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Nils Lindberg

To try to categorise the music by Nils Lindberg is virtually impossible. The well-known Swedish music critic Seth Karlsson once described him as a kind of musical knight, riding on the frontiers of music. He sees Nils as someone who resides in a musical borderland. As his coat-of-arms he bears the triangle. One corner represents jazz, one symphonic works and the third folk music.

When listening to the compositions and arrangements of Nils Lindberg, it soon becomes evident that his musical roots are from his native Dalarna, the traditional home of Swedish folk music. It is this background which has been his major influence, and inspiration for his highly personal interpretation of the great musical heritage of Sweden. In spite of this however, his works still have a distinctly international feel about them. The music which he creates, whether it is written for choir, jazz band or full symphony orchestra, has also been well received beyond the Swedish borders. The explanation for this lies in the personal touch which he gives to his music, coupled with the depth of knowledge acquired through his studies for Lars-Erik Larsson and Karl-Birger Blomdahl at the Musical Academy in Stockholm.

For several years Nils Lindberg worked together with one of Sweden's leading vocalists Alice Babs, as a composer, arranger, pianist and conductor. He has also written arrangements for Duke Ellington, and composed a number of works for the Hanover Symphony Orchestra.

He has cooperated with internationally renowned artists like Josephine Baker, Mel Tormé and Judy Garland, and has successfully completed several tours of Europe and Brazil, as well as the United States, where he has also been invited to give lectures.

In 1986 Nils Lindberg performed his own music at the funeral of the former Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, and in 1989 he wrote the music for the divine service held by the Pope at Uppsala Cathedral.

Several of Nils Lindberg's greatest orchestral works have been released on record, among them 7 Dalecarlian Paintings, Lapponian Suite, Dalecarlian Reflections and Mythological Portraits. His recording Saxes Galore received the "Golden Record" award in 1979 from the magazine Orkesterjournalen, for the best jazz record of the year.

During spring 1990 the suite O Mistress Mine was released on CD. This is a compilation of poems from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England, including those of Shakespeare and Marlowe, which Nils has set to music. The whole suite was later successfully arranged for mixed choir. In 1998 Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day from the suite sold more copies than any other choral piece in Sweden.

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402
Album Review

Nils Lindberg / Margareta Bengtson: As We Are

Read "As We Are" reviewed by Chris Mosey


With climate change and recent weather, the Shakespearean sonnet “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?" would seem to have become a trifle outmoded. Still, where there's a Will there's a way and Nils Lindberg has set the piece to music.

Lindberg is a true Renaissance man. From his home in Gagnef, a small village deep in the forests of the Swedish province of Dalecarlia, he emerges every now and again to dazzle us ordinary mortals with his many ...

162
Album Review

Nils Lindberg: Timeless (Seven Dalecarlian Paintings)

Read "Timeless (Seven Dalecarlian Paintings)" reviewed by Mark Sabbatini


Nils Lindberg has apparently spent his lengthy career recording some pretty good jazz-meets-ancient-folk which you've never heard. His 2003 Christmas album hit the market in January of 2004 and is now out of print. Some of his used albums sell for more than $100 each, though a few more reasonably priced releases are available on the internet.But it's now possible to hear a compilation of the Swedish musician's 1970s work with the newly released Timeless: Seven Dalecarlian Paintings. ...

438
Album Review

Nils Lindberg: A Christmas Cantata

Read "A Christmas Cantata" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Another year, another Christmas album that arrives on the doorstep in January. Too bad, really, as composer/arranger/pianist Nils Lindberg's Christmas Cantata is an immaculately conceived treatise that blends music based on biblical passages with traditional English, French, Welsh and Swedish carols and songs into an iridescent medley that invigorates, inspires and swings in equal measure.

Lindberg's world-class big band is reinforced by soprano Margareta Jalk'us, baritone Olle Persson and the thirty-four-member Gustaf Sj'kvist Chamber Choir in a seres of seasonal ...

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Obituary

Nils Lindberg (1933-2022)

Nils Lindberg (1933-2022)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Nils Lindberg, one of Sweden's finest jazz pianists and orchestral composer-arrangers who collaborated in Stockholm with American jazz musicians including Benny Bailey, Idrees Sulieman and Red Mitchell, died on February 20. He was 88. Among his albums that Americans jazz fans need to hear are Sax Appeal (1960) and Trisection (1962). Most recently, I posted in January about Nils and his beautiful album with Swedish singer Margareta Bengtson. Nils had an ability to weave together Swedish folk songs, a jazz ...

Recording

Margareta Bengtson and Nils Lindberg

Margareta Bengtson and Nils Lindberg

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Back in November, I posted about the Real Group, a hugely popular a cappella vocal ensemble from Sweden. Well, the other day, I stumbled across a 2008 album by the group's former soprano, Margareta Bengtson. The album is As We Are (Prophone) led by Swedish pianist and arranger Nils Lindberg. Several years ago, I interviewed Nils. Margareta is an astonishing singer with tremendous tone and power. Recorded in Sweden, As We Are features Bengtson backed by a terrific band: Nils ...

Interview

Interview: Nils Lindberg

Interview: Nils Lindberg

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Yesterday I posted on composer, arranger and pianist Nils Lindberg's 1963 album Trisection, a superb but almost unknown orchestral jazz recording. I also provided a bit of background on Sweden's 100-year love affair with jazz. Today, a conversation with Nils on Sax Appeal (1960) and Trisection (1963)—two of his early jazz albums recorded in Stockholm: JazzWax: What was your major influence when writing and arranging Sax Appeal? Nils Lindberg: The songs I wrote for Sax Appeal were inspired by the ...

Recording

Nils Lindberg: "Trisection" (1962)

Nils Lindberg: "Trisection" (1962)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Today I'm going to tell you about one of the finest jazz albums recorded in the early '60s—an album that is likely unfamiliar to you but will surely become one of your favorites. The album is Trisection by Swedish composer, arranger and pianist Nils Lindberg. (Tomorrow I'll have an interview with Nils from Stockholm about the music.) Sweden has a long jazz history and remains one of the oldest and most prolific jazz centers outside of the U.S. The country's ...

Gil Evans
composer / conductor

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

As We Are

Prophone Records
2008

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Timeless (Seven...

Prophone Records
2006

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Big Band Galore

Point Music
1984

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Movements

Point Music
1983

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