A VARIOUS ARTISTS SPECIAL – 3 jazz compilations

Featured artists: Kustbandet / Arbete Och Fritid

Club Jazz 6 (SR, 1972)

Instrumental

International relevance: ***

”Club Jazz” was a series of nine volumes of radio recordings released on Swedish Radio's own imprint SR Records from 1970 to 1974, a jazz equivalent of sorts to the early 80's ”Tonkraft – Levande musik från Sverige” series. The featured artists were either given a full album or one LP side each, and the series captures performers such as Eje Thelin, Stefan Abeleen with Lasse Färnlöf, Opposite Corner and vocalist Nannie Porres. The most interesting volume from a progg perspective is also the one with the most bizarre coupling. The sixth installment has one side of Kustbandet's uninteresting trad jazz and the second one dedicated to Arbete & Fritid. The Arbete & Fritid part is Ove Karlsson's fantastic 20 minute track ”Ostpusten-Västpusten” in its entirety, recorded at Uppsala Stadsteater in April 1972. It's Arbete & Fritid at their gorgeous best, and thankfully the track was resurrected as a bonus track on the CD reissue of their third album making it easier to obtain (and easier to avoid Kustbandet).

Jazz från det svenska 70-talet (Caprice, 1974)
Featured artists: Kustbandet / Jazz Doctors / Rolf Larsson & Jack Lidström Dixieband / Ove Linds Kvartett / Björn Milder / Umeå Big Band with Benny Bailey / Peps Blues Band / Gugge Hedrenius Big Blues Band / Lars Gullins Kvintett / Nisse Sandströms Kvartett / Lasse Werner och hans vänner / Nannie Porres Kvintett / Stefan Abeleens Kvintett / Arbe Domnérus Kvintett med Rune Gustafsson / Arbete & Fritid / Bernt Rosengrens Kvartett / Rena Rama / Egba

International relevance: **

Instrumental, English vocals

The title means ”Jazz from the Swedish 70's” and features a wide stylistic range, from the blues of Peps Persson to the fusion of Egba, from the dixieland stomp of Kustbandet to the post bop of Bernt Rosengrens Kvartett. So it serves its purpose of being a non-discriminating catalogue of contemporary jazz but it's also an incredibly frustrating spin if you listen to it all way through. But with such an array of styles, there are of course worthwhile moments. Fans of vocal jazz should be delighted by Nannie Porres's take on ”Willow Weep for Me” – after all, she's the second finest Swedish jazz vocalist after Monica Zetterlund. The contribution from the aforementioned quartet led by Bernt Rosengren is good and lively. Rena Rama makes one of their best vinyl appearances with ”Daisy Lee McGhee” – probably the best selection on the album, and better than Arbete & Fritid's bluesy but unsatisfying ”En solig dag på landet/The Big Bad Bag of Baba-Louie”.

Det nyJAZZte från Göteborg (Caprice, 1977)
Featured artists: Mount Everest / Opposite Corner / Mwendo Dawa / Soffgruppen

Instrumental

International relevance: **

Another Caprice Records release, this time showcasing the talents of the mid 70's Gothenburg jazz and improvisation scene. Mount Everest (as a trio) has a great Coltrane fuelled medley of ”Black Snow” and ”Sherpa Dance”, Mwendo Dawa is a little too close to fusion for my comfort, Opposite Corner is good, while Soffgruppen isn't quite as great as on their album.

Arbete & Fritid - Ostpusten-västpusten
Jazz från det svenska 70-talet full album playlist
Mwendo Dawa - Microsvit

Opposite Corner - Love Song

LASSE FÄRNLÖF – The Chameleon (RCA Victor, 1969) / Svit Cachasa (SR, 1973)

Instrumental, wordless vocals

International relevance: ***

Lasse Färnlöf (misspelt as ”Fernlöf” on the cover to ”The Chameleon”) was a trumpeter known for his many soundtracks, and portions of this album were originally conceived for Torbjörn Axelman's 1969 movie ”Kameleonterna” (”the chameleons”). The album was recorded with musicians not credited on the album, such as Palle Danielsson, Rune Carlsson, Bobo Stenson and Bernt Rosengren.

Parts of the album are OK (particular the modal "Bertil Broström"), but not enough to match ”The Chameleon's” reputation. The addition of strings and sitar to the title track sounds pretty cheesy. Also, it's not as groundbreaking as some make it out be. Using 'non-jazz' instruments in jazz music had been tried before Färnlöf did it, and to better effect than here. In short, a very overrated album.

A Mellotronen reissue exists with the complete session for the album (including studio chatter between tracks), with Färnlöf's namn corrected.

Svit Cachasa (SR, 1973)

as Lars Färnlöf, Radiojazzgruppen, Stefan Abeleens Kvintett

International relevance: **

Instrumental

Färnlöf wrote ”Svit Cachasa” and recorded it with Swedish Radio's inhouse jazz group Radiojazzgruppen and pianist Stefan Abeleen's quintet live in Södertälje (home of Blueset, Sven Zetterberg and Friskt Vatten). It's not spectacular and is really too close to big band jazz for my taste, but it still sounds less contrived than ”The Chameleon”.

The Chameleon full album playlist
Suit Cachasa:

Mörkret ler 

La Bergerie I

La Bergerie II 

Cachasa

Delta Queen

SANSARA – Sansara Music Band (Sonet, 1978)

Instrumental

 International relevance: ***

 

An all-star line-up comprising a number of prominent jazz cats such as Bernt Rosengren, Fredrik Norén, Staffan Abeleen, Jojje Wadenius and Lasse Färnlöf captured on night in August 1977 at jazz club Fasching in Stockholm. The music is best categorized as soul jazz, with post bop playing over funky grooves. Some inspired playing but the music itself isn't particularly adventurous. I've never liked the kitschy soul jazz style, and there's a bit too much Wadenius for me here.

The album features a version of the title track from Färnlöf's legendary 1969 album ”The Chameleon”.

Full album playlist