Stína Ágústsdóttir is considered one of Iceland’s best jazz artists and nowadays she’s just as established in Sweden. She is known for her energetic live performances, not only in Scandinavia, but also in her previous home of Montreal. She has been nominated for the Icelandic music prize a few times, both for her album, Jazz á íslensku (Jazz in Icelandic, 2017) and for The Whale (2021). Jazz á íslensku has already become a classic in Iceland and has been used in Icelandic language lessons and is played frequently on the radio. Stina has been living in Sweden since 2011 and plays with artists such as Maz Schultz, Håkan Brosträm, Erik Söderlind, Simon Berggren, Henrik Linder, Joel Lyssarides and Kjetil Mulelid. Stina, herself, says about her album: “In 2016 I got seriously ill and needed to put my life on hold. I managed to get back on my feet, with the help of family and friends, and the music on the record is about this journey from darkness towards light. The songs reflect the many sides of a human being, both the pretty and the ugly, and that it’s ok to be a mess and need help.”

A year in one’s life contains a broad spectrum of impressions. For this album I tried to capture the diversity of these emotions with songs from the jazz tradition. Studying the compositions I love from the American Songbook made me realize that the topics from then are just as relevant today; what is always constant, independent of century or time is that life goes on. The show must go on. In the cold days of January 2021 me and Filip started to work on my ideas for this album. After rehearsing with the full band later on I was thrilled that my vision had become reality. On the 14th and 15th of April we went into the studio and recorded the full album. Working with such gifted musicians that I deeply respect has been the greatest and most rewarding musical experience of my life.

Marias Kvist hows with her trio on this record how she, based on her own strong experiences in her landscape Jämtland, wants to design her music-compositions, arrangements and improvisations. Here is a very interesting break, or rather interplay, between her roots and her musical means of expression. Maria is a driven and resourceful pianist with great breadth in the address. As a composer, she connects with the Swedish greats but is careful not to plagiarize – it is not part of the artistic mission. e task is instead to develop, to reshape and convey something of her own – to attract both herself, her fellow musicians and us – the listeners – to strong emotions and exciting discoveries.

Described as somewhere between Steps Ahead to early Pat Metheny Group, award-winning composer & drummer Martin Brandqvist leads this cinematic-sounding project of four skillful Swedish improvisors. Their debut album – a collection of original music entitled Reflections – receiving critical acclaim, including nomination for Orkesterjournal's Golden Disc 2016, which described the album as “exemplary.” The present release, titled Any Time, showcases seven brand new tracks, all composed by Martin Brandqvist. Martin Brandqvist grew up in a home characterized by jazz. At the age of 17, he played at the legendary jazz club Nefertiti in Gothenburg. Later he became an educated percussionist, in Sweden as well as in New York. Martin has a Bachelor of art in music and at Drummers Collective in New York he met the legendary percussionist Frank Malabe and studied the Afro-Cuban and Brazilian tradition on drums. Martin has toured with Vusi Mahlasela in South Africa and with Simbi on festivals in Haiti, Canada and France.

From the artists: "An album of instrumental Christmas music with a piano trio, is that a worthwhile idea? We asked that same question 17 years ago when we recorded In dulci jubilo in 2003. We decided it was and the result has followed us and lived with us since then. It has almost become our trademark. We have performed these songs in innumerable joyful Christmas concerts every December for our audiences. At the same time, we have tried to renew and expand the repertoire till we finally felt it was time for a sequel. So here it is. A Christmas present to ourselves and to you dear listeners. Like the last time all the music is from Sweden and the European continent."

The horns of Lindeborg/Andersson have been heard on recordings and on tour with an extensive list of Swedish and international artists. While touring with Björn Skifs (Hooked on a feeling) the idea was born to pay tribute to the genre that had always been closest to their hearts. The dream was to take their favorite players/singers to a studio and make an album which Lindeborg describes as "a heartfelt, energetic smooth jazz record featuring all of our favorite friends from Sweden and abroad." The group's first release received critical praise, and now the follow-up album, Two, is sure to garner the same respect.

Singer Lina Nyberg and pianist Daniel Karlsson have both had brilliant careers in Sweden and internationally through the years. April 30, 2021 the duo album The Night and the Music will be released, containing a string of famous songs inspired by nighttime. A number of jazz standards and evergreens has been carefully selected, all taking us step by step through evening, night and finally to early morning. You will hear classics like Red sails in the sunset and Thelonius Monk's Round midnight combined with modern hits such as Goodmorning starshine from the musical Hair, but also Samuel Barber's famous composition of James Agee's poem Sure on this shining night. With these melodies, the duo creates an inspiring musical experience for the listener and discovers new worlds in the music.

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.

Karin Hammar writes: "Dear listener! After the release of 2 albums with Karin Hammar Fab 4 in 2016 and 2018, the time felt right to extend the Fab4 soundscape. As I have always being inspired by film music and classical music, the choice of adding string quartet to the jazz group felt like the extra flavoring needed to both enhance and expand the musical horizon. The idea of combining the Karin Hammar Fab 4 and the string quartet with Olivier Ker Ourio's chromatic harmonica transpired after I met and played with Olivier in Tel Aviv 2017. As a result, the beautiful sound of the harmonica, Ker Ourio's virtuosity came to be the 9th voice of this project. We hope you enjoy listening to this music - we certainly enjoyed writing and recording it!"

Peter Dahlgren (born 1974) began his career as a professional trombonist when he moved to Copenhagen in the mid-90s to study at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory. He quickly became one of the metropolis' most frequently hired trombonists on the thriving jazz scene. In the quintet Out To Lunch, he also achieved success abroad, when they participated in 1998 and won the jazz competition in Getxo in Spain. Peter also won the prize as the competition's best soloist. In Denmark, Peter played and toured with all the big names in jazz, and also as a studio musician and on musicals. He has toured all over the world, including in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, China, and in most countries in Europe. In 2004, he participated in the EBU Jazz Orchestra, an international big band consisting of selected musicians from all over Europe. In Sweden he has made himself heard in contexts such as Joakim Milders Quintet, Peter Danemo Kapell, Magnus Lindgren's Paradise Open, Monday Night Big Band, Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, Bohuslän Big Band, and most of all in Norrbotten Big Band, where he has been a regular. member since 1997. He has shared the stage with international artists such as Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Toots Thielemans, Maria Schneider, Randy Brecker, Tim Hagans, Chris Potter, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Thomas Sztanko, Paquito D'Rivera, and many more. In 2008 he moved to Luleå to play full time but Norrbotten Big Band, one of Sweden's two full professional big bands. There he is now the lead trombonist and also arranges music for the band. Peter is also active as a trombone teacher at Piteå University. The present release features mostly original compositions.

Simon Westman Trio has been playing together since 2010, they have performed at jazz clubs in Gothenburg and are praised for their sound and their interaction. The members of the trio are individually strong voices on the Swedish jazz scene. Simon has played and collaborated with Bohuslän Big Band, Yasuhito Mori Scandinavian Connection, Lasse Lindgren Big Band, Svante Thuresson, Magnus Lindgren, Lina Nyberg and Samuel Ljungblahd, among others. The trio initially called themselves MMS Trio, the music they played was a mix of American jazz standards, European "ECM jazz" and Nordic show. But in May 2019, Simon began composing original music for the trio, after getting his thumbs out (thanks to his friend and colleague Alexander Lövmark) and booking time for recording in Nilento Studio. The debut album "Stay a While" was recorded in January 2020.

When Anna Lundqvist (voc) and Jonas André (piano) met over 20 years ago, they soon realized they had a special kind of musical connection - a communication of a near telepathic nature. Now the duo reunites to rekindle that old spark again, and to release their debut album, Reunion, into the world. The music flows seamlessly between European jazz and pop, where original material intertwines with songs by, for instance, Joni Mitchell, Kenny Wheeler, Norma Winstone, Alexander Lövmark, Anders von Hofsten, and Jay-Jay Johansson. Melancholic harmony and drama are the key elements that make up the profound and honest repertoire with lyrics about life, passion, and will. It was 20 years ago, when they both studied at Skurup's Folk High School, that they played together for the first time. And despite coming from different musical backgrounds, they quickly realized they had a special kind of musical chemistry. However, life and further studies made them decide to pause the duo indefinitely. But the will to play together never went away, and now the duo has been revived to develop that chemistry and to make new music.

"I've been listening to Hans's music for more than 25 years in many contexts, and I have noticed how he has grown and matured as an artist. And how he's always thinking "we" instead of "I". So, all things considered, here's a tribute that everybody involved should be proud of. I'm sure that Charlie Parker would have smiled approvingly. Yes, Bird lives!" (Thorbjørn Sjøgren) Hans Backenroth discovered jazz at the end of his teens, which led him to play double bass influenced by, among others, Paul Chambers, Ray Brown, Scott LaFaro and NHØP. In 1986 Hans moved to Stockholm to study at the music department at Birkagarden college, followed by three years at the Royal Academy of Music, where he graduated in 1989 in both jazz and classical bass, arranging and improvisational education. During the final year Hans became a member of Fredrik Norén Band, with tours in Sweden, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Baltics, and soon he began to appear at Stockholm's jazz venues like Fasching and Stampen and at many jazz clubs around Sweden. He appears on this album alongside Klas Lindquist, Erik Soderlind, and Karl-Henrik Ousback.

Eva Kruse writes: "This music is for you. No matter how old you are. No matter where you come from. No matter where you go. Peace & Love." Eva Kruse studied acoustic bass and improvisation at the university of arts "UdK" in Berlin with Sigi Busch, Jerry Granelli and David Friedman. She also studied in Sweden with bassist and professor Anders Jormin. From 1999-2001 she was a member of the German youth-jazzorchester "BuJazzO," where she took classes with pianist John Taylor who inspired her to start writing music for different bands and projects. She has released five albums on ACT Records, toured worldwide over the last ten years, and has won two Grammys in Germany alongside her ensemble the "Eva Kruse Trio."