedt. Michel Legrand has always been a great inspiration for me and I have long dreamed of doing a project where I get to interpret his music in my own unique way. His music and the combination of the beautiful lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman stand for what I mainly want to convey to my audience; romance, dynamism, melancholy but also blues and swing. My special guests on this album are the Danish harmonica player Mathias Heise and the Swedish trumpet player Peter Asplund who is also the composer and arranger of the original song and LE GRAND MICHEL. Title track of this album A very special thank you to my musical partner, arranger and producer of this album, Martin Sjostedt, who always supports and challenges me musically in the most fun and generous way. /Vivian Buczek

Johny Carlsson, a devout jazz fan, born and raised in Sweden and, since my early teens, a wannabe jazz payer. All of the jazz greats and jazz styles have a pace in he�s heart. However, ever since he first heard the great trombone payer J.J. Johnson with the Miles Davis' group and then, later on, J.J. and Kai Winding on the Jay & Kai Quintet, in the Septet and, on the eight bones recordings, the mighty sound of a trombone group paying jazz has fascinated me. In Johny�s mid-teens and early 20's he was writing music and paying the piano in small combos in Sweden.

This album was recorded on the 9th of May 2023 in Sound on Sound Studios in New Jersey, The project itself was an ongoing process of writing for three years. We recorded for 12 full hours.

AFTER MANY YEARS of musical collaboration, the idea to let the saxophonist create the melodies and the pianist the harmonies was born. When the arrangements were put in place, it resulted in a musical hybrid that the creators could not label at first. It has something to do with jazz but is garnished with small marzipan roses from the countryside in the north of Sweden. When the fumes from the laboratory experiment subsided, they said to each other: "This is a new element. We will name it Oscar Peterson-Berger.*" We hope that the album 'Petrichor' will land softly in

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