Magnum Mysterium

Fresu - Galliano - Lundgren - Mare NostrumCD / Vinyl / digital Paolo Fresu trumpet, fluegelhorn Richard Galliano accordion, bandoneon, accordina Jan Lundgren piano What began in 2005 as an experiment – just three concerts in Sweden bringing together a triumvirate of leading figures from European jazz – has developed in the past 20 years into one of the most distinctive line-ups now defining the ‘Sound of Europe’. Sardinian trumpeter Paolo Fresu, French accordionist Richard Galliano and Swedish pianist Jan Lundgren tell musical stories through Mare Nostrum, narratives from the northernmost to southernmost points of the continent. The trio combine their influences, which range from folk, classical and popular music, with the freedom of jazz. Over the course of hundreds of concerts and through three acclaimed albums, not only has this all-star project evolved into a highly empathetic working band, the three musicians have also become close friends whose affinity and chemistry can be heard and felt on Mare Nostrum IV. The mastery of Fresu, Galliano and Lundgren is in the nuances, the way they conspire together to make beautiful and often melancholic melodies flow, in their scintillating textures, and in the music’s subtle twists and turns. There is also delight in the sheer sound, from the intent and purpose behind every single note to the unique sonic identity of the trio as a whole. On Mare Nostrum IV, the twelve pieces that Fresu, Galliano and Lundgren wrote or arranged for each other are enchanting, cinematic miniatures of Nordic melancholy and Mediterranean warmth. This is a sea of sonorities, a utopia of beauty in which people know from deep what binds them together. And that is something more valuable in our uncertain times than it ever has been before. Trumpeter Paolo Fresu is an institution in jazz from Italy of the last three decades. As a leader and sideman he has participated in over 350 recordings, several of them on ACT, starting with his music/film project Sonos ‘E Memoria in 2001, followed by now four albums in the “Mare Nostrum” series, the duo album “Summerwind” with Lars Danielsson (2018) and guest appearances on albums of Adam Bałdych, Nguyên Lê and Jens Thomas. Paolo Fresu is artistic director of the Berchidda Festival Time In Jazz and, as teacher, lead the Jazz Seminars in Nuoro (Sardinia) for 25 years. He lives between Paris, Bologna and Sardinia. Richard Galliano is a unique innovator of the accordion and a singular voice of his instrument. Encouraged by Astor Piazzolla, Galliano created the "New Musette", his version of the traditional music of his French home country, which became one of his trademarks. He has recorded more than 50 albums under his own name - in jazz, classical and various musical styles from around the world. His impressive list of collaborations includes artists such as Chet Baker, Eddy Louiss, Ron Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Serge Reggiani, Claude Nougaro, Barbara, Juliette Greco, Nigel Kennedy and various renown orchestras. Among many other prestigious awards Richard Galliano was appointed “Officer” and “Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters” by the French government. Pianist Jan Lundgren is a pioneer of European jazz, combining classical music, folk traditions, American jazz and improvisation. This becomes evident on "Mare Nostrum", his own trio and their view of "European Standards" and "Swedish Standards", fusions of Renaissance choral music and jazz on "Magnum Mysterium" and various recordings together with Nils Landgren, Hans Backenroth, Wolfgang Haffner, Lars Danielsson or Emile Parisien. Jan Lundgren is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, was the first Scandinavian jazz artist to perform at Carnegie Hall and founded the Ystad Sweden Jazz Festival in 2010, which quickly became a major European jazz event.Credits Recorded and mixed by Rémi Bourcereau at Studio La Menuiserie, France, on September 30th, October 1st, and October 2nd, 2024, mastered at Studio Sequenza by Thomas Vingtrinier. Cover art by Martin Assig, “Berg” (detail), 2023

The famous compliation "Magic Moments", curated by Siggi LochTracklist: 01 Elevation of Love // Album: e.s.t. 30 Magnus Öström, Dan Berglund, Magnus Lindgren, Joel Lyssarides, Verneri Pohjola, Ulf Wakenius 02 Second Nature // Album: Life Rhythm Wolfgang Haffner03 Raw // Album: raw Nils Landgren Funk Unit 04 The Answer // Album: The Answer Jakob Manz 05 Shots // Album: Bloom Bill Laurance 06 Das Handtuch // Album: Tough Stuff Iiro Rantala 07 She’ll Arrive Between 10 & 11 // Album: Guitar PoetryMikael Máni 08 Terrible Seeds // Album: While You Wait Little North 09 Se Telefonando // Album: Ennio Grégoire Maret, Romain Collin 10 Wonderland // Album: Wonderland Daniel García Trio 11 Fresu // Album: Inner Spirits Jan Lundgren, Yamandu Costa 12 Hands Off // Album: Stealing Moments Viktoria Tolstoy 13 Hidden Prelude // Album: What the Fugue Florian Willeitner 14 Pralin // Album: Let Them Cook Emile Parisien 15 My Brother Rolf // Album: Komeda Joachim Kühn 16 Passacaglia // Album: Passacaglia Adam Bałdych, Leszek Możdżer 17 Linden Tree Rag // Album: Rag Bag Bernd Lhotzky 18 Zafeirious Solo // Album: Arcs & Rivers Joel Lyssarides, Georgios Prokopiou

Jan Lundgren - Inner SpiritsCD / Vinyl / digital Jan Lundgren piano Yamandu Costa guitar Pianist Jan Lundgren from Ystad in Sweden and guitarist Yamandu Costa, from Brazil’s southernmost province Rio Grande del Sur might seem an unlikely pairing, and the combination of guitar and piano is well known to be fraught with difficulty. But the collaborative affinity of this duo, the chemistry which they have found through playing together, first in a handful of concerts, and now on this fine album, are something truly exceptional. Lundgren and Costa are internationally outstanding representatives of their craft. “For Yamandu Costa, the guitar is a natural extension of his body and soul,” a critic has observed. Costa has six Latin Grammy nominations and one win to his name, and plays with an elegance, harmonic fluidity and a deep knowledge of Latin American music across a whole range of contexts from solo to working with symphony orchestras. Jan Lundgren has made a major contribution to the European jazz of the past two decades, not least through his role in the Mare Nostrum trio with Paolo Fresu and Richard Galliano. As Dave Gelly has written in The Observer (UK), what Mare Nostrum’s members have in common is“ a flair for melody and a similar lightness of touch, which makes their combined sound both delicate and irresistible.” Such are the virtues which Costa and Lundgren bring to their new endeavour together. The pair first met in Malmö in Southern Sweden in 2019, had dinner together and found an instant affinity. Lundgren invited the guitarist to be a guest at the festival which he directs in Ystad. As they got to know each other they listened to each other’s music, both finding a genuine enthusiasm for the music of the other, which eventually led Lundgren to ask “shall we do something together?” “It made me very happy when the Stockholm Konserthuset joined in on the idea,” the pianist remembers. The duo’s first concert took place on 17 February 2023, was captured on video, and the good experience led them to arrange more concerts and then to book dates for a recording. After a few days of working on the new repertoire at the ACT Art Gallery, the duo headed to Emil Berliner studios for just a day and a half of recording in February 2024, with Andreas Brandis producing and the watchful and experienced ear of Rainer Maillard as engineer. Brandis says: "It's amazing to hear how closely their playing interlocks, how they constantly switch the roles of lead and secondary voice. Both are masters of harmony and melody, each with their own cultural background." Lundgren agrees: “That is where we find each other and why we like each other,” and Costa ads: “We play original music. I believe that in this way we can have something sincere and really true to our purposes.” That interest in giving to a collective endeavour is astonishingly palpable from the very first seconds of the album. The rhythm of “Para Aprender A Amar” (to learn to love) is Ecuadorian, a pasilo and the first strong melodic voice that we hear is of the lowest string of Costa’s “violão de sete cordas“ (seven-string Brazilian guitar), a signature model from Cuenca in Spain. There are also delightful explorations of Brazilian music, such as the lively choro “Diplomata”, and a little-known gem from Jobim, “Garoto”. The titles of Lundgren’s compositions point clearly to how personal and how authentic this album is. He has devoted one track each to his Mare Nostrum partners Paolo Fresu and Richard Galliano, and also one to his wife, singer Hannah Svensson. The variety of style, pace and mood of “Inner Spirits” as a whole is addictive. Jan Lundgren and Yamandu Costa’s winning combination of empathy, mutual respect and jaw-dropping musicianship has produced a beautiful-sounding set which is certainly about to earn its place as one of the very great piano-and-guitar recordings.Credits: Produced by Andreas Brandis Cover art created by Olafur Eliasson “Friend from the ecotone, 2020 (detail) , ACT Art Collection, Courtesy neugerriemschneider Berlin

Nils Landgren - 3 GenerationsCD / Vinyl / digital Nils Landgren with Joachim Kühn, Michael Wollny, Iiro Rantala, Lars Danielsson, Cæcilie Norby, Viktoria Tolstoy, Wolfgang Haffner, Ulf Wakenius, Jan Lundgren, Ida Sand, Youn Sun Nah, Vincent Peirani, Emile Parisien, David Helbock, Marius Neset, Nesrine, Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr, Anna Gréta, Johanna Summer, Jakob Manz, and many more We are Family – Celebrating 30 ACT Years Nils Landgren has been and remains the absolute linchpin of the ACT family. To date, the Swede has made forty albums on the label as leader, plus another twenty as producer or soloist. Michael Wollny, whose many many projects with Landgren give him a special connection, sums up a key ele-ment in his success: “With Nils everything becomes easy.” There is indeed a particular ease about Mr. Red Horn’s way of being; it is infectious and runs through everything he does. Which is all the more remarkable when one considers the sheer number of roles he takes on: trombonist, singer, band-leader, producer, festival director, professor, curator, talent scout and mentor.All of Landgren’s multiple roles and traits come to the fore on “3 Generations”. Working alongside producer and ACT founder Siggi Loch, Nils Landgren brings together three gene-rations of ACT artists’ in various line-ups to mark the label’s 30th anniversary. Landgren and Loch have a friendship and habits of working well together which go back almost as long as the existence of ACT itself. The two met for the first time at the 1994 Jazz Baltica Festival, just two years after the label was founded. Landgren became an exclusive ACT artist shortly thereafter. Since that time, it has been through Landgren’s network that artists such as Esbjörn Svensson, Rigmor Gustafsson, Viktoria Tolstoy, Ida Sand, Wolfgang Haffner and many more have joined the label. Nils Landgren continues in his trusted role as ACT’s leading connector and integrator. Finding and nurturing young talent has always been one of ACT’s strong suits. It was true for Nils Landgren, then later for Michael Wollny who joined the label in 2005 and is today one of the most significant pianists in Europe. With artists such as Johanna Summer and Jakob Manz - both born many years after ACT was founded - the label looks to the future with its younger generation of musicians bringing new ener-gy and impetus to the world of jazz.The Times (UK) has written: “Since 1992, ACT has been building its own European union of musicians, fostering a freedom of movement between nationalities and genres, and has given us an authentic impression of what the continent is about.” “3 Generations” demonstrates quite how true that assertion is. Around forty artists from the ACT Family make this anniversary album a celebration of the breadth, openness and inclusive power of jazz. The core of the album consists of recordings made at a summer 2022 studio session lasting several days. In reality, it is only Nils Landgren and Siggi Loch who could have brought this pano-rama of musical Europe into being. The influences here range from jazz, popular song and folk to classical and contempo-rary music, and much more. Thirty tracks from three generations of musicians marking thirty years of ACT, with Nils Landgren as driving force. Not just a retrospective, but above all an insight into the present and future of the discovery label “in the Spirit of Jazz”.Credits: Recorded by Thomas Schöttl at Jazzanova Studio, Berlin on June 7 - 9, 2022, assisted by José Victor Torell – except as otherwise indicated Mixed and mastered by Klaus Scheuermann Produced by Siggi Loch and Nils Landgren The Art in Music: Cover Art by Yinka Shonibare CBE: Detail from Creatures of the Mappa Mundi, Mandragora, 2018

Jan Lundgren - The Gallery Concerts II: Jazz PoetryCD / digital Jan Lundgren piano Hans Backenroth bass "In every beginning magic dwells. [...] Only those who are ready for a departure and a journey can escape the stultification of habit," wrote Hermann Hesse in one of his most famous poems. "Jazz Poetry" is alive with the particular excitement that a first-time experience brings, and also with the courage to surrender to the moment. The programme for this concert by Jan Lundgren and Hans Backenroth, their first ever as a duo, was conceived as a one-off and includes brand-new compositions. The setting is inspiring, to say the least: at these "Gallery Concerts", exclusive music evenings in Siggi Loch's ACT Art Gallery, the performers and the invited audience are surrounded by fine contemporary art, works by Philip Taaffe, Gerhard Richter, Martin Noël and Martin Assig...Front and centre is the Alfred Brendel Steinway, the grand piano on which the classical piano legend would perform as soloist at Berlin’s Philharmonie. Jan Lundgren has often proved during his career that he is a true jazz poet, especially with the Mare Nostrum Trio, but also more recently with Emile Parisien and Lars Danielsson on "Into the Night". "Jazz Poetry” as the strapline for this concert could not be more fitting: "Like a poem, music stimulates your imagination. A sound can be as abstract as a metaphor,” says the pianist. “Like writers, we musicians tell stories and create images in our minds. What we have in common is that we want to touch people's hearts." "Jazz Poetry" meets these idealistic aims: there is wonderful lyricism in Lundgren’s and Backenroth’s lively dialogue between jazz and classical music, folk melody and song.Two Swedes, a duo of piano and bass. They inevitably bring to mind the 1964 album "Jazz på svenska" by Jan Johansson and Georg Riedel of jazz arrangements of Swedish folk songs, an album which is still a reference for the Scandinavian jazz today. The "Gallery Concert" makes allusions to this historic recording, especially with the two adaptations of Scandinavian folk melodies, "Polska No.1" and "Gårdsjänta", but the range of inspiration is much broader here, because what is special about Lundgren's art is his ability to forge the most diverse musical styles into a fascinating whole. It is true that the sonic language of his homeland permeates his playing, but he also has roots in the American jazz piano tradition, as well as an obvious grounding in Western classical music.  Thus, Leonard Cohen leads to Mozart; a Beatles classic sits alongside the jazz standard "Stella by Starlight". Swing, what Nordic people call ‘vemod’ (melancholy), Mozartian playfulness and impressionistic ‘esprit’ all co-exist with Lundgren in a way that is as natural as it is inevitable. In his own compositions he shows himself to have a beguiling gift for melody. There is a particularly impressive lightness about the way this duo performs at its premiere. The pair develop a sense of flow which makes the unexpected sound completely natural. The astonishing thing here is the fact that Lundgren and Backenroth have never worked as a duo prior to this. They have known each other from early years of their careers. Since then, their paths have crossed again and again, also on recordings where both were engaged as sidemen. "We were always in contact, but until then it never happened that we would start our own project. So when Siggi Loch invited me to do a gallery concert and to try a new programme, Hans was my first choice. He is a great bass player with amazing technique and a warm, full tone, and a sensitive accompanist with a great ear for melody." These qualities are well appreciated by others too, most notably by the top flight of Swedish jazz musicians. Saxophone legend Arne Domnerus once called Backenroth the best bass player his country had produced. Putte Wickman, Monica Zetterlund, Svante Thuresson and Ulf Wakenius also secured Backenroth's services...and, what many don't know is that he was the original bassist of the Esbjörn Svensson Trio. Internationally he has played with Scott Hamilton, James Moody, Kenny Barron and many more. Backenroth, born in Karlstad in 1966, can be heard on over 150 albums to date.  This duo is not going to remain as a ‘one-evening wonder’, far from it. The "Gallery Concert" marks a beginning and will pave the way for an ongoing collaboration: further concerts are in the diary for winter 2022. The duo give a captivating performance; their poetry in sound is chamber jazz at its finest.Credits: Recorded live in concert at the ACT Art Collection Gallery, Berlin Curated by Siggi Loch Cover art by Manfred Bockelmann

Various Artists - Magic Moments 15: In the Spirit of JazzCD / digitalBest jazz infotainment for the 30th anniversary of ACT: 16 tracks, 65 minutes of music in the spirit of jazz, featuring artists like Nils Landgren, Emile Parisien & Theo Croker, Iiro Rantala, Vincent Peirani Trio, Michael Wollny Trio, Joel Lyssarides, Jakob Manz & Johanna Summer, and more.Credits: Compilation by Siggi Loch Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Jan Lundgren - Into the NightCD / Vinyl / digital Jan Lundgren piano Emile Parisien soprano saxophone Lars Danielsson bass The 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. Lundgren 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. (Ystad, incidentally, is the small town on the south coast of Sweden which has been made world-famous by Henning Mankell's Wallander TV thrillers). 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..." And thus it was that fate took a hand at the 2020 festival – as it so often does in jazz. Jan Lundgren had programmed a performance by his own piano trio. But when the drummer had to cancel due to Corona travel restrictions, French saxophone luminary Emile Parisien stepped into the breach at very short notice and a completely unconventional trio was born, one of those unexpected challenges which Lundgren particularly relishes. The day before the concert, Lundgren, Parisien and his Swedish compatriot Lars Danielsson met for the very first time. After a short rehearsal, all three of them had a strong feeling that luck was on their side. Jan Lundgren even uses euphoric expressions to describe it: “a trinity, divine provi-dence!" And later, in the intimate setting of a small concert hall, where each and every listener is inevitably part of the process of creating the music, the magic of the new trio could really unfold. "Jazz is always about good melody, concise rhythm and strong composition," explains Lundgren. "Everyone brings their own personal imprint, starting as we do from such completely different musical backgrounds. And that's what makes it so exciting and thrilling. We enjoy immersing ourselves in each other's worlds – and creating new worlds in the process."Lundgren, Parisien and Danielsson choose catchy tunes as the startingpoint for their excursions together; there is an appealingly childlike sense of wonder, joy and discovery as these improvisations unfold. The opener "Glädjens Blomsters" (Flowers of Joy) is an old Swedish folk song; Emile Parisien's dark soprano sax gives it a feeling of melancholy that is truly touching. Lars Da-nielsson's hymn to his daughter "Asta" seems to take us to an echo-ey corridor full of harmonic vibrations. And then come a series of surprises, starting with the bassist introducing Parisien's "Preambule" with an emphatic introduction, and then the heart-warming "I Do", which Lundgren once wrote to accompany a stage play, and which the musicians find deft ways to illuminate. The pianist introduces "Schubertauster" in virtuoso romantic style – the tune is a homage to Franz Schubert composed by French accordionist Vincent Peirani. Jan Lundgren owns a dog, a cute little Yorkshire Terrier/Chihuahua mongrel, and "A Dog called Jazze" has puppy-like liveliness and enthusiasm. The title track "Into The Night" is har-monically colourful and seems like it could be the soundtrack for Sweden’s traditional ‘Midsommar’ celebrations. Finally, Lars Danielsson has written a personal declaration of love for "Ystad", this little gem of a jazz festival, and the three musicians shower it with love, devotion and empathy. The Ystad Sweden Jazz Festival was held again in 2021, from 4 to 7 August. And once again, Jan Lundgren, Emile Pari-sien and Lars Danielsson will be getting together as a trio to offer the festival audience their exuberant musicianship, their wealth of experience and their simple enjoyment of being back together in this new group. The prospect, Lundgren says, makes him extremely contented: “I'm just so happy about the way this has turned out, and the fact that we can pick up again where we left off after this long pandemic break. I have the feeling luck is on my side for a second time!" Credits:Recorded live in concert at Ystad Sweden Jazz Festival by Mattias Dalin (Eurosound AB), August 1, 2020 Mixed by Bo Savik, Jan Lundgren and Lars Danielsson at Tia Dia Studios, Mölnlycke, Sweden Mastered by Bo Savik Produced by Jan Lundgren & Lars Danielsson Executive Producer: Siggi Loch Cover art by Raimer Jochims, Chilandar II (1993-94)

Various Artists - Magic Moments 14 "In The Spirit Of Jazz"CD / digital"More than any other art form, music touches people directly," is ACT founder Siggi Loch's credo. For nearly 30 years, the core of what the label does has been to find and to promote the artists who can inspire the mind, reach the heart and touch the soul, and who do so in ways that have a lasting impact. Perhaps this has never been more important than now in the time of the pandemic, when culture has been silenced, when people have felt emotionally isolated and – far too often – the only “reality” has been virtual. With sixteen tracks from the current ACT release schedule, "Magic Moments 14" gathers together all of the power of "Music in the Spirit of Jazz", this world language beyond words which is understandable to everyone. It not only brings people together, it also moves and inspires them. ACT’s main mission is in the absolute foreground on this album: to be a discovery label. ACT’s main focus has always been on European jazz, to document this art form growing and developing, to show it reflecting on its own musical traditions, linking them back to jazz’s American roots and thereby opening up new paths. So, in that spirit, "Magic Moments 14" begins with a "Canzon del fuego fatuo" from the remarkable young Spanish pianist Daniel Garcia. Here is a fascinating new voice from Spanish jazz, taking up the music of his homeland in a refreshingly new way. We also mark here the ACT debut of mesmerising Austrian actor Birgit Minichmayr. Here is a voice and a personality with charismatic presence, delivering a Shakespeare Sonnet in the grand manner, together with Quadro Nuevo’s versatile world music team and the early jazz specialist Bernd Lhotzky. Other examples of new shining stars in the European musical firmament are the French-Algerian cellist and singer Nesrine and Austrian pianist David Helbock’s new trio. This focus on new and recent arrivals at the label does not mean neglecting the artists who have been with ACT since the beginning and who have made it the leading label for Swedish jazz: trombonist Nils Landgren contributes a new humdinger from his Funk Unit, a band which has been giving soul jazz a European face for over twenty-five years. Bassist/composer Lars Danielsson again celebrates the combination of classical music, jazz and Nordic sound with "Cloudland" from his new Liberetto album. Ida Sand conti-nues the tradition of Scandinavian singers who enrich the world's songbook with their pop "in the spirit of jazz". And for the final track, Jan Lundgren and Lars Danielsson, toge-ther with Emile Parisien, the French musician who has single-handedly redefined the soprano saxophone, show us Euro-pean art music with a Swedish accent at its most communicative and inspired. Last but not least, ACT was one of the first important labels to promote contemporary German jazz. There are more German artists on "Magic Moments 14" than ever before, demonstrating this important strand: violinist Florian Willeitner from Passau; guitarist Philipp Schiepek who has made a meteoric rise in the South German scene; the feisty attitude of KUU! led by singer Jelena Kuljic – like Minichmayr also primarily known for her acting and stagecraft; the Jazzrausch Bigband, whose techno jazz is attracting attention worldwide; and two rising stars who are currently harvesting all of the major awards, Johanna Summer and Vincent Meissner.Summer and Meissner - like Garcia, Lundgren and Helbock - also stand for the special place ACT has always found for the best pianists in Europe. Thus it is two German pianists of major international significance who complete the offering on "Magic Moments 14": 77-year-old Joachim Kühn is still utterly driven and a major force; his heir apparent Michael Wollny can also be heard here in his new all-star quartet with Emile Parisien, Tim Lefebvre and Christian Lillinger. The drummer was a multiple award-winner at the new German Jazz Prize, including one for KUU!. "Magic Moments 14" is a quintessence of the many directions which genre-crossing, innovative jazz is currently taking. These difficult times need remedies that are both energising and emotionally affecting: here are musicians who unfailingly show us the value and importance of trust and dialogue.Credits: Compilation by Siggi Loch Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Various Artists - Fahrt ins Blaue III - dreamin in the spirit of jazzCD / digital Esbjörn Svensson E.S.T. Symphony Youn Sun Nah, Ulf Wakenius & Lars Danielsson Wolfgang Haffner Quartet feat. Dusko Goykovich Nils Landgren Quartet Paolo Fresu, Richard Galliano &Jan Lundgren Julian & Roman Wasserfuhr, Tim Lefebvre & Nate Wood Viktoria Tolstoy Cæcilie Norby & Lars Danielsson Matthieu Saglio &Vincent Peirani Ulf Wakenius Norah Jones, Joel Harrison & David Binney Jan Lundgren Quartet Michael Wollny & Vincent Peirani Natalia Mateo Jens Thomas & Christof Lauer Daydreams and soothing stories...in the Spirit of Jazz "There's a place for us, somewhere a place for us. Peace and quiet and open air wait for us. Somewhere…". These words from the classic song from Leonard Bernstein's “West Side Story” set the tone for "Fahrt ins Blaue III - dreamin' in the Spirit of Jazz": this is uplifting music, to take the mind and the soul to a place of safety. The kind of quiet interlude in a day which is always restorative. Switch off and then switch back on – better focused. We find calm, intimacy, thoughtfulness here; the sixteen tracks in this compilation have a sense of flow, while also allowing the listener to wander off into all kinds of musical dream worlds....From the very first spacious piano tones of Esbjörn Svensson’s "Ajar", one feels time standing blissfully still. This little gem, and the "e.s.t. Prelude" which follows it, is our entry point into the dreamy universe which will open itself up to us over the next 67 minutes. Youn Sun Nah's bittersweet "Lento", based on the music of Russian composer Alexander Scriabin, gently emerges, seamlessly followed by Dusko Goykovich’s wonderfully warm and sad muted trumpet as he contemplates the falling of "Autumn Leaves" with Wolfgang Haffner's "Kind of Cool" ensemble. Then we hear singer/trombonist Nils Landgren, gentle almost to the point of weightlessness in "Somewhere". There is poetry and the originality in Paolo Fresu, Richard Galliano and Jan Lundg-ren’s Mare Nostrum Trio: we hear Swedish pianist Lundg-ren’s earwormish ballad “Aurore”. Lundgren also appears with his own quartet, with some hushed lyrical magic from Finnish saxophonist Jukka Perko in "No.9". On "Fahrt ins Blaue III", Michael Wollny and Vincent Peirani show their astonishing kinship of spirit and their serendipitous ability to move together in their duetting on "The Kiss". Accordionist Peirani is also to be heard with Ricardo Esteve’s heart-rendingly lovely flamenco guitar and cellist Matthieu Saglio on the poignantly sad but uplifting and warmly Mediterranean "Bolero triste". We then hear the Wasserfuhr brothers transport us to New York's Brooklyn Bridge with a sweeping view of the shimmering Manhattan skyline at dusk with their relaxed grooving jazz ballad "Carlo". For peace and inspiration, there’s a man and his guitar: Ulf Wakenius plays Keith Jarrett's "My Song". That is followed by the duo of Caecilie Norby and Lars Danielsson enchanting us with an intimate version of Leonard Cohen's “Hallelujah”. Two more singers take us to the world of cinema: Natalia Mateo sings Wojciech Młynarski's gorgeous lyrics to Krzysztof Komeda’s “Lullaby” from "Rosemary's Baby", starting in her native Polish, and drifting into utterly beautiful wordlessness; and Viktoria Tolstoy offers that most pensive and gentle of breakup songs, "Why Should I Care". from the Clint Eastwood film "True Crime", with some stupendous guitar work from Krister Jonsson. And then there is an appearance by inimitable Norah Jones alongside guitarist Joel Harrison and saxophonist David Binney. She recorded a languid version of the country song "Tennessee Waltz" on ACT, on the album "Free Country", from the same era as her 27 million-seller "Come Away With Me". Pianist Jens Thomas and saxophonist Christof Lauer give us the quiet poise of “Green Dance”. This epilogue sums up the aesthetic of "Fahrt ins Blaue III": dreamlike music of beauty, tranquillity and calm – that it is well worth spending some time with. Credits:Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Various Artists - Romantic Freedom - Blue in GreenCD / digitalACT is a label with a clear sense of its own identity, values and mission, and these virtues find strong expression in this new compilation. ACT has been a major force since 1992 in bringing to the fore Euro-pean jazz which transcends the old genre boundaries, and has played a major part in helping this music to become far better known in its many and varied forms. This is in fact the second compilation album from the label to bear the motto “Romantic Freedom”. Back in 2006, fourteen years after the label was founded, the first album with this title focused on performances by solo pianists, a particularly strong area for ACT. Now, another fourteen years on, "Romantic Freedom - Blue in Green" brings the story and the message up to date - and does so in several fascinating ways.The ACT family continues to grow with the addition of fascinating artists from all over Europe, so it is fitting that David Helbock, a pianist who has only recently risen to prominence beyond his native Austria, and whose association with ACT started in 2016, should be given the honour of starting the album with his Random Control Trio in a moodily, atmospheric version of the modal Miles Davis/Bill Evans ballad “Blue in Green”. Another pianist who has only recently made his album is Carsten Dahl from Denmark. Dahl's “Sailing with no Wind” has calm, balance and great beauty. And for contrast there is the catchy, rock-inspired immediacy of the Stockholm-based Jacob Karl-zon Trio in “Bubbles”. The nurturing of fruitful dialogue across national borders and styles of music is a real strength at ACT, and is a key feature of "Romantic Freedom - Blue in Green". As Chris Pearson of The Times of London reflected in early 2020: “Since 1992 Act, the German label, has been building its own European union of musicians, fostering a freedom of movement between nationalities and genres.” It is worth noting that, whereas almost half of the pianists on the 2006 album were from North America, all the musicians apart from three on the new album were born in Europe. A band which epitomizes civilized conversation across borders, indeed has it at its very core is Mare Nostrum, the trio of Sardinian trumpeter Paolo Fresu, French accordionist Richard Galliano und Swedish pianist Jan Lundgren. They play Michel Legrand’s “The Windmills of Your Mind” . Fresu’s appealing and warm flugelhorn sound is to also be heard irresistibly on Komeda’s “Sleep Safe and Warm” (also known as “Rosemary’s Lullaby”) in duo with Lars Danielsson. We also hear the very different heritages of Polish violinist Adam Bałdych and French/Israeli pianist Yaron Herman as the pair create and then release tension in “Riverendings”, the first of two tracks on this album featuring a violin.Musicians from Europe walk, quite literally, in the footsteps of the great classical composers. The young German pianist Johanna Summer, the youngest musician on this album and rapidly becoming a star of the label was born in Saxony very near Zwickau, the birthplace of Robert Schumann’s. She is heard here in her affecting “instant com-posing” version of Schumann’s “Of Foreign Lands And People” from “Scenes of Childhood”. David Helbock lived for some years in Vienna, and in “Beethoven #7, 2nd Movement”, we hear the Austrian in a delicate and thoughtful version on prepared piano. Norwegians pia-nist Bugge Wesseltoft and violinist Henning Kragerrud have a deep feeling for the melodic beauty of their compatriot Grieg’s “Våren” (Last Spring). ACT is home for pianists with a central role in European jazz in recent decades, such as Michael Wollny, Joachim Kühn, Leszek Możdżer. All three (and also Bugge Wesseltoft) were represented on the 2006 and the listener can reflect on the journey they have travelled over the decades with a label that above all help to ensure that their reputati-ons can build beyond their home countries. Michael Wollny’s “Little Person”, a cover of Jon Brion’s song from the film “Synecdoche, New York.” is quietly reflective with a gentle pulse and a deliciously open ending. We also hear Wollny on prepared piano accompanying another core member of the ACT artist family, Nils Landgren on both vocals and trombone), in Sting’s “Fragile”. We have the decisively carefree and rocky side of Joachim Kühn’s New Trio in “Sleep on it”. On this compilation we go back to the beginning and hear the very first track from “Pasodoble” Leszek_Możdżer’s 2007 debut on ACT: “Praying” in a duo with Lars Danielsson. Another massively influential figure in European jazz, and until his untimely death in 2008 a core member of the ACT label family was the late Esbjörn Svensson. He was also on the 2006 album. We hear an e.s.t. track which has become a classic, “Believe Beleft Below”, and also a homage to the Swedish visionary from another pianist who has revealed many sides of his character and his story on the ACT label, the Finn Iiro Rantala, who plays his heartfelt tribute “Tears For Esbjörn”. If we now know what European jazz is, that is at least in part because ACT has shaped an important part of its story. "Romantic Freedom - Blue in Green" shows how appealing, how approachable and how universal European jazz at its best can be. Credits: Curated by Siggi Loch Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Jan Lundgren - Jan Lundgren Collectionbook20 original compositions for C instruments by Jan Lundgren, inspired by jazz, tradition, and Swedish musical history. 48 pages of jazz poetry. included songs:-Blekinge -Blue Silence -Dance of Masja -Farväl -Leklåt -Love in Return -Love Land -Lycking Resa -The Magic Stroll -Mare Nostrum -Never Too Late -No.9 -On The Banks Of The Seine -Open Your Mind -The Poet -Potsdamer Platz -Ronneby -The Seagull -Song for Jörgen -Years Ahead

Various Artists - Magic Moments 13CD / digitalBest Jazzinfotainment: 16 tracks, 75 minutes of music in the Spirit of Jazz, including Nils Landgren & Jan Lundgren, Wolfgang Haffner,Ulf Wakenius, Solveig Slettahjell, Grégoire Maret, Vincent Peirani & Emile Parisien, Kadri Voorand, Viktoria Tolstoy, Jazzrausch Bigband.Credits: Compilation by Siggi Loch Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Nils Landgren - KristallenCD / Vinyl / digital Nils Landgren trombone & vocals Jan Lundgren piano Nils Landgren and Jan Lundgren blend Swedish folk music and jazz into a shimmering, melancholic soundscape on 'Kristallen.'

Various Artists - Magic Moments 12CD / digitalOne World Of Music. The ACT label has jazz at its core, and an openness to all kinds of musical directions: pop, rock, the music of singer-songwriters and traditional folkloric forms such as flamenco and tango. These very different genres nonetheless never fail to find new and magical ways to work together. The twelfth Magic Moments compilation presents exciting music "in the Spirit of Jazz". All kinds of pleasure await the listener during its 71 minutes. And what can one expect to hear in this world so far away from a single predetermined style? There are surprises, obviously. Plus several chances to reconnect with established and familiar stars. And discoveries of some genuinely exciting newcomers. The opening track is from Iiro Rantala on solo piano. His portrait of the month of "August" is from "My Finnish Calendar", an album which sets to music the course of an entire year in his home country from a very personal point of view. Argentinian tango is a prime example of a musical tradition which is not just lively but is also constantly developing. The Javier Girotto Trio proves the point in "Deus Xango" from "Tango Nuevo Revisited", a contemporary reimagining of the Piazzolla/Mulligan classic album from 1975. "Four top-league jazz musicians who just enjoy playing". That description by the TV programme ZDF today Journal) defines exactly what "4WD" is all about. The four bandleaders involved are Nils Landgren, Mi-chael Wollny, Lars Danielsson and Wolfgang Haffner). Each of them is in equal control and they all set the direction of the group. "Flamenco and jazz are brothers," says Spanish piano newcomer Daniel García. In his energetic trio with special guest Jorge Pardo, he shows just how true that statement is with the fiery "Travesuras". French accordionist Vincent Peirani and his wife Serena Fisseau then create a familiar musical refuge: "What A Wonderful World" is a paean to silence. A duo of newcomers to the label, Grégoire Maret and Edmar Castaneda create new and exciting sound worlds. In "Harp vs. Harp" harmonica meets harp. This is indeed a special and rare pairing; "Blueserinho" absolutely needs to be heard. With his "Italian Songbook" trumpeter Luca Aquino has recorded a homage to the music of his homeland. Here is "Scalinatella" by film composer Giuseppe Cioffi in an affecting version for trio with the Italian piano star Danilo Rea and accordionist Natalino Marchetti. Singer Cæcilie Norby unites musicians from several generations and countries on "Sisters in Jazz". Her composition "Naked In The Dark" demonstrates that jazz is far from being only about men. "Klinken" comes from the debut album "Stax" by the 25-year-old drummer Max Stadtfeld, a release in the Young German Jazz series. Stadtfeld and his comrades-in-arms have no truck with intellectuality, they move in the rhythm-oriented mainstream and yet point beyond it. With freshness and astonishing maturity this quartet thrills and excites. For over 10 years the successful trio Mare Nostrum with Paolo Fresu, Richard Galliano and Jan Lundgren has been the epitome of the sound of Europe. All three musi-cians have a quite fabulous sense of the lyrical and poetic which is again very much to the fore in their third album; Magic Moments 12 has the Swedish "Ronneby". As the magazine Galore writes of German jazz icon Joachim Kühn. “He interprets Ornette Coleman's music in his very own way: lyrically, gently and introvertedly, but full of surprising details." Kühn relives the unique story of his work alongside one of the legends of jazz here with "Lost Thoughts", a piece never recorded before. On 6 February 2019, jazz baroness Pannonica (Nica) de Koenigswarter (1913-1988) received a posthumous tribute for her tireless commitment to jazz in a concert at the Philharmonie in Berlin. The focus was on pieces by musicians whom Pannonica had supported over so many years with money, accommodation, advice and friendship, and who often dedicated compositions to her in gratitude, "Little Butterly" by Thelonious Monk for example. The New York singer Charenée Wade is in the limelight here, accompanied by Iiro Rantala, Dan Berglund and Anton Eger, with the American saxophone titan Ernie Watts. "An Israeli power trio. Heavy Jazz," Rolling Stone wrote of Shalosh. And when you hear the frenzied "After The War" it is obvious why: rock and indie jazz combine to form a mix which is full of tension and excitement. Violinist Adam Baldych is a supremely talented virtuoso. Stereo Magazine has described him as "one of the most technically brilliant interpreters of improvised music". "Longing" from his album "Sacrum Profanum" is a searingly sad ballad, sensitively interpreted in a duo with pianist Krzysztof Dys. On "Painted Music" the pianist Carsten Dahl gives his own highly personal take on classics of the jazz repertoire. The traditional Danish folk song "Jeg gik mig ud en sommerdag" (I went out on a summer’s day) is the sound of summer. At the end of “Magic Moments 12”, Nguyên Lê's piece "Hippocampus" reminds us of "One World Of Music", the theme of the compilation. The French guitarist of Vietnamese ancestry is a musical wayfarer between cultures who combines the freedom of jazz with influences from rock and world music.Credits: Compilation by Siggi Loch Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Jan Lundgren - Mare Nostrum IIICD / Vinyl / digital Paolo Fresu trumpet, fluegelhorn Richard Galliano accordion, bandoneon, accordina Jan Lundgren piano The old saying that ‘all good things come in threes’ might be a cliché with no particular logic to it, but as a way to describe the virtues of Mare Nostrum, it’s right on the money. Twelve years ago, Sardinian trumpeter Paolo Fresu, French accordionist Richard Galliano and Swedish pianist Jan Lundgren, all from the upper echelons of European jazz, formed their trio. Each has his roots in the musical tradition of his home country, and each has used it to develop his own musical language. These are musicians who bring their individuality and inspiration to a multitude of projects in modern jazz, and so transcend borders and connect genres. All three men have poetry in their playing. Their love of melody binds them together, and does so more than ever in this new third album. In fact, "Mare Nostrum III" completes a trilogy of albums. Right from the beginning of their decade-long collaboration, the group has had the idea of recording an album in each of their home countries. They made the first in Italy in 2007, and it took these busy musicians until 2016 to go to France and to record the second. Their third destination was Sweden, and the Nilento Studio in Gothenburg. "Once again,” says René Hess, the Swiss producer of the album, says, "it was a pure pleasure to see the sheer ease with which Paolo, Richard and Jan can create such great music." The first thing the listener notices is the natural, spontaneous way the thread of the musical conversation unfolds. Their affinity in soul and spirit is immediately recognizable. This group of equals is a version of Europe which is united, democratic, and brings everything together. Each of the three contributed four original compositions plus a favourite piece. It is mostly possible to work out by listening who has written the pieces, and yet the trio translates into a common language; it’s a language which all have a thorough understanding of, and a genuine feeling for. The album begins with Richard Galliano's "Blues sur Seine". It’s a plaintive piano melody reminiscent of Satie, or possibly Grieg. It’s joined by a veiled trumpet line before high notes from a lamenting accordion take over. Paris is in there, but so are fjords, Mediterranean shores and Basin Street in New Orleans. The whole thing is pure simplicity and enchantment. Characteristically Italian pathos then emerges in Fresu's "Pavese", in a natural frame of spontaneous soundscapes. Lundgren's "Love Land" has lively, cheerfully intertwining voices and a catchy theme that conjures up the magic of Swedish folklore. Then all three bring their persuasive lyricism to two of the most bittersweet melodies ever written, Michel Legrand's "The Windmills Of Your Mind" and Eduardo Di Capua's "I'te vurria vasà". Three pieces follow that in each case deal with a very personal memory. With the wonderful "Le Jardin des Fées", Richard Galliano honours the memory of his compatriot and friend, the much-missed great jazz violinist Didier Lockwood. In "Del Soldato in trincea" Paolo Fresu recalls one of his favourite films, Ermanno Olmi's "Torneranno i prati". And Jan Lundgren strolls through the streets of "Ronneby", the small Swedish town where he grew up, with a strongly rhythmic blues-infused folk music melody. All three then bring Quincy Jones' love theme from the film "The Getaway" back to their own shores. Then follows Fresu’s concentrated "Human Requiem", played entirely on muted trumpet, and the slow sustained concentration of Galliano's "Letter To My Mother". In the final tracks, Lundgren's "The Magic Stroll", reminiscent of the musicals, and Richard Galliano's classically inspired "Prayer", with the feel of rolling along on the waves of the ocean, these three exceptional musicians have found a perfect symbiosis. With "Mare Nostrum III", Paolo Fresu, Richard Galliano and Jan Lundgren have once again created a wonderful ballad album. Through their music they rise way above that old discussion about whatever "jazz" might be nowadays. What they have achieved instead is to bring the sound of Europe to life.Credits: Produced by René Hess / HR Music Recorded (May 28 - 30, 2018), mixed and mastered by Lars Nilsson at Nilento Studio, Gothenburg Cover art by Federico Herrero

Various Artists - Magig Moments 10 "In The Spirit of Jazz"CD / digitalThe anniversary sampler Magic Moments 10 gives an insight into the current album releases from the ACT catalogue. 14 tracks, over 1 hour of the best jazz infotainment "in the spirit of jazz".Credits: Compilation by Siggi Loch Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann

Wolfgang Haffner - Kind Of SpainCD / Vinyl / digital Wolfgang Haffner drums Jan Lundgren piano Sebastian Studnitzky trumpet Daniel Stelter guitar Christopher Dell vibraphone Lars Danielsson bass The “Sound of Europe,” captured and documented on CD and vinyl. For over 25 years, the ACT label has had a consistent mission to support and promote European jazz, and had substantial impact through doing it. All shades, all hues…but with an emphasis on specific countries and regions, among which maybe the best examples are Sweden and France. Of these two countries, ACT’s connection to Spain is perhaps the less well-known, and yet the very first production by the label was a venture involving Spain, Germany and the USA. In July 1992 label founder Siggi Loch brought the WDR Big Band together in Cologne with a few of the finest flamenco specialists from the Iberian peninsula, as well as heavyweights from American jazz such as Al Di Meola. The result was “Jazzpaña” (ACT 9212-2) which garnered two Grammy nominations, a major success for the fledgling record label. The arrangements on the album were by the (then unknown) composer/ arranger Vince Mendoza and by the Turkish-born star US producer Arif Mardin. 25 years later, and award-winning German drummer Wolfgang Haffner is doffing the cap to both Mendoza and to Mardin – the latter died in 2006. On “Kind of Spain” Haffner and an acoustic sextet have combined the music of the Iberian peninsula and jazz. The first track “For Vince & Arif” is a tribute to both of the great arrangers – the drummer worked several times with both of them. “During the session,” remembers Haffner, “Siggi played us one of the tracks from “Jazzpaña”. It had those typical flamenco hand-claps. We spontaneously decided to sample the claps, and jammed over them.” Following on from the successful 1950’s cool jazz and bop excursions in “Kind of Cool”, “Kind of Spain” is again with an 100% acoustic band. Traditional Spanish music meets jazz. A cultural heritage which is more than 500 years old encounters the blue notes of the New World; flamenco and folklore meet new compositions by the bandleader. The vibe created by this sextet is introvert, warm and atmospheric, and the listener’s mind might easily drift off… to a roof terrace somewhere in Granada by night, perhaps. “My original wish was to record as a quintet,” says the ECHO Jazz prize-winner for drums from 2010. “A band with bass, guitar, piano and trumpet was already in existence. But then I decided that I absolutely wanted Christopher Dell to be part of the group as well, because he has had such an important role in my live band for years.” Vibraphonist Dell, who like pianist Jan Lundgren was on “Kind of Cool”, gives a particular tonal colour to this endeavour. Lars Danielsson has been a fixed presence in Haffner's groups right from the beginning; the bassist (who also plays cello) was on Haffner's ACT debut album “Shapes” in 2006, has been a member of his acoustic trio, and has been a musical close colleague for several years. Sebastian Studnitzky, who brings in his velvety trumpet sound, is another musician who has a long playing history with the drummer, not least the time when both of them were members of the Nils Landgren Funk Unit. And then there is the youngest member of this team: guitarist Daniel Stelter. “That melody is so strong that the softer you play it, the stronger it gets,” said Miles Davis of Joaquín Rodrigo's “Concierto de Aranjuez,” which he recorded for his 1960 album “Sketches of Spain.” Here Daniel Stelter plays the unforgettable tune – very much in the idiom of the trumpet legend. Stelter, whom Haffner got to know during Al Jarreau's final concert tour, demonstrates tremendous concentration - and also tenderness. "Space in music is essential to me," says Haffner. “Just a few notes, played in ballad tempo, that really appeals to me." Understatement is the order of the day on "Kind of Spain", with no one adding a note more than is necessary, and a bandleader whose drumming never has a scintilla of attention-seeking about it. "I like strong melodies and beautiful harmonies," Haffner emphasizes. "The very last thing I think about is how I am going to accompany the songs on the drums." Both "Tàpies" and "Salinas", composed in Haffner's adoptive home, Ibiza, show evidence of his elegant restraint. The traditional Andalusian 16th century piece "El Vito," and Lars Danielsson's exciting "Pasodoble," which is reminiscent of Spanish folk dance, are both invigorating popular songs. On these tracks Dell and Lundgren both shine with fine solos. So who knew? Spanish music...played by German and Swedish jazz musicians. Who would have guessed that so much Mediterranean passion and sensitivity can exist north of the Alps? And the answer is: everyone who knows Wolfgang Haffner. Credits: Produced by Lars Danielsson with Wolfgang Haffner Executive Producer & Curator: Siggi Loch Recorded by Arne Schumann at Hansa Studios Berlin, January 21 & 22, 2017 Mixed by Arne Schumann@Schumann&Bach Mastered by Peter Heider at Purecuts

"If Potsdamer Platz in a certain way symbolizes the new Germany, here it also stands as a title for something positive, for the positive energy that music should always radiate to me; for a new beginning, for something moving." (Jan Lundgren)

65 minutes of the best jazz-infotainment featuring the current ACT lineup at a special price. With e.s.t. Symphony, Fresu - Galliano - Lundgren, Nils Landgren, Michael Wollny & Vincent Peirani, Joachim Kühn New Trio, Iiro Rantala, Marius Neset, Lars Danielsson, Lou Tavano, and many more.

Up for a journey into the blue? With 16 sun-soaked tracks, compiled like a DJ set, "Fahrt ins Blaue" offers a relaxed listening trip in the spirit of jazz. Music for cruising and grooving, for feeling good, empathizing, and enjoying: a laid-back album with surprising moments and discovery potential. Refreshing for hot days. Cool sundown music for the twilight hour. And the perfect soundtrack for a relaxed car ride into the weekend, on vacation, or after work.

On "The Ystad Concert," Lundgren once again proves himself as a worthy successor to Jan Johansson, paying artistic tribute to him and breathing new and unfamiliar life into Swedish, Russian, and Hungarian folk music influences. In this lineup with a string quartet, you've never heard this music quite like this before.

The sound of Europe, part two: Fresu - Galliano - Lundgren. Italy - France - Sweden. "Mare Nostrum" connects the musical cultures of its performers and countless people worldwide who eagerly listen to this European sound.

Wolfgang Haffner blends Cool Jazz & the Great American Songbook with an all-star band. Discover “Kind of Cool” – timelessly beautiful jazz.