Nils Landgren
Encyclopedia
Nils Landgren is a Swedish
R&B funk
and jazz
trombone
player.
Between 1972 and 1978 he studied classical trombone
at the music college in Karlstad
, Sweden
and continued his education in the university in Arvika
. Upon meeting the Swedish Folk-Jazz pioneer Bengt-Arne Wallin as well as trombonist Eje Thelin
, Landgren was persuaded to move from his strict classical studies to improvisation and to begin the development of his own sound and approach to music.
After his graduation, Nils moved to Stockholm
to work as a professional trombone player. He was soon touring with the successful Swedish pop star, Björn Skifs
. His band, Blue Swede
, recorded a number one hit song in the U.S. pop charts with "Hooked on a Feeling
". Thad Jones
in 1981 invited Landgren to join his new big band project, called Ball of Fire, as the lead-trombonist. Since adulthood, Landgren has covered a wide number of genre
s involved in most styles equally: jazz and rock, soul and hip hop, big band sessions, and solo work. By his own reckoning, Landgren at least 500 albums including such internationals stars as ABBA
, The Crusaders
, Eddie Harris
, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie
, Wyclef Jean
and Herbie Hancock
.
In 1983 Landgren recorded and released his debut album as a solo artist. Planet Rock, followed by Streetfighter in 1984, You Are My Number One in 1985, Miles from Duke with Bengt-Arne Wallin in 1987, Chapter Two 1 in 1987, Chapter Two 2 and Follow Your Heart in 1989. Between 1985 and 1987 Nils also performed as actor, singer, trombonist, and dancer in over 360 performances of the Swedish "play of the year", SKÅL, as well as appearing in several TV-films as an actor.
In 1992 the first performances and recording of the Nils Landgren "Unit" took place. His breakthrough beyond Scandinavia
occurred in 1994: it was at the Jazz Baltica
Festival at Salzau in Germany that the "Unit" became the "Funk Unit". The album "Live in Stockholm" (ACT 9223-2) was released that year and was the foundation for the collaboration with Siegfried Loch and his then nascent ACT label.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
R&B funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
player.
Between 1972 and 1978 he studied classical trombone
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
at the music college in Karlstad
Karlstad
Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and continued his education in the university in Arvika
Arvika
Arvika is a locality and the seat of Arvika Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden with 14,184 inhabitants in 2005.-Geography:The town of Arvika is situated at Kyrkviken, a bay of Glafsfjorden, Sweden's only inland fjord, a remnant of the time following the last ice age .The area is hilly with the...
. Upon meeting the Swedish Folk-Jazz pioneer Bengt-Arne Wallin as well as trombonist Eje Thelin
Eje Thelin
Eje Thelin was an innovative Swedish trombonist, widely admired among fellow trombonists for his facile technique and rhythmic intensity...
, Landgren was persuaded to move from his strict classical studies to improvisation and to begin the development of his own sound and approach to music.
After his graduation, Nils moved to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
to work as a professional trombone player. He was soon touring with the successful Swedish pop star, Björn Skifs
Björn Skifs
Björn Nils Olof Skifs is a Swedish singer, songwriter, actor, and screenwriter.Björn Skifs formed his first musical group Slam Creepers’ in 1963. Slam Creepers’ split in 1969 and Skifs went on to form a new band, Blåblus, in 1972. As Blue Swede, the band had a #1 hit on Billboard Hot 100 in 1974...
. His band, Blue Swede
Blue Swede
Blue Swede was a Swedish rock band from the early to mid 1970s, that succeeded with a few singles which were covers of other artists' material.-Career:...
, recorded a number one hit song in the U.S. pop charts with "Hooked on a Feeling
Hooked on a Feeling
"Hooked on a Feeling" is a 1968 pop song written by Mark James and originally performed by B. J. Thomas. Featuring the sound of the electric sitar, the song reached number five in 1969 on the Billboard Hot 100.-History:...
". Thad Jones
Thad Jones
Thaddeus Joseph Jones was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader.-Biography:Thad Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan to a musical family of ten . Thad Jones was a self taught musician, performing professionally by the age of sixteen...
in 1981 invited Landgren to join his new big band project, called Ball of Fire, as the lead-trombonist. Since adulthood, Landgren has covered a wide number of genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
s involved in most styles equally: jazz and rock, soul and hip hop, big band sessions, and solo work. By his own reckoning, Landgren at least 500 albums including such internationals stars as ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
, The Crusaders
The Crusaders
The Crusaders are an American music group popular in the early 1970s known for their amalgamated jazz, pop and soul sound. Since 1961, more than forty albums have been credited to the group , 19 of which were recorded under the name "The Jazz Crusaders" .-History:In 1960, following the demise of a...
, Eddie Harris
Eddie Harris
Eddie Harris was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ...
, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie
Bernard Purdie
Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie is an American session drummer, and is considered an influential and innovative exponent of funk...
, Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
and Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
.
In 1983 Landgren recorded and released his debut album as a solo artist. Planet Rock, followed by Streetfighter in 1984, You Are My Number One in 1985, Miles from Duke with Bengt-Arne Wallin in 1987, Chapter Two 1 in 1987, Chapter Two 2 and Follow Your Heart in 1989. Between 1985 and 1987 Nils also performed as actor, singer, trombonist, and dancer in over 360 performances of the Swedish "play of the year", SKÅL, as well as appearing in several TV-films as an actor.
In 1992 the first performances and recording of the Nils Landgren "Unit" took place. His breakthrough beyond Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
occurred in 1994: it was at the Jazz Baltica
Jazz Baltica
Jazz Baltica is an intimate jazz festival held each summer in Schloss Salzau close to Kiel, Germany, and the coast of the Baltic Sea. It differs from most other festivals in its intimacy and the access that visitors have to the musicians...
Festival at Salzau in Germany that the "Unit" became the "Funk Unit". The album "Live in Stockholm" (ACT 9223-2) was released that year and was the foundation for the collaboration with Siegfried Loch and his then nascent ACT label.
Discography
- Planet Rock (1983)
- Streetfighter (1984)
- You are my Nr. 1 (1985)
- Miles from Duke (1987) with Bengt-Arne Wallin
- Chapter Two 1 (1987) with Johan Norberg
- Chapter Two 2 (1989) with Johan Norberg
- Untitled Sketches (1991) with Tomasz StankoTomasz StankoTomasz Stańko is a Polish trumpeter, composer and improviser. Often recording for ECM, Stańko is strongly associated with free jazz and the avant-garde....
- Red Horn (1992)
- Ballads (1993/98)
- Live in Stockholm (1994–1995) with Funk Unit + Maceo ParkerMaceo ParkerMaceo Parker is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, as well as Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of Brown's hit recordings, and a key part of his band, playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones...
- Paint it Blue (1996) with Funk Unit
- Gotland (1996)
- Swedish Folk Modern (1997–98) with Esbjörn SvenssonEsbjörn SvenssonEsbjörn Svensson was a jazz pianist and founder of the jazz group Esbjörn Svensson Trio, commonly known as E.S.T...
- Live in Montreux (1998) with Funk Unit
- 5000 Miles (1999) with Funk Unit
- Layers of Light (1999–2001) with Esbjörn Svensson
- Fonk Da World (2001) with Funk Unit
- Sentimental Journey (2002)
- Funky ABBA (2004) with Funk Unit
- Creole Love Call (2005) with Joe SampleJoe SampleJoseph Leslie "Joe" Sample is an American pianist, keyboard player and composer.He is one of the founding members of the Jazz Crusaders, the band which became simply The Crusaders in 1971, and remained a part of the group until its final album in 1991 .- Biography :Sample began playing the piano...
and Ray Parker Jr.Ray Parker Jr.Ray Erskine Parker, Jr. , is an American guitarist, songwriter, producer and recording artist. Parker is known for writing and performing the theme song to the motion picture Ghostbusters, for his solo hits, and performing with his band Raydio as well as the late Barry White.-Early life and... - Salzau Music on the Water (2005) with Lars DanielssonLars DanielssonLars Danielsson is a Swedish jazz bassist, composer and record producer.-Biography:Lars Danielsson was educated at the Music Conservatory in Gothenburg. He plays double bass, electric bass and cello...
and Christopher DellChristopher DellChristopher William Dell is a career United States Foreign Service officer who currently serves as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo, after having been posted to Angola and Zimbabwe.-Education:... - Christmas With My Friends (2006) with Viktoria TolstoyViktoria TolstoyLouise Viktoria Tolstoy is a Swedish jazz singer. She is the daughter of Erik Kjellberg, and the great-great-granddaughter of writer Leo Tolstoy.- Discography :...
, Jeanette Köhn, Sharon Dyall, Ida Sandlund et al. - License To FunkLicense to FunkLicence to Funk is a 2007 jazz / funk album by Nils Landgren.-Track listing:#"House Party" 5:05 Fred Wesley#"Freak U" 4:34 Magnum Coltrane Price#"24 Hours" 4:30 Nils Landgren#"Stuff Like That" 5:39 Quincy Jones, Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson...
(2007) - Funk For Life (2010)
- The Moon, The Star and You (2011)
External links
- http://nilslandgren.com/
- http://www.actmusic.com/artist_detail.php?manufacturers_id=14