COMBO 8 – Vibrationer (LIM, 1976)

Instrumental
International relevance: **

It took Combo 8 four years and a massively trimmed down line-up (from twenty people down to six) before their sole album ”Vibrationer” was released on musicians run LIM (Levande Improviserad Musik) label in 1976. As a sextet, they still made a lot of sound. Their jazz rock/funk fusion is messy and hyperventilating, with too much going on at the same time, as if the the members wouldn't let anyone else into the spotlight. Tight yes, but overworked. Band founder and drummer Torbjörn Johansson, guitarist Björn Hallberg and bass player Ulf Mårtensson are particularly annoying. 

Regatta II
Vibrationer
Funk Five

GÖTEBORGS MUSIKKVARTETT – Göteborgs Musikkvartett (Svenska Jazzriksförbundet, 1974) / Aftara (LIM, 1975)

Göteborgs Musikkvartett (Svenska Jazzriksförbundet, 1974)

Instrumental

International relevance: ***

A quartet featuring saxophonist Ove Johansson, later in Mwendo Dawa with Susanna Lindeborg who also engineered Göteborgs Musikkvartett's first album. It's not quite free jazz but it has some free moments; I guess you could call it free-spirited jazz. The tracks sort of emanate from a modal epicentre, and some of them are a bit similar to early Arbete & Fritid with a dash of Albert Ayler and mid 60's John Coltrane. While often good, they sometimes get stuck in a tonal rut. They know what they're aiming at but they don't always seem sure of how to get there, instead treading water. When they catapult themselves forward, it works just fine.

Aftara (LIM, 1975)

Instrumental

International relevance: ***

Their debut has faintly funky grooves, and they're more palpable on "Aftara's" side long ”Improvisation”. The pulse ought to give the music a momentum but has, oddly enough, the opposite effect. The others can't seem to get into the flow of Anders Söderling's drum patterns, and the water-treading feeling prevalent on some of ”Göteborgs Musikkvartett” is even more evident here. The two tracks on side 2 are in a freer mode but they too lack the push needed for the music to move forward.

A very good Göteborgs Musikkvartett track can be found on "LIM – Levande improviserad musik", "Bläck aut".

Aftara full album

MOUNT EVEREST – The 1970's albums

Mount Everest was one of the most important bands to grow out of the fertile jazz and improvisation soil of Gothenburg, formed by the marvellous saxophonist Gilbert Holmström who also was the only constant all through Mount Everest's everchanging line-up.

Mount Everest (Philips, 1972)

Instrumental, English vocals
International relevance: ***

At the time of Mount Everest's maiden work they were eight people which perhaps suggests it's a wild and expressionistic affair. But it's actually a comparatively reflective and withheld effort, slightly in the vein of the first Egba album. The method of harnessed energy creates some tension, but some tracks feel out of place. ”Torero” sounds as if it belonged to another album altogether, and the last two, ”Afrodolphia” and ”No Other Choice” (the only vocal track) feels more like session outtakes than an integrated part of the album.

Waves from Albert Ayler (LIM, 1975)

as Mount Everest Trio
Instrumental

International relevance: ***

Three years later and Mount Everest was a trio with Holmström on sax, Kjell Jansson on bass and Conny Sjökvist on drums. The album title is appropriate – although only ”Spirits” is an Ayler composition, the entire album is in the spirit of the free jazz pioneer. Only ”Orinoco” and ”Elf” take it down a bit, the rest is powerful and violent free jazz with especially Holmström and Sjökvist in good shape. Fewer musicians work up a higher energy level on an album that is much better than their debut.

The album was reissued with bonus tracks by Atavistic in 2000.

Jazz i Sverige '79 (Caprice, 1979)

Instrumental
International relevance: ***

In 1979, the trio turned into a quartet and was awarded 'best jazz group of the year' why they were that year's installation in Caprice's ”Jazz i Sverige” (”jazz in Sweden”) series. Again they had a new line-up, this time a quartet including piano. Unfortunately they also swung towards fusion and that seriously diminished the music's impact. The most imaginative track is ”African Daybreak”, but even that is far from Mount Everest at their best.

The 70's Mount Everest can also be heard on various artists comps "Tonkraft 1972-74", "Det nyJAZZte från Göteborg" (1972), and "LIM – Levande improviserad musik från Göteborg" (1975). They released two further full length albums on Four Leaf imprint in 1981 and 1983 respectively, "Latin Doll" and "Latin Blue".

from Mount Everest

Mind at Ease

Waves From Albert Ayler full album playlist

Jazz i Sverige full album playlist