{"title":"Act Music","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eACT Music is a German jazz label that was founded in 1992 as \"ACT Music + Vision\" by [a288876]. With its own catalogue numbering scheme, ACT Music quickly established itself as an independent label in the music industry. However, the label's history dates back even further, with releases bearing the logo and label code LC 7644 appearing as early as 1988 when they were part of their predecessor company [l218926]. These early releases showcase the legacy of a second major label that played a significant role in shaping ACT Music's journey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eToday, ACT Music continues to be at the forefront of jazz music, representing talented artists and performers from around the world. The label's commitment to showcasing exceptional musical talent has earned it a reputation for delivering high-quality recordings across various genres within jazz. From traditional jazz to contemporary fusion and everything in between, ACT Music remains dedicated to bringing listeners an unparalleled listening experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith its rich history and unwavering dedication to artistic excellence, ACT Music stands as a prominent figure in the music e-commerce industry. Whether you are a seasoned jazz enthusiast or just beginning your exploration of this captivating genre, you can trust ACT Music to provide you with remarkable albums that will captivate your senses and leave you wanting more.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"jazz-at-berlin-philharmonic-xii-sketches-of-miles","title":"Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic XII: Sketches of Miles","description":"\u003cp\u003eAs is the case for all of the ‘Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic’ concerts, the line-up was a complete one-off. The first part of the programme focused on highlights from recordings by Miles Davis’ band, whereas in the second, members of the Berlin Philharmonic joined the Theo Croker Quartet on stage to perform three suites from the orchestral albums, ‘Miles Ahead’, ‘Porgy and Bess’ and ‘Sketches of Spain’. The arrangements were especially commissioned for the concert.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo take on the role of trumpeter in a Miles Davis tribute could be an unnerving experience, but not so for Theo Croker, who is consistently impressive. Born in Florida in 1985, he is now one of the most respected jazz musicians of his generation. The Süddeutsche Zeitung called him a “visionary of post- hiphop jazz” and praised his “accomplished grasp of the entire history of African-American music.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCroker has many of the Miles Davis hallmarks, and the band behind him is excellent too: pianist Danny Grissett has been in Tom Harrell’s band since 2006, and also released six highly acclaimed albums as leader. Bassist Joshua Ginsburg has been a fixture on the New York jazz scene for almost two decades. Finally, 51-year-old Gregory Hutchinson, “the drummer of his generation” (Jazz Magazine), has played with almost all the greats of jazz.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, alongside their regular work as the ‘world’s greatest orchestra’, are always prepared to step into small ensemble combinations and to throw their energies into new musical adventures. Under Magnus Lindgren’s direction, and with the Theo Croker Quartet, we hear a resoundingly ‘symphonic’ Miles Davis. The Swede has developed a speciality of jazz-meets-classical projects. He recently delved into the works of another of the greats of jazz: in ‘Bird Lives’ with the SWR Big Band and John Beasley, he marked the Charlie Parker centenary. Here, in collaboration with his compatriot Hans Ek, best known as the creator of the E.S.T. Symphony, he excelled again in the role of arranger.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSketches of Miles\u003c\/i\u003e was an evening which will echo and resonate for a long time. The Theo Croker Quartet, together with members of the Berlin Philharmonic and Magnus Lindgren, didn’t only walk in the footsteps of a genius, they also left their own indelible imprint.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Act Music","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP | x2","offer_id":50384737534283,"sku":"1163365","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD | x2","offer_id":50384738058571,"sku":"1163363","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/f1d638a0-555c-4fa8-93d4-ca5db1be83c2_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726303036"},{"product_id":"soul-to-jazz","title":"Soul to Jazz","description":"\u003cp\u003eWho did Aretha Franklin not want to miss out on when she recorded her most inspiring albums in the early Seventies? Who gave Steely Dan the beat? Who did Isaac Hayes, Donny Hathaway, BB King, ‘Sweet’ Lou Donaldson and Joe Cocker give the chair behind the drums? No drummer has seen the inside of a studio as often as Bernard ‘Pretty’ Purdie. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot for nothing do colleagues attribute the ‘funkiest soul beat on the scene’ to the drummer, and consequently, Purdie has never relied on the genre of jazz alone, but rather curiously looked beyond the borders. Sessions with The Rolling Stones, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix or Tom Jones are no problem for him, whose precise and sensitive playing is synonymous with drive and groove. This is probably one of the reasons why his rhythms are still sampled by many DJs today. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReleased on CD back in 1996 and 1997 (and now out of print), the two ‘Soul to Jazz’ recordings have a cult factor today and sound as fresh as they did back then. Now both albums are released together for the first time as a 3LP set.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese recordings are peppered with lots of prominent star guests from jazz and soul, from Eddie Harris, Michael Brecker and Nils Landgren to Hank Crawford, Stanley Turrentine and Cornell Dupree. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePurdie’s \u003ci\u003eSoul to Jazz\u003c\/i\u003e project takes two different approaches: The first part focuses on the renowned WDR Big Band led by Gil Goldstein. Soul classics such as Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’, ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’, Eddie Harris’s ‘Freedom Jazz Dance’ and Lee Morgan’s famous groove tune, ‘Sidewinder’, are interpreted in large scale sound. One discovery of these recordings amidst all the renowned guest soloists is the New York-born singer, Martin Moss. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe great success of this first album, released under \u003ci\u003eSoul to Jazz\u003c\/i\u003e, led to \u003ci\u003eSoul to Jazz II\u003c\/i\u003e, a more intimate record, but one that picks up where the first recording left off, by exploring similar themes. Again, Purdie has called together a notable band of kindred spirits, including saxophonists Hank Crawford (BB King, Ike and Tina Turner, Ray Charles), Stanley Turrentine (Jimmy Smith, Shirley Scott) and Vincent Herring, as well as guitarist Cornell Dupree (King Curtis) to pianists Benny Green and Junior Mance. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBernard Purdie’s \u003ci\u003eSoul to Jazz\u003c\/i\u003e is a timeless classic and a blueprint of the soul jazz genre in all its facets. Above all, it is a portrait of one of the most influential and best drummers in the world, who made jazz groove with his inimitable funky soul beat.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Act Music","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50388063158603,"sku":"2028133","price":39.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Soul_to_Jazz_5784cf84_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726339416"},{"product_id":"catching-ghosts","title":"Catching Ghosts","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe 2022 Jazzfest Berlin performance by revered iconoclastic reedist Peter Brötzmann, Moroccan Gnaoua adept Majid Bekkas (playing the two-stringed, camelskin-backed guembri), and Chicago-bred drummer Hamid Drake, documented as ‘Catching Ghosts’, is historic. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt’s a return to performance from 81-year-old Brötzmann after Pandemic years affected his health, recalling his prior Gnaouan encounters, like ‘The Catch of a Ghost’ with guembri master Maâlem Moukhtar Gania, and a 1996 meet with Maâlem Mahmoud Gania at Austria’s Music Unlimited Festival (Hamid there both times). It also is a triumph of musical universalism, made in the moment without even one rehearsal, proving that ‘free’ spontaneous interactions can transcend cultural lines, still deriving power from age-old traditions. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Improvising on incantations from Gnaoua liturgy, Brötzmann, Bekkas and Drake convey ‘Chalaba’, ‘Mawama’, ‘Hamchia’ and ‘Balini’ so directly that any listener gets the messages. Hear saxophone, clarinet and tárogató cries as summons and statements; feel drums awaken inner impulses; sense strings, plucked and strummed, tying it all together, and a voice stressing the songs’ immediacy. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMake no mistake: the music’s vitality and credibility are earned by its players’ decades of practice, career-long studies of heritage, and an embracing of the paradox that the past must be reinterpreted, anew.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Act Music","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50388298760523,"sku":"2051794","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Catching_Ghosts_Live_bd12fd31_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726340877"},{"product_id":"where-you-wish-you-were","title":"Where You Wish You Were","description":"\u003cp\u003eSnarky Puppy founder, multi-instrumentalist and Grammy winner Michael League and crossover piano icon Bill Laurance take us to an imaginary place full of beauty, peace and energy. \u003ci\u003eWhere You Wish You Were\u003c\/i\u003e is the name of their first duo album, released on Act. The album’s protagonists surprise, almost as an antithesis to the stadium act Snarky Puppy, with an intimate, atmospheric, melody-driven dialogue. Spanish resident and North Africa enthusiast Michael League draws colourful musical landscapes on oud, bass and guitar. And Bill Laurance, otherwise also known to us especially for dense walls of sound on keyboards and synthesizers, transfers their sound palette to the acoustic world of the piano. Musical escapism, world jazz 2.0 and an invitation to a place where we wish to be.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Act Music","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":50389820670283,"sku":"2005357","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP - Oxblood","offer_id":56907553964363,"sku":"R1042-1534","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Where_You_Wish_You_Were_a36255ba_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726373823"},{"product_id":"chroma-2","title":"Chroma","description":"\u003cp\u003eAt the age of just twenty-one, Emma Rawicz has already sown many of the important seeds for a major career. She clearly can be considered a part of the wave of Young British Jazz that has been making its mark worldwide. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe North Devon-born saxophonist, whose Polish surname comes from her Warsaw-born grandfather, who settled in the UK during World War 2, has already led her band for several international festival appearances, single- handedly negotiated and managed a seventeen-concert UK tour for her quintet and recently founded her own big band. She has headlined at Ronnie Scott’s, won the award for Newcomer Of The Year at the 2022 Parliamentary Jazz Awards, she has a Jazz FM Awards nomination to her name, as well as being a finalist in the BBC Young Jazz Musician com-petition. \u003ci\u003eChroma\u003c\/i\u003e., her ACT debut, marks a new and important step. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The album title, \u003ci\u003eChroma\u003c\/i\u003e (the Greek word for colour or paint), is very significant: Emma Rawicz is a synesthete, in other words, she involuntarily and simultaneously experiences music through a second sensory pathway, colour. “I can’t do anything else while listening to music because there is always a sensory overload going on as I Iisten,” she says. All of the tracks, with one exception, are named after relatively little-known colours. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe band is mostly made up of the kind of in-demand UK players whom one finds in many contexts: Drummer \/ percussionist Asaf Sirkis, pianist Ivo Neame and bassist Conor Chaplin have already appeared on ACT albums: Sirkis with Gwilym Simcock, and Neame and Chaplin in bands led by Marius Neset. Guitarist Ant Law has already made his mark with his own albums and with his work with Tim Garland. The less-known name on \u003ci\u003eChroma\u003c\/i\u003e is Emma’s friend from the same student cohort, vocalist Immy Churchill, another rising star. Rawicz: “Immy has an incredibly wide range of influences from a whole range of songwriters to being deeply into the jazz tradition. 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The depths of concentration which they find are as unusual and original as their voice- saxophone-guitar ensemble. The music which they explore also covers a wide musical field - from Fiona Grond’s own compositions to a piece by the duo of Sidsel Endresen and Bugge Wesseltoft, which, she explains was especially influential for her, to arrangements of folklore from the Graubünden region, and the ‘Sarabande’ from Johann Sebastian Bach’s B minor Partita for solo violin. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e This remarkable recording is particularly touching and affecting for its depth, warmth and transparency, and for its glorious sound. This is almost spiritual music, and listeners who allow themselves to enter this magical world will find that spaces open up that they will be keen to explore again and again.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Act Music","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50393873678667,"sku":"2051785","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50393873580363,"sku":"2051784","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Poesias_aed59eca_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726428740"},{"product_id":"est-live-in-london","title":"e.s.t. Live in London","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe release of this album marks a poignant moment: the tenth anniversary of the tragic and premature death of Esbjorn Svensson on 14 June 2008. It was recorded at a completely sold-out Barbican Centre in 2005, during a hugely successful and highly popular UK tour. 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The trio played upwards of 100 shows each year to a very varied audience. Besides the usual jazz audience you’d be as likely to spot a little old lady as an advertising exec or high school kids. Their favourite moments are spent improvising on stage, and this is how they keep their material fresh and ever evolving. No two shows are the same and to a large extent, the band tries to capture this loose, improvisational vibe on record, and they rarely do more than one take in the studio. 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Ilg had been fascinated many years ago by the version with Jim Hall and Art Farmer: “When I was looking for a new source of inspiration for my trio, the memory of this piece came back to me. We delved deeper into Ravel’s oeuvre and found a wide range of interpretative approaches that are not to be encountered in Beethoven or Bach. His music is tailor- made for us!” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerhaps it is not surprising that Ilg should be drawn to Maurice Ravel, given that the bassist’s artistic approach is in its essence impressionistic. 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In the vast, enigmatic expanse of our inner world lies a place we often overlook – a sanctuary untouched by the chaos of everyday life, where dreams and fears intermingle in a delicate dance. This is the realm that shapes our true selves, a place I call Wonderland. It is in this secret haven that our deepest illusions and most fervent hopes reside, guiding us through the labyrinth of life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe album \u003ci\u003eWonderland\u003c\/i\u003e is an invitation to explore this inner landscape. Each track on \u003ci\u003eWonderland\u003c\/i\u003e serves as a portal, an invitation to look into different facets of human nature. My intention with this album is to capture a glimpse of our internal realm, which I see as being both personal and universal at the same time. I seek to mirror the complex emotions and experiences that define our inner lives; here is a challenge to confront our deepest fears, cherish our dreams, question our illusions, and ultimately, to keep holding on to hope. This album is not just about the music. It encourages listeners to embrace the diverse aspects of their inner worlds. As you listen to it, I invite you to delve into your own internal landscape, uncovering the beauty and the depth that lie within your heart.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis journey reminds us that inside each of us, there exists a private sanctuary – a Wonderland – where we can find solace, clarity, and a renewed sense of purpose and understanding. In this way, “Wonderland” speaks to the universal human experience, from the humility of a handful of musical compositions which offer a space to look for the hidden parts of ourselves, and thereby perhaps to give an individual sense of meaning to each of these songs. 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Totally contemporary music with heart and brain, whether in the form of original compositions or re- constructions of Whitney Houston, Louis Cole or The Beatles. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat the Vincent Meissner Trio are able to do above all is to convince with its fundamental honesty and authenticity. Yes, the trio is being proactive in determining how it wants to present its art, and also its members as individuals. “It’s nice to have people listening to us,” says Vincent Meissner, with the live experiences of the last few months very much in mind. 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Both are musicians who can always conjure something special from their chosen instruments. Both are known on the international jazz scene for the completely distinctive and original ways their music constantly crosses genres. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBoth have played together for several years in the quartet, A Novel Of Anomaly. And now they have recorded a first album together in which the focus is on the two of them. However, for this ‘evolution’ (as the album title has it), they have also involved - and drawn inspiration from - a musician whom they both admire, Tim Lefebvre. The American bassist has worked with many pop and jazz stars, notably Sting, Elvis Costello, David Bowie, Mark Guiliana, Wayne Krantz... Lefebvre’s involvement in the Michael Wollny Trio’s breakthrough was, incidentally, anything but tangential. In other words, his playing is at home in practically every context. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eListeners familiar with Schaerer’s and Kalima’s previous work may find ‘Evolution’ somewhat surprising. “An album is such a different platform from playing live on stage,” explains Schaerer. “Over the course of our many recordings, we have become increasingly aware quite how differently one has to play.” That awareness has also resulted in a particularly careful focus on the post- production phase of \u003ci\u003eEvolution\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e With \u003ci\u003eEvolution\u003c\/i\u003e, Schaerer, Kalima and Lefebvre have re- drawn the roadmap for the production of a jazz album. 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Heavy jazz!” declared Rolling Stone magazine; The critic from the Times found them “full of promise.” At Deutschlandfunk, there was talk of “jazz in the fast lane,” once again reaching “young jazz fans all over Europe.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe three musicians, who live close to each other in Tel Aviv, each contribute their musical predilections - jazz, classical music, grunge, rock, techno or folk - into the common organism, in which all these elements are rendered into an exciting mixture. And through their inspirational concerts around the globe, there has been constant further refinement. They take audiences with them by challenging them: this is music which aims to appeal to the heart, engage the intellect and get straight through to the dancing feet. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eTales of Utopia\u003c\/i\u003e documents a search for poise and peacefulness. Gadi and Matan have recently become fathers. This positive energy has flowed in. “Art makes the world better” is the way they describe their intentions. “We want to bring beauty into the world and create a feeling that people can be happy in themselves. They have to re-learn that, and also place themselves in relation to the constant flood of information so that more and more doesn’t actually mean less and less. Our children were the best teachers in this because they are fascinated by small things. That’s how you can over-come the destructive.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere is more going on here than mere everyday pragmatism. This is exciting music, a panoply of colours and timbres. It invites the listener to be enchanted and to focus on its sheer beauty. 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As we met for rehearsals before leaving for the island of Mallorca, no one knew what was written and by whom. I had worked hard in my spare time though, coming in with five songs. So anyway, we started from scratch, listening to each others’ demos and then went on making them sound like us. All of us contributed and it was really great to hear our own compositions come to life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn landing in Palma on my birthday February 15th at 2 pm, we went straight to the studio to set up and get the sound ready for the recordings to start. We just could not wait. Much of the setup had already been done by the studio crew and a few devoted volunteers and sooner than anyone thought possible, we could start to record, with the amazing sound engineer Shades leading the whole operation. From that moment on, we all knew that this was going to be a special album. Everything fell into place. The vibe in the studio, the sound, how the guys in the band played, the food being served in the breaks, how the coffee on the rooftop tasted and the generous dinners after finishing up for the day. To finance the recordings, we had decided to give in-house concerts the last two evenings after recording. Although it meant even longer days for everyone, it was a wonderful feeling to get the chance to test some of the music we had recorded in front of a live audience sitting almost in our laps. It was so rewarding to get feedback from the people that came to our shows. On top of that, we had a film team lead by our dear friend Dan Sermand documenting the whole thing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe all left the island February 20th with a sense of deep satisfaction, knowing that we had done our very best and that our best might be more than just good enough. Only one man stayed behind in Palma: Magnum. 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In “Dimensions”, he delved into the exuberant understanding of harmony of Jacob Collier. The key “Bach”, though not an attempt to mimic Bach’s tonal language, pays tribute to his preludes from the Well-Tempered Clavier. And lastly, “The Twinkle” sought to capture the mischievous spirit of Sergei Prokofiev, a favourite composer, infusing the compositions with his playful energy and wit. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhat the Fugue\u003c\/i\u003e has captured some of the typical and exciting traits of current jazz artists and that is what makes this music both appealing and so substantial, interesting and eventful: outstanding musical skills from all the players, a spirit of inquisitiveness and openness, a broad musical horizon across styles, eras and borders. 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Sometimes balladic, sometimes joyously swinging, \"Winter in Venice\" lays out a lively tonal tapestry which, despite its suggestive title, seems to have little to do with the morbid feeling that exists in Venice during that dark time of year. It received the Swedish Grammy in 1998 as best jazz album of the year, and on top of it all, it helped Svensson to the title of Songwriter of the Year. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Act Music","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP | x2","offer_id":50444289802571,"sku":"1104135","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/c0bc2583-4ee2-4061-aea6-17f7b5654da5_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727026630"},{"product_id":"layers-of-light","title":"Layers of Light","description":"\u003cp\u003eNils Landgren was born in 1956 and grew up with the music of his father, a jazz cornetist, and the church music of his grandfather, a pastor. He never lost his strong affinity for his own musical heritage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEsbjörn Svensson, born in 1964, didn’t want to play folk music at first. At home with the music of Chopin, Ellington, or disco-pop groups such as The Sweet, the pianist had first found his place in the competitive music scene in Sweden. His trio was a success and in his homeland, he was voted Jazz Musician Of The Year in 1995 and 1996. The first sprinkling of jobs became a steady flow. Svensson proved himself in the bands of his friend Nils Landgren. The music was about funk and soul, occasionally pop and, in the main, classic jazz. But not folklore.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt was through the influence of Landgren and Svensson’s former teacher Bengt-Arne Wallin, who recorded the landmark album \u003ci\u003eOld Folklore In Swedish Modern\u003c\/i\u003e back in 1962, that Svensson and Landgren were inspired to make a duo album centred around folk songs. In August 1997, both went into the studio and, with only trombone and piano, recorded \u003ci\u003eSwedish Folk Modern\u003c\/i\u003e. Their improvised treatments of the classic songs of the folk culture not only impressed the public; it brought praise from the press. Svensson and Landgren had created more than just a few impressions in duo. Discarding any sort of large conceptual superstructure, they had continued what Jan Johansson’s Jazz på Svenska and Bengt-Arne Wallin had begun in the early Sixties and what has since become a major force within the inner workings of European jazz.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe time after \u003ci\u003eSwedish Folk Modern\u003c\/i\u003e was hectic and exciting. Nils Landgren’s Funk Unit advanced to the position of a celebrated festival act. Svensson’s own trio, E.S.T., expanded beyond Scandinavia’s borders, where the band’s fortunes skyrocketed. Inundated with jobs, the musicians finally found the time to once again get together, in December 1999 in Oslo’s Rainbow Studio. It would be a meeting full of exceptional jazz energy. Even more than the first time, they would rely on the force of reduction. Moods would be suggested, left open. Melodies worked out in simple clarity. Delicate variations supplemented and amplified both the original and traditional motifs of the central musical im- pressions. \u003ci\u003eLayers Of Light\u003c\/i\u003e is an affair of the hearts of two artists who went back to their roots. That makes their music truthful, direct and authentic in a wondrous way.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Act Music","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP | x2","offer_id":50453197619531,"sku":"1138024","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/33eff7cd-c1d9-4f99-9e83-f164295a2843_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727169394"},{"product_id":"into-the-night-1","title":"Into the Night","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe trio format has always been something of an ideal for Jan Lundgren. That particular buzz when communication between the musicians in a trio is direct, immediate and ever-present...when the trio keeps a constant sense of forward motion and development...when the players collectively remain open to the inspiration of every millisecond. These are the virtues which Lundgren sees as the recipe for the kind of openness, freedom, subtlety and excellence of a trio at its best. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLundgren has had a trio in the classic piano\/bass\/drums format ever since 1995. In addition, since 2007, he has also broken the mould with the Mare Nostrum project, a congenial alliance with Sardinian trumpeter Paolo Fresu and French accordionist Richard Galliano. Critics hailed it at the time as the \"first European supergroup\". And Mare Nostrum has brought him even closer to his ideal. But, there again, Jan Lundgren is nothing if not driven and determined, and is probably at his most fulfilled when setting himself new challenges... \"I have always been on the look-out for strong voices in the European jazz scene, musicians who have a similar sense of adventure to mine and who can move in any direction,\" explains the 55-year-old. And he also happens to have a good platform to make that happen, in the form of the Ystad Sweden Jazz Festival. Lundgren founded the festival in 2010 and has been Director of it ever since. The \"Ystad Concert '' from 2015 with bassist Mattias Svensson and the Bonfiglioli Weber String Quartet, a tribute to the Swedish jazz pioneer Jan Johansson, is a case in point. As Lundgren expresses it: \"There's always something new waiting for me in Ystad, something I've never tried before...\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Act Music","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50453486633291,"sku":"1130683","price":21.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/08e42bbf-20e6-4191-be41-d631e9c0962d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727172724"},{"product_id":"funky-abba","title":"Funky ABBA","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn November, the new ABBA album, \u003ci\u003eVoyage\u003c\/i\u003e, was released, after 40 years. Just in time for the music comeback of the year, and as a tribute to the Swedish supergroup, a classic is now being released on vinyl for the first time: \u003ci\u003eFunky ABBA\u003c\/i\u003e by the Nils Landgren Funk Unit from 2004.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Act Music","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50453567963467,"sku":"1138020","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/a08434af-0807-4aa2-9dbb-169f25d91527_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727173799"},{"product_id":"pasodoble","title":"Pasodoble","description":"\u003cp\u003eSwedish composer, arranger, bassist and cellist Lars Danielsson has, to date, released three albums on ACT as a leader, and plays as a sideman on numerous other ACT releases. He was also producer on the current album of singer Viktoria Tolstoy, ‘Pictures of Me’. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLars Danielsson is a musician of astonishing versatility. While he was studying classical cello at Gothenburg Conservatory, he was listening mostly to rock: Jimi Hendrix, Cream and Santana. Then he happened to see an Oscar Peterson concert on TV with Danish bassist Nils-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. This was the beginning of his conversion - from now on the bass was to take first place in his life. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis latest work, \u003ci\u003ePasodoble\u003c\/i\u003e, is an exciting new duo album with Leszek Mozdzer, an artist who is widely regarded as the most successful and versatile pianist of his home country, Poland. Mozdzer was already featured with a composition on the ACT-compilation, ‘Romantic Freedom’, which served as an introduction to the series, ‘Piano Works’.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Act Music","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP | x2","offer_id":50459889631563,"sku":"2001451","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Pasodoble_87fa01d3_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727227930"},{"product_id":"sentimental-journey","title":"Sentimental Journey","description":"\u003cp\u003eDiana Krall, Jane Monheit, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Natalie Cole - these are the stars that have caused a worldwide furore with their full-blown movement back to the ‘standards’. It comes as no surprise that the interpretation of the well-known ballads that make up a large portion of ‘The Great American Songbook’ has always been considered one of the highest disciplines in jazz. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt first glance Nils Landgren might seem a bit out of place in the midst of this illustrious group. When it comes to ballads, Nils Landgren is an old hand. And Nils could sing practically from when he could talk. Nils remembers with amusement that, “In school we had to sing a psalm every day, which definitely didn’t arouse my enthusiasm for singing.” It was a convincing performance in the best James Brown manner that got the 18-year old Landgren his first recording contract. Since then, Nils Landgren has never completely stopped singing, regardless of all the success of his formidable band, Funk Unit. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLandgren’s 1992 \u003ci\u003eBallads\u003c\/i\u003e album, which was brought into the market without a lot of publicity, evolved into a real word-of-mouth hit. Almost 20,000 copies were sold - a more than respectful success in the jazz world. And so ‘Mr. Redhorn’ once again gives way to his sensitive side and undertakes a trip to the land of emotions. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSentimental Journey\u003c\/i\u003e - could there be a more appropriate title for an album from someone who is almost always speeding from one gig to the next but would like to shift down a gear? Nils declared, “After all the hectic tours in this last period, it was simply the right time to do this album. I’ve always liked quiet songs that tell a story. It doesn’t make much difference to me whether I tell that story with words or with my instrument.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Act Music","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50460804120907,"sku":"2001454","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Sentimental_Journey_f264b7c9_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727238486"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/act-music.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}