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Tolvan Big Band

From southern Sweden and the area around the coastal town of Malmö, Tolvan Big Band has been developing to become a powerhouse organisation with an international reputation of the most up-to-date and ambitious Big Bands anywhere in the world. Since around 1979 its musical leader Helge Albin, creative Saxophonist, and composer and arranger has emerged to devote much of his time and energy to organising the band into a successful ensemble capable of a vide variety of musical situations. The proof of this success can be heard clearly in their recordings, sometimes in the company of very celebrated guests. And of course in their Live performances.

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5
Album Review

Tolvan Big Band: Effortlessly - Music by Helge Albin

Read "Effortlessly - Music by Helge Albin" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni


Swedish saxophonist, composer and arranger Helge Albin has led the Tolvan Big Band since 1979. Albin turned this ambitious, up-to-date big band, located in Malmö in southern Sweden, into a musical institution with an international reputation. They have collaborated with notable American musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Liebman and Michael Brecker, British composer Mike Westbrook and Danish saxophonist Lars Møller; the band even dedicated one of its programs to new arrangements of the John Lennon songbook. ...

50
Album Review

Tolvan Big Band: Tarantula Suite

Read "Tarantula Suite" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni


The Tolvan Big Band is one of Scandinavia's most experienced big bands. Located in Malmö, in southern Sweden, this orchestra has been working since 1979 and, under saxophonist/musical director Helge Albin, has collaborated with notable Americans such as Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Liebman and Michael Brecker, British composer Mike Westbrook and Danish saxophonist Lars Møller; the band has even dedicated one of its programs to new arrangements of the John Lennon/Paul McCartney songbook. On Tarantula Suite, reed player ...

182
Album Review

Tolvan Big Band: Code Red

Read "Code Red" reviewed by Edward Blanco


From the coastal town of Malmo, Sweden, the eighteen-piece Tolvan Big Band has developed into one of the finest contemporary jazz orchestras in the world. Led by saxophonist and composer Helge Albin since 1979, the band entered Sun Studios in Copenhagen on April 22nd of 2007 and emerged with Code Red, a powerhouse recording of seven original big band arrangements in the finest tradition of the genre.

Leader Albin contributes three compositions, including the muscular opening ...

345
Album Review

Tolvan Big Band: Code Red

Read "Code Red" reviewed by Chris Mosey


Sweden must have more jazz big bands per head of population than any other country in the world. Tolvan Big Band, based in the southern port city of Malmö, is the cream of the crop. Tolvan means The Twelve, the number of musicians in the band when it was formed in the late 1960s. It also refers to the 12 centiliters of aquavit each of them would routinely consume on a gig! Arrangements were pretty loose in those days. When ...

115
Album Review

The Tolvan Big Band: A Walk in the Centerpoint

Read "A Walk in the Centerpoint" reviewed by Jack Bowers


When it comes to swinging in a contemporary groove, Sweden’s Tolvan Big Band takes a back seat to no one. This is a killer ensemble, able to stare down the most formidable charts without flinching or even blinking an eye. Regardless of mood or tempo the sense of forward motion is always there, thanks to fastidious unison work by all hands and a strapping rhythm section governed by drummer Lennart “In the Groove” Gruvstedt.

Music director Helge ...

178
Album Review

Tolvan Big Band/Ken Schaphorst Big Band: Tolvan Big Band: Plays the Music of Helge Albin/ Ken Schaphorst Big Band: Purple

Read "Tolvan Big Band: Plays the Music of Helge Albin/ Ken Schaphorst Big Band: Purple" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Critics Note. Tolvan Big Band: Plays the Music of Helge Albin and Ken Schaphorst Big Band: Purple were previously reviewed by AAJ 's Big Band aficionado, Jack Bowers in the January and February 1999 issues of All About Jazz, respectively. Additionally, Ken Schaphorst Big Band: Purple was reviewed by Mark Corroto in the March Issue of AAJ.

Large Ensemble Jazz from Naxos. Naxos Jazz began its survey of the state of big band jazz with the release of the UMO ...

89
Album Review

Tolvan Big Band: Plays the Music of Helge Albin

Read "Plays the Music of Helge Albin" reviewed by Jack Bowers


While one still hears on occasion that the big bands are dead — and in this country, at least, many are on life support — Sweden, whose population is less than New York City’s, has today roughly 500 active big bands. Although it should be noted that the greater number of them are local amateur groups, the country boasts some world–class ensembles as well, one of which is the well–seasoned and finely tuned Tolvan Big Band from the area around ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Effortlessly

Kopasetic Productions
2013

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Tarantula Suite

Kopasetic Productions
2011

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Code Red

Prophone Records
2007

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A Walk in the...

Prophone Records
2003

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Plays the Music of...

Naxos Records
1999

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