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

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

Lennart Simonsson, piano Per V Johansson, bass Joakim Ekberg, drums

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.

Linnea Jonsson

When Goteborg Jazz Orchestra (GJO) - and the founders Mats Eklund and Johnny Olsson - laid out plans for the band's Monday night concerts for 2021 they came up with the concert series "Swedish Jazz Heroes", playing the music and telling the story of the role models who have shaped Swedish jazz of today. They came across the trombonist Eje Thelin and his last work, the suite Raggruppamento. The suite was firts performed and recorded live by the Radiojazz gruppen (RJG) in 1989 in the presence of Eje, but since he himself was too ill, he chose to let guitarist Goran Klinghagen play his feature parts and solos.

Jenna Nyman

Isabel Berglund

Linnea Jonsson

Orjan Hulten

Jenna Nyman

Orjan Hulten

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.

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

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