Claes Janson

Claes Janson is one of Sweden's truly broad-based artist, if not a jack of many trades. He sings rhythm and blues, jazz and songs, he interprets the popular versifiers Cornelis Vreeswijk,Povel Ramel, Carl Michael Bellman and Evert Taube, he's part of everything from small groups to big bands including such well known ones as Good Morning Blues, Ohman&Janson VSOP and Velvet Boys. Through the past 30 years he has also collaborated with Sandvik Big Band, Mel Lewis Orchestra,Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, Norrbotten Big Band,Monday Night Big Band, Bohuslan Big Band, Nogenja, NDR Big Band Hamburg, BRT Big Band Bryssel, Danish Radio Big Band,Georg Riedel,Arne Domnerus, Nils Landgren, Ulf Wakenius, Joe Newman, Harry Edison, Hank Crawford, Red Mitchell, Eddie Harris, Jimmy Witherspoon, Georgie Fame and others. ALL OF ME on SITTEL Sweden's premier jazz and blues singer, Claes Janson,interprets fifteen of his favorite standards together with the perfect rhythm section of Kjell Ohman piano and keyboards, Hans Backenroth bass, Leif “Gus” Dahlberg/Dan Stromqvist drums. On four tracks the brilliant trumpet of Bosse Broberg is added. C J has made two other memorable solo albums for Sittel, here pays tribute to one of the most famous and well-loved artists of all time - Nat King Cole. Together with Kjell Ohman (piano and arrangements), Rune Gustafsson (guitar) and Hans Backenroth (bass), he has conceived a programme of songs, all of which were associated with Nat King Cole during his lifetime. Some of the songs are such well-known popular standards as /Mona Lisa/, /Too Young/ and /Nature Boy/ as well as many which come from the earlier years of Nat's career (when he was leading his world-famous trio) such as /Straighten Up And Fly Right/ and /Route 66/ . There are fifteen titles in all, and it would be hard to imagine a more accurate and respectful tribute to the art of Nat King Cole than that which Claes Janson, Kjell Ohman, Rune Gustafsson and Hans Backenroth have achieved with this CD. On the classic Gazell lable, established over 50 years ago,CJ has released four CD albums where he performs songs in the swedish languish. On the latest release, “TONIGHT” , a live recorded CD from Stockholm Jazzclub Fasching together with Mikael Skoglund, piano, Klas Lindquist on altosax and clarinet, Hans Backenroth, bass, Jocke Ekberg on drums, CJ delivers a bunch of tunes, swedish standards as well as evergreens out of the american songbook and even a discohit from the 70's. The extremely vital band swings and Janson is in his prime! Available on www.cdon.com.On the latest CD,”TONIGHT” (Gazell Records) recorded live at Stockholm Jazzclub Fasching in april 2007, Claes is surronded by the eminent bassplayer Hans Backenroth, excellent drummer Joakim Ekberg and two young but yet already surprisingly experienced and accomplished musicians, Mikael Skoglund on piano and Klas Lindquist on altosax/clarinet. Have a listen on a few of the tracks on this page! Claes also works regularly with piano and organplayer Kjell Ohman in various constellations, A favouritband is V(ocal) S(ax)O(rgan) P(roject). VSOP features five of the very top saxplayers in the country, Johan Hoerlen, Haakan Brostroem, Karl Martin Almqvist, Ulf Andersson and Alberto Pinton, Kjell play..s the B3 Hammond, Jan Ottesen the guitar and the rhythmsection is the same as above. There is yet no recording made with this band. Check out Claes concert dates for the VSOP! Claes Janson is a featured Big Band singer with a wide repertoire for proffesional and amateur Big Bands. Listen to his cover of Sinatras “That's Life” recorded for a TV commercial recently(on Myspace). He also works with symphonic bands of different size, choirs, chamberorchestras and strings. Claes most recent project is a tribute to the genius of Ray Charles. Claes has just recorded 12 of RC:s hits with a big band. The CD “The best of Ray Charles” features soloists Maarten Lundgren on trumpet, Klas Toresson on tenorsax and also legendary Georgie Fame on guestvocal!

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