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Palle Danielsson

Double-bass player Palle Danielsson was born in 1946 and grew up in Stockholm. In a 1951 jazz magazine you could read: "The name of the youngest dance musician in Sweden is Paul Danielsson, five years old, who plays the mouth-organ and the swanee whistle. He knows 'Mocking Bird Hill' almost by heart". - Palle had performed together with his eleven-year-old sister Monica who had in turn played a boogie-woogie tune. Today Monica (Dominique) is a well-established pianist and composer.

At this early stage in his life he had no idea that he would become a musician. It wasn't until a few years later when there was a selection for admission to what was the first music school in Stockholm. His sister who studied there seemed to enjoy it very much when she sang together with her schoolmates and he thought that he would like to do the same. Palle started playing the violin but changed to the double-bass. When graduating from the school he became a student at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm in 1962 and at around the same time he started playing as a professional. He almost immediately was ranked among the very best Swedish jazz musicians and started touring with different groups. In the autumn of 1965 when he was only 19 years old, he got a job with Bill Evans at the jazz club "The Golden Circle" in Stockholm. Before the gig he had a brief meeting with Bill Evans, they played a couple of tunes and Palle was accepted. A reviewer wrote: "Danielsson is either too naive or too talented not to get automatically frightened to death". But Palle didn't think that way. Says Palle: "If you know how to ride a bike, well, then you know!"

So Palle discovered his musical identity very early. He liked some of the music that he listened to at The Golden Circle, for example Jim Hall and Art Farmer with Steve Swallow and Pete LaRoca. They played music on a very high level, at quite a low volume but containing an enormous energy. He had heard Bill Evans before the opportunity came to play with him and he preferred Evans' way of playing to bebop jazz, which he considered somewhat vulgar at times with a little too many "licks" and quotations. But actually he didn't dislike any particular style.

In the 60's Palle toured Europe together with trombonist Eje Thelin, drummer Billy Brooks and saxophone player Barney Wilen. Touring foreign countries gave him a particular perspective on Sweden and how it was to be a jazz musician there. So once, after having returned to Sweden, he decided not to allow anyone to oppress him. Usually he survived for a while on the inspiration of what he had experienced but then the treadmill began to wear him down again. It was Eje Thelin who taught him to stand up for what he was doing on stage and who also encouraged him to take responsibility, to express himself clearly and honestly. Eje also gave everyone in his group complete freedom, but at the same time responsibility to take care of his own role in the music.

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Liner Notes

Peter Erskine Trio: As It Was

Read "Peter Erskine Trio: As It Was" reviewed by John Kelman


The box set you hold in your hands features three players who came together in an exceptional group to play some of the most compelling and exploratory piano trio music of the 20th Century's final decade. This threesome, led by Peter Erskine, released four albums recorded between July 1991 and July 1997: 1993's You Never Know, 1994's Time Being, 1996's As It Is and 1999's Juni. That the drummer's critically acclaimed piano trio, also featuring Swedish double bassist Palle Danielsson, ...

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Album Review

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Read "Short Stories" reviewed by Peter Jones


If you have never heard of Gareth Williams, he is a quiet piano master who enjoys a bigger reputation with fellow musicians than with the public. A founder member and MD of the Nineties jazz-hiphop band Us3, and a former accompanist for the singer Claire Martin, he has worked at the highest level for 30 years, mainly in London. But London is a city blessed with many international quality jazz pianists, and Williams has faced formidable competition during his career. ...

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Peter Erskine Trio: John Taylor/Palle Danielsson: As it Was

Read "As it Was" reviewed by Karl Ackermann


Over the course of five years in the 1990s, drummer Peter Erskine, pianist John Taylor and bassist Palle Danielsson came very close to perfecting the contemporary piano trio presentation. Across four ECM releases, You Never Know (1993), Time Being (1994), As It Is (1996) and Juni (1999), the international group, all with prior ECM history, came together under the uncustomary leadership of a drummer. The body of their work as a collective reflected their individual aspirations toward sharing the complimentary ...

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Album Review

Lina Nyberg: Smile

Read "Smile" reviewed by Dave Nathan


It's arguable that Sweden produces more good jazz artists per capita than any other European country. At least it seems that way. And vocalists are no exception. Song stylist (and she is a stylist) Lina Nyberg follows in the footsteps and joins such notable vocalists as Monica Zetterlund, Jeanette Lindstrom, and the wonderful Nannie Porres. Nyberg cites Zetterlund and Porres as inspirations along with American singers Bessie Smith, Ray Charles, Jimmy Rushing and Nancy Wilson (whose influence is evident in ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Short Stories

Miles Music
2022

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As it Was

ECM Records
2016

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Smile

Prophone Records
2000

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Contra Post

Columbia
1994

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Belonging Keith...

Unknown label
1994

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Personal Mountains

ECM Records
1989

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