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Ronny Johansson

Ronny Johansson, born in 1942, is a Swedish jazz pianist and composer. He started his career in Uppsala, comping the legendary Eric Dolphy in 1961.

He also had the privilege to play with some other great American musicians visiting Sweden, like Art Farmer, Benny Bailey, Red Rodney, Warne Marsh and Don Byas a.o.

Also some Swedes of course. Among them Lars Gullin, Putte Wickman, Rolf Ericson and Rolf Billberg.

Ronny Johansson was a piano teacher for 34 years at the School of Music, University of Gothenburg. He retired in 2009 and today he mainly performs with his trio, formed in 1995. The trio has released six CD:s since ”Jubilee” in 2002, the latest called ”New Jubilee” and came out in 2012.

Ronny Johansson´s most recent recording is titled ”Japanese Blue”, a solo piano CD from 2014.

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10
Album Review

Ronny Johansson: Manhattan

Read "Manhattan" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Manhattan, Swedish-born pianist Ronny Johansson's thirteenth album as a leader, is being reviewed on a Friday, the thirteenth (a rather odd coincidence but one that in no way impairs its worth). The album also marks Johansson's seventy-fifth birthday. In honor of the occasion he abandoned his usual trio format in favor of a quartet, adding Rolf Jardemark's clear-voiced guitar (on five tracks) to Matz Nilsson's resonant bass and Michael Anderson's unwavering drums (and percussion). None of them is a member ...

3
Album Review

Ronny Johansson: Japanese Blue

Read "Japanese Blue" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Abandoning for the moment his usual piano-bass-drums format, Swedish pianist Ronny Johansson has the stage to himself on Japanese Blue, an album whose name and spirit epitomize a country in which Johansson has spent many pleasurable moments. Aside from pointing out the obvious --that Johansson's harmonic figures are engaging and his technique flawless --a number of salient qualities should be noted at the outset. First, the album has been wonderfully recorded, mixed and mastered by Lars Nilsson; ...

123
Album Review

Ronny Johansson Trio: Jubilee

Read "Jubilee" reviewed by Craig W. Hurst


Pianist Ronny Johansson has been part of the jazz scene in Sweden for over 40 years, performing with great artists such as Art Farmer, Benny Bailey, Don Byas, Red Rodney and Warne Marsh. Johansson, who grew up in Uppsala, also played piano with on Eric Dolphy’s 1961 album The Complete Uppsala Concert. Since 1975, Johansson has been teaching piano at the State College of Music in Goteborg, Sweden while continuing to perform and record. Jubilee is an upbeat swinging piano ...

113
Album Review

The Ronny Johansson Trio: Jubilee

Read "Jubilee" reviewed by Jack Bowers


A splendid piano trio album from Sweden, Jubilee is beautifully played and beautifully recorded as well. While the names were new to me, it was clear from the outset that Messrs. Johansson, Mori and Karlsson have played together on more than one occasion. Each anticipates the others’ every move and reacts without question or pause, the way a working trio should.

Johannson is an accomplished post-bop pianist who betrays the usual influences from Bill Evans and Billy ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Manhattan

Nilento Records
2018

buy

Japanese Blue

Imogena Records
2015

buy

Japanese Blue

Imogena
2014

buy

New Jubilee

Ronnyjo Collection / Mori Music
2012

buy

Permanent Vacation

Ronnyjo Collection / Mori Music
2010

buy

Elegy

Ronnyjo Collection / Mori Music
2008

buy

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