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Nils Landgren (Schweden) Posaune
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BIOGRAPHY
- Nils ”Mr. Red Horn” Landgren
Jazz and church music left their mark on Nils Landgren´s childhood. His
father, a jazz cornetist, brought classic American jazz into the house. From
his grandfather, a pastor, came the old traditional Swedish chorales and songs.
Nils Landgren was born in 1956; at the age of six he began to play drums; at
thirteen he finally discovered the trombone for himself. From 1972 until 1978
Nils studied at the music high school and music college in Stockholm. His teachers
included the legendary Swedish musician - composer Bengt-Arne Wallin.
After he completed his studies he made a permanent move to Stockholm in order
to work there professionally as a trombonist.
After an eight month period of the usual difficulties and deprivation as a jazz
musician, the liberating phone call came. It was from the most successful pop
star of that time. And thus Nils Landgren found himself on tour with Blue Swede
and their hit ”Hooked on a Feeling”. The money and the vibes were
right, and since that time Landgren has done almost everything, all seemingly
at the same time: played jazz and rock, worked in bands in Sweden and Holland,
played sessions, and by his own estimation appeared on at least 500 albums with
stars such as ABBA, the Crusaders, Randy Crawford, and Herbie Hancock.
In addition,
Nils Landgren was seen in virtually every orchestra pit in the Stockholm theater
scene.
In 1981 Thad Jones picked the Swede to play lead trombone in his usual first-class
big band, a band which at that time included Sahib Shihab, Dusko Goykovich,
Benny Bailey, and Idrees Suleiman. Two years later the album ”Planet Rock”,
the premiere of a very early version of the Funk Unit, came out. Between 1985
and 1987 Nils acted, sang, danced, and played trombone in over 360 performances
of the Swedish ”Play of the year”, ”SKL”.
His fourth album, ”Miles from Duke”, a collaboration with his teacher
Bengt-Arne Wallin, followed. The Funk Unit´s second production, ”Red
Horn”, came out in 1992. It was mixed by the legendary sound engineer and
producer Bruce Swedien.
Two years later the final breakthrough outside of Scandinavia came: the Funk
Unit played at the Jazz Baltica Festival, and in 1994 recorded "Live in Stockholm",
with guest star Maceo Parker (ACT 9223-2).
In 1995 Nils Landgren found himself following the tracks of his grandfather
and a number of ancestors who had lived and worked as pastors on Gotland Island.
The CD is also called ”Gotland” (ACT 9226-2). Together with trumpeter
Tomasz Stanko and organists Anders Eljas and Claus Bantzer, he recorded it in
two churches in Stockholm and Hamburg.
A year later it was back to funk and soul-jazz; in 1996 Nils Landgren was invited
by the WDR Big Band as soloist for the recording of Bernard Purdie´s ”Soul
To Jazz”. Eddie Harris was among the other guests. It would turn out to
be Harris' last recording.
Nils was guest soloist with the WDR Big Band for the recording of the Eddie
Harris CD which became known as ”The Last Concert” (ACT 9249-2). The
Funk Unit's next CD, ”Paint It Blue” (ACT 9243-2), was also produced
in 1996. ”Paint It Blue” is Nils' tribute honoring Cannonball Adderley.
Alongside Bernard Purdie, guests were the Brecker Brothers and Airto Moreira.
In the ensuing extended tour of Germany which included some 100 concerts, Nils
Landgren was able to celebrate the fact that the Funk Unit's sensational success
had now insured them a place in the German concert scene.
In 1997 ”Paint It Blue” won the Jazz Award in Germany, and was one
of the ten most successful albums of that year.
In the same year Nils and his band were invited to the jazz festival in Peking;
he has been a member of the NDR Big Band since January, 1998.
In 1997 Nils Landgren took his next excursion into the realm of non-funk: ”Swedish
Folk Modern”, a duo-album with the young Swedish jazz star pianist Esbjörn
Svensson. ”Swedish Folk Modern” is devoted to the old Swedish folk
songs and melodies that Nils Landgren had learned from his mentor, Bengt-Arne
Wallin. It's no accident that the title resembles Wallin's legendary 1962 recording
”Old Folklore in Swedish Modern”, which, along with the Baltica Jazz
concert recording, was re-released in 1998 as part of the double CD ”The
Birth and Re-Birth of Swedish Folk Jazz” (ACT 9254-2).
Together with the Swedish vocal stars The Real Group, they followed the CD up
with a ”Swedish Folk Modern” tour of Germany.
A high point in Nils Landgren's career came with his Funk Unit`s next appearance,
a concert in connection with the ACT NIGHT at the Montreux Jazz Festival. It
so inspired all those involved that the recording ”Live in Montreux”
(ACT 9265-2) was brought out. The LONDON GUARDIAN'S John Fordham wrote about
”Live in Montreux” and the successful guest appearance in London:
”Nils Landgren is one good reason for a jazz-funk renaissance.”
Nils Landgren is also a gifted singer. In 1993 he made the CD ”Ballads”
along with Bobo Stensson. With the addition of takes with the Esbjörn Svensson
Trio, it has now been released in Germany (ACT 9268-2).
The current CD ”5000 Miles” (ACT 9271-2) was recorded in Stockholm,
New York, Tutzing and Montreux between May 1998 and July 1999. Trombone virtuoso
”Mr. Red Horn” Landgren surprises his fans with a masterful mixture
of fresh and spirited sounds. His Funk Unit plays with some of the hippest players
on the international jazz scene: Tim Hagans, Roy Hargrove, Till Brönner,
Esbjörn Svensson, Viktoria Tolstoy, Don Alias, and Fred Wesley. The Quincy
Jones / Michael Jackson sound maestro Bruce Swedien has made the mix. DISCOGRAPHY
Nils Landgren on ACT records: ACT 9223-2 FUNK UNIT live in Stockholm with Maceo
Parker ACT 9226-2 GOTLAND with Tomasz Stanko ACT 9243-2 PAINT IT BLUE - A Tribute
To Cannonball Adderley ACT 9257-2 Swedish Folk Modern - with Esbjörn Svensson
ACT 9265-2 ”Live” in Montreux ACT 9268-2 BALLADS - with Esbjörn
Svensson Trio, Bobo Stensson ACT 9271-2 5000 MILES ACT 9281-2 Layers Of Light
ACT 9292-2 The First Unit Guest performances on: ACT 9242-2 Bernard Purdie's
SOUL TO JAZZ ACT 9249-2 Eddie Harris - THE LAST CONCERT ACT 9254-2 Bengt Arne
Wallin - The Birth and Rebirth of Swedish Folk Jazz ACT 9259-2 Bravissimo II
- NDR Bigband
link: http://www.actmusic.com