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Review new CD
Direct link to source:
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/
THE JANNE ERSSON BIG BAND
Live at the Stockholm Jazz Festival (Sittel)
The world is full of dreamers, but few of them
have the boldness and tenacity to make their
dreams come true. From the moment he heard a
recording of the Buddy Rich big band in 1966,
Swedish drummer Janne Ersson decided he would
one day lead a band like that himself. After
years of paying his dues, Ersson became
disenchanted with the music business and took a
job at the post office, working there for years
until the branch was closed and he was laid off
with two years' salary in advance. The time had
come, he knew, to realize his dream. Finding
musicians in Sweden who were interested in the
music "was easy," he writes; "finding
guys who could play [it] well was another thing."
After a few years of struggle, Ersson decided to
hire someone to rehearse the ensemble, and
"after a year of hard work the band finally
started to swing." It hasn't stopped yet,
thanks in large measure to Ersson's superlative
drumming. As it turns out, Janne not only
studied Buddy Rich's agile and as sertive style,
he practically memorized it.
Ersson's band has been touring for four years
now, and its second album was recorded live at
the 2002 Stockholm Jazz Festival. From Allyn
Ferguson's flamboyant "Away We Go" to
the closing medley from Leonard Bernstein /
Stephen Sondheim's West Side Story, everything
is taken straight from the Buddy Rich library,
which makes comparing the two bands rather easy.
On the whole, the Swedes play notably well as a
unit, but they aren't quite as tight as Buddy's
band, and there are one or two brief but audible
missteps that would have incurred Buddy's
unbridled wrath. Ersson's soloists are admirable
- especially tenor saxophonist Eric Liftig and
trumpeter Dan Warvne - but there's no way they
could stand toe-to-toe and trade shots with such
heavyweights as Ernie Watts, Jay Corre, Bobby
Shew, Ray Starling, Don Menza, Chuck Findley,
Pete Yellin, Barry Zweig, Steve Marcus, John
Bunch, Bob Mintzer, Pat LaBarbera, Bill Cunliffe
or others in Buddy's band. Not to mentio n the
great Art Pepper whose torrid solos enkindled
Rich's album Mercy, Mercy.
Comparisons aside, Ersson has put together an
impressive ensemble using Buddy's blueprint for
success - swing hard under any and all
conditions - and has chosen an engaging program
that includes two memorable compositions by
Menza ("Time Check," "Groovin'
Hard"), one each by Bob Florence ("Willowcrest"),
John LaBarbera ("Pipe Dreams") and
Harry Betts ("Mexicali Nose") and Jazz
standards by Duke Ellington ("In a Mellow
Tone") and Thelonious Monk ("'Round
Midnight"), the last featuring Liftig's
tenor, as does the West Side Story medley. A
second tenor, Björn Cedergren, is front and
center on "Groovin' Hard."
While this isn't (quite) Buddy Rich, as "ghost
bands" go, Ersson's is sometimes so close
to the original that it's positively spooky, and
his drumming throughout is almost as
mind-blowing as Buddy's, especially on West Side
Story. "At last," writes Ersson,
"I have the band of my dreams and I think
it sounds great. What more could you ask
for?" Well, a few sales wouldn't hurt. And
believe me, Ersson's album is well worth the
price.
Away We Go; Willowcrest; Pipe Dreams; In a
Mellow Tone; Mexicali Nose; Time Check; Groovin'
Hard; Round Midnight; West Side Story Medley
(58:16).
Janne Ersson, drums, leader; Andreas Svejebäck,
Stefan Rahkonen, Klas Nilsson, Dan Warvne,
trumpet; Mikael Högdahl, Urban Johansson, alto
sax; Eric Liftig, Björn Cedergren, tenor sax;
Magnus Jönsson, baritone sax; Jakob Sollerman,
Markus Ahlberg, Magnus Stranne, trombone; Anders
Carlsson, bass trombone; Arne Murby, piano;
Martin Landin, bass; Mikael Björck, guitar.
John Bowers
bigbandman@earthlink.net
14/11 2003
Janne Ersson Big Band live CD
from Stockholm Jazz Festival 2002 is now being reviewed in the
biggest jazzmagazine in Canada, live CD is coming soon...
http://www.jazzcanadiana.on.ca/PPAug03.htm
Many Big
Band enthusiasts feel that this is one of Sweden's best.
Perhaps this partly due to the fact that the band does not get
itself hung up by playing modern arrangements put together by
writers attempting to push jazz into new areas and failing in
their attempts. There are many fine arrangements in the
Ersson-book that you'll find yourself tapping your feet to.
Tunes like, So What, Round Midnight and Love For Sale to name
a few. I am not one who easily gives overwhelming praise but
this time I must surrender to the fact, Ersson has a fantastic
band here and I hereby lift off my hat to them.
Göran Engström, Aneby
The
Ersson band has IT. The joy of playing and it's intensity
helps ignite the band as if were a duo.
It's enough with a few interested listeners for this group to
lift off the ground.
Kurt Johansson, Helsingborg
A Big Band in the
spirit of Buddy Rich means fast tempos,
powerful swing,
rich sound, textures and tunes such as,
My Man's Gone Now,
Round Midnight and Groovi'n Hard to name a few
The solo
contributions were excellent and the different horn sections
nuance and well formed playing,
was a fantastic complement to Erssons energetic drumming.
There can be no
doubt about it, Gothenburg has gotten a
Big Band which can
rival Sweden's best
Åke Jansson,
Långserud
Finally, just one
bit of advice
Next time you see
the name Janne Ersson Big Band announced, don't hesitate to
go,
You will bee
guaranteed an incredible, swinging experience
Osvel Lopez,
Drummer
It is Ersson himself who is the
driving force and inspiration in this band
His drumming is phenomenal,
absolutely world class
The grooves are solid and even
when the tempos are really
up hits and accents fall perfectly,
not to mention spectacular
solo contributions
It was exclusively Rich's
repertoire that was played, many numbers coming from what is
perhaps his best album
''Mercy Mercy Mercy''
I was particularly taken with the
tunes '' Standing up in a Hammock'', ''Groovin'
Hard'', ''So What'' and ''In a Mellow Tone''
All were played with intensity and
crisp swing
Yes, there is much to be expected
from this band in the future
Stig Jonasson,Växjö
STOCKHOLM JAZZ FESTIVAL
Skeppsholmen
The final festival day was a
joy even though it rained throughout most of the day
The rain which started lightly
during the start of Janne Ersson Big Band's set became heavier
as the consert progressed, luckily this was a band with a lot
of punch and energy so the whether became secondary
Ersson place himself to the front
of the band as his idol Buddy Rich who was seen at
Skeppsholmen in 1986
Ersson's band sounded as good as
their recent CD suggested, the section playing was excelent
especially the saxes where tenorist Eric Liftig shined
The Band recieved a standing
ovation after it's set and was worth a much better time-slot
Sven Malm
Svenska Dagbladet
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