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Nils Landgren

Born in 1956, Nils Landgren began playing drums at the age of six, before at last discovering the trombone at 13. Between 1972 and 1978 Nils studied classical trombone at the music college in Karlstad with David Maytan and at the university in Arvika with Ingemar Roos. Meeting the legendary Swedish Folk-Jazz pioneer Bengt-Arne Wallin as well as the fantastic trombonist Eje Thelin persuaded Nils to move from strict classical studies to improvisation and to begin the development of his own approach.

After his graduation Nils moved to Stockholm to work as a professional trombone player. He was soon touring with the most successful Swedish pop star of that time, Björn Skifs’ “Blue Swede” who got to number 1 in the US pop charts with “Hooked on a feeling”. In 1981 Thad Jones invited the Swede into his new big band project “Ball of Fire”, to take the lead-trombone chair. Ever since that time Nils Landren has been involved in most styles equally: jazz and rock, soul and hip hop, big band sessions, and by his own reckoning, at least 500 albums including such internationals stars as ABBA, The Crusaders, Eddie Harris, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, Wyclef Jean and Herbie Hancock.

In 1983 Nils’ debut album “Planet Rock” was released, followed by “Streetfighter” in 1984, “You are my Nr 1″ in 1985, “Miles from Duke” with Bengt-Arne Wallin in 1987, “Chapter Two 1″, in 1987, “Chapter Two 2″ and “Follow your heart” in 1989. Between 1985 and 1987 Nils also performed as actor, singer, trombonist, and dancer in over 360 performances of the Swedish “play of the year”, SKÅL, as well as appearing in several TV-films as an actor.

1992 saw the first performances and recording of the Nils Landgren “Unit”. The final breakthrough beyond Scandinavia came first in 1994: it was at the Jazz Baltica Festival at Salzau in Germany that the “Unit” became the “Funk Unit”. The album “Live in Stockholm” (ACT 9223-2) was released that year and was the foundation for the collaboration with Siegfried Loch and his then young ACT label.

The next Funk Unit release, “Paint It Blue” (ACT 9243-2), was one of 1997′s most successful albums and received Germany’s Jazz Award. The following tour of over 100 dates gave Nils Landgren and the Funk Unit their breakthrough in Germany. Inspired by his mentor Bengt-Arne Wallin, Nils Landgren ventured into non-funky realms with a re-working of traditional Swedish folk songs: “Swedish Folk Modern” (ACT 9257-2), his first duo with the pianist Esbjörn Svensson, followed up by “Layers of Light” (ACT 9281-2), an even gentler evocation.

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Album Review

Fabia Mantwill: Em.Perience

Read "Em.Perience" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


«Non mi interessa in quale stile o genere possa essere classificata questa musica—dice Fabia Mantwill—che sia jazz, classica, folk, canzone d'autore, soul. Penso che i confini stiano diventando sempre più sfocati». Il debutto discografico della giovane bandleader, sassofonista e cantante tedesca contiene elementi di tutti quei generi musicali e non ha alcun senso cercare etichette. È comunque certo che la 28enne artista di Berlino è un talento tanto versatile quanto singolarmente precoce per questi anni: ha fondato ...

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Album Review

Jazzrausch Bigband: Beethoven's Breakdown

Read "Beethoven's Breakdown" reviewed by Geno Thackara


The big names of bebop made a splash in the music world by brashly turning convention on its head. Black Sabbath first catalyzed heavy metal into the force we know today. Punk was invented by either Link Wray, the New York Dolls or (depending on how you look at it) Cheech and Chong. Still, for flouting rules, they were already following in footsteps hundreds of years old. Those names could have hardly hoped to be more disruptive in their respective ...

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Live Review

4 Wheel Drive at Hong Kong Arts Centre

Read "4 Wheel Drive at Hong Kong Arts Centre" reviewed by Rob Garratt


4 Wheel Drive Quartet Hong Kong Arts Centre Jazz World Live Series Hong Kong September 3, 2019 When exactly did jazz artists covering pop music shift from being a cheap and/or twee—but near-universally frowned-upon—novelty, to an almost obligatory rite of passage? Some will point to the pioneering piano deconstructions of Radiohead, The Beatles, et al by Brad Mehldau, others the more recent hip-hop collabs and Robert Glasper Experiments—more may reach further back ...

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Album Review

Nils Landgren: Unbreakable

Read "Unbreakable" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki


The very first album released by German progressive label ACT Records (in 1994) was by the Funk Unit led by trombone master Nils Landgren, recorded Live in Stockholm that summer with Maceo Parker as special guest. Other Funk Unit releases for ACT Records include Paint It Blue (1996), the trombonist's tribute to composer/saxophonist Cannonball Adderley with Randy Brecker, Michael Brecker, drummer Bernard Purdie and other guests; and Funky Abba (2004), Landgren's Funk Unit tribute to the legendary Swedish popsters, graced ...

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Live Review

WDR Jazz Fest 2016

Read "WDR Jazz Fest 2016" reviewed by Phillip Woolever


WDR Jazz Fest Theatre Munster Münster, Germany January 30, 2016 The multi-stationed broadcaster WDR (West German Radio) is known throughout most of greater Germany as a powerhouse of jazz programming and concert promotion. That lofty reputation was upheld and then some with Jazz Fest 2016, which included a Saturday night with one of the strongest single day lineups of pure jazz seen recently. From a pair of dynamic big bands to some intense small formations, ...

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Album Review

Nils Landgren: Some Other Time

Read "Some Other Time" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


Hot on the heels of his guest appearance on Mo' Blow's funky Live In Berlin (ACT Music, 2016), trombonist and singer Nils Landgren moves over to Broadway with Some Other Time. As the sub-title makes clear, this is A Tribute To Leonard Bernstein--a worthy and at times achingly beautiful tribute, too. Landgren is joined by Manhattan Transfer vocalist Janis Siegel and by the excellent rhythm section of Jan Lundgren on piano, Dieter Ilg on bass and Wolfgang Haffner ...

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Album Review

Nils Landgren: Christmas With My Friends IV

Read "Christmas With My Friends IV" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


Christmas is a time for tradition--turkey, mistletoe, reindeer, plum pudding. Since 2006 another fine tradition has been insinuating itself into the Christmases of jazz lovers--the Nils Landgren Christmas With My Friends album. The Swedish trombonist, singer and bandleader is now on volume IV. Packaged in bright, shiny, green and silver, it's a mix of old and new, familiar and unfamiliar. Every track, with a couple of notable exceptions, is a holiday-themed joy and even the exceptions seem, in Landgren's hands, ...

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Recording

ACT Music Releases IN US CDs By Guitarist Ulf Wakenius, Pianist Kevin Hays & Nils Landgren-Joe Sample

ACT Music Releases IN US CDs By Guitarist Ulf Wakenius, Pianist Kevin Hays & Nils Landgren-Joe Sample

Source: All About Jazz

Munich-based ACT Music+Vision released on February 21st in the US Notes From The Heart (ACT 9435), a tribute to Keith Jarrett by the Swedish guitarist Ulf Wakenius; Creole Love Call (ACT 9707), a soulful vocal project by Swedish trombonist Nils Landgren and keyboardist Joe Sample devoted to the classic pop songs associated with the American South; and Open Range(ACT 9752), a solo outing by American pianist Kevin Hays that is Volume III in ACT's Piano Works series. The award-winning German ...

Stephanie Lottermoser
saxophone, tenor

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The Moon, The Stars And You

From: The Moon, The Stars and You
By Nils Landgren

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