Jussi Lehtonen Quartet. Jesse van Ruller (guitar)

In January 2023, the EP"Vinterstjärnor" was launched. On October 27th, the second part"Sommarstjärnor" will be released. The stargazing year culminates in the full-length album"Pleiades," which will be available on vinyl, CD, and digital platforms in November/December. This is the long-awaited second album from Swedish jazz pianist Emil Ingmar, building on the critically acclaimed debut album from 2020.

PLAY! Is Henning Ull�n's second album under his own name. Together with Mauritz Agnas on double bass and Nils Agnas on drums, the trio offers music with a melancholic undertone, yet infused with a joy of playing. The title of the album, also the title of the second track urges us to play, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and improvisation in it's simplest form. On the other hand, the music is rich, oscillating between well-composed, sometimes complex passages and freer sections that leave room for improvisation. The album is infused with a driving high-energy vibe. At times, the boundaries blur between what is composed and what is improvised. In addition to the trio format, the album also includes some shorter solo improvisations where Ull�n for the first time on record presents his solo-playing. Henning Ull�n is an award-winning pianist and composer primarily active in jazz and improvisational music. He studied at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Berklee College of Music, and the conservatory in Paris (CNSDMP). Henning Ull�n was one of Sweden's most promising and acclaimed young jazz trumpeters when he had to end his trumpet career in 2019 due to a rare disease that caused dizziness and headaches in connection with playing the trumpet. He then quickly transitioned to the piano and released his first album, Debut, in 2021.

Swedish jazz has since the 50s had a unique sound. The fire of American, mixed with the melancholy of Swedish folk music, evolved into a genre of its own. The great baritone saxophonist Lars Gullin composed music in this way with ingredients from jazz, Swedish folk music and the classical repertoire. This record emphasizes these elements and gives new life, not only to his music, but also to Swedish jazz. A child prodigy on the accordion Lars Gullin became a professional musician first as a pianist in 1947. He planned on a classical career until in 1949 he filled the baritone chair in Seymour Osterwalls ban. In 1954 he won the best newcomer award in DownBeat magazine. Over the next two decades, he would go on to work with some of the biggest names in contemporary jazz, including Archie Shepp, and Chet Baker. He died in 1976.

A Fremde In Der Nacht

Ge Mig En Dag

A Walk in the Centerpoint

Temper

Där blåser tre vindar på haven

Music for a While

Bohuslän Big Band and Danilo Pérez collaborate on a new and unique album. Danilo Pérez and Swedish jazz orchestra, Bohuslän Big Band, release a record where Pan-American rhythms meet the Nordic big band sound. The album, characterized by improvisation and playfulness, is evidence of music's power to unite cultures. The new album is the result of a collaborative effort marked by openness, a spirit of experimentation, and mutual respect. The music, of which the majority is composed by Danilo Pérez, has its roots in Pan-American rhythms and grooves and is as majestic as it is playful with its elements of both improvisation and free flowing melodies. With song titles like "Galactic Panama" and "Sunburn & Mosquito," Danilo's roots are never far away and permeates in the feeling of the music. "The album is a milestone in my career," says Pérez. "It symbolizes the power of music to bring cultures together and create shared experiences of beauty and harmony. The project is also special because it was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its release stands as a testament to the commitment and effort of everyone involved in bringing this Global Jazz vision to life.” The album brims with joyful spirit. The freely flowing improvisation between Danilo Pérez's piano and Joakim Rolandsson's soprano saxophone on "Lumen," or the beautiful flugelhorn solo by Staffan Svensson on "Across the Crystal Sea," and especially the last two minutes of "Sunburn & Mosquito," are all examples of a musical encounter beyond the ordinary. Together with Bohuslän Big Band, Danilo carries on the rich tradition of Panamanian jazz music, from pioneering musicians like Luis Russell and Sonny White to Eric Dolphy and Billy Cobham, blending it with the Nordic touch that characterizes Bohuslän Big Band. "It has been an honor for us to be emersed in Danilo's boundless energy, musical integrity, and creative vision," says Eric Brandström Arellano, orchestra manager for Bohuslän Big Band. "He has truly created an inclusive and exploratory atmosphere in this project. This has opened the door for the musicians to delve deep into the intricacies for the music and embrace his artistic vision." In 2019, Panamanian-born world pianist Danilo Pérez initiated a collaboration with Bohuslän Big Band in his role as Artist in Residence at Vara Concert Hall. In addition to touring, workshops, and work with the youth big band Next Generation Big Band, they also recorded Pérez's music in new big band arrangements, now released. The album will be released on October 25th, with two single releases in August and September respectively.

Life changes. Feelings change. Music changes. Sometimes, you reach a turning point of some kind. Whenever this happens, the story of your life depends on where you begin and end the chapters. Are things changing for the better or for the worse, or both, or neither? We might not know until we see everything in retrospect, and even then we might not be quite sure. But in the end, these turning points define our stories. Recorded in just one day this music tries to catch an emotion that was fleeting in the air. It came about both with ease and through struggle. At the end we're left with fragments of all the feelings, thoughts and Life changes. Feelings change. Music changes. Sometimes, you reach a turning point of some kind. Whenever this happens, the story of your life depends on where you begin and end the chapters. Are things changing for the better or for the worse, or both, or neither? We might not know until we see everything in retrospect, and even then we might not be quite sure. But in the end, these turning points define our stories. Recorded in just one day this music tries to catch an emotion that was fleeting in the air. It came about both with ease and through struggle. At the end we're left with fragments of all the feelings, thoughts and experiences it's given us, and after a while it becomes a memory.

Life changes. Feelings change. Music changes. Sometimes, you reach a turning point of some kind. Whenever this happens, the story of your life depends on where you begin and end the chapters. Are things changing for the better or for the worse, or both, or neither? We might not know until we see everything in retrospect, and even then we might not be quite sure. But in the end, these turning points define our stories. Recorded in just one day, this music tries to catch an emotion that was fleeting in the air. It came about both with ease and through struggle. At the end, we’re left with fragments of all the feelings, thoughts, and experiences it’s given us, and after a while, it becomes a memory.

Irma Neumüller is a Swedish jazz vocalist and composer who writes music in both Swedish and English, infusing the traditional jazz sound with her personal touch. Her music is characterized by its swinging, uplifting, and sometimes emotional qualities. Influenced by artists such as Carmen McRae, Monica Zetterlund, and Stevie Wonder, Irma brings a fresh perspective to the jazz genre. With her strong stage presence, she warmly invites the audience into her musical world.

Born in 2001 in Stockholm, Irma Neumüller began her musical journey in the classical realm, starting to play the cello at the age of four. After twelve years as a cellist, she discovered jazz and its rich singing tradition. Irma pursued jazz vocal studies at Södra Latin’s high school in Stockholm and spent two years at the nationally renowned Skurup pre-college before relocating to Berlin, where she currently studies at the Jazz Institute Berlin.

In recent years, Irma Neumüller has garnered success on stages across Sweden. She was honored as the "Young Swedish Soloist 2023" by the Swedish performing arts organization “Scenkonst Sörmland”, received several scholarships, and has been consistently praised by jazz critics. Her debut album, "Introducing Irma Neumüller", is set for release on February 23, 2024, under the label Naxos/Prophone.

Hamrå Orkester Björn Cedergren, Tenor saxophone Patrik Putte Janson, Trumpet Andreas Thurfjell, Alto sax & clarinet Simon Westman, Piano Olli Rantala, Double bass Fredrik Hamrå, Drums, compositions