Nordic Christmas

Various Artists - Christmas in the Spirit of JazzCD / digitalJust as there are a multitude of different ways to celebrate Christmas, there is also a vast and appetising array of Christmas music. And whereas Nils Landgren's "Christmas With My Friends" series has been an integral part of the run-up to the holiday season for the past 15 years, it is far from being all that ACT has to offer: a host of other artists from the label have created their own distinctive Christmas sounds. These range from the quiet contemplations of pianist Bugge Wesseltoft or the hymn-inspired "Nordic Christmas" from saxophonist Tore Brunborg, to music from Cana-dian singer Laila Biali or “a touch of class” (The Observer) from Echoes of Swing... and even the coruscating and youth-ful energy of the Jazzrausch Bigband. All these and many more are to be found on "Christmas in the Spirit of Jazz". This is the ACT Christmas soundtrack for 2021. Tracks from all eight of the "Christmas With My Friends" albums are the thread running through this Christmas com-pilation. Nils Landgren sets the celebrations in motion with "Coming' Home for Christmas", the album opener. In the course of the album’s eighteen tracks, we hear a roster of other soloists: Jessica Pilnäs, Johan Norberg and Jonas Knut-son bring seasonal joy to Leroy Anderson’s swinging classic "Sleigh Ride"; Sharon Dyall with her blues-infused voice jingles us through the lively "Just Another Christmas Song"; Ida Sand and Jeanette Köhn sing John Rutter’s "Angel's Carol" in a gently-paced duet. As German magazine Stern has remarked of "Christmas With My Friends”, this is music which "sparkles like the starry sky of a Nordic winter night". We cross the border from Sweden into Norway for another Christmas classic: Bugge Wesseltoft recorded one of the best-selling Christmas albums in Norway with his piano solo CD "It's Snowing On My Piano": the plaintive sounds of Wes-seltoft playing "In Dulce Jubilo" have an irresistible simplicity and directness. And then on to Denmark for Janne Mark: she sings about "Vinter", a delightful hymn which brings light and warmth to Scandinavia's season of darkness. Christmas with the Jazzrausch Bigband is lively and sassy. Sometimes loud, sometimes quiet, the stylish sound of this big band has been superbly caught: "Fröhliche Weihnacht überall" (Merry Christmas everywhere) takes us a long way from the quieter and more contemplative vibe to be heard elsewhere on "Christmas in the Spirit of Jazz". Echoes of Swing with Rebecca Kilgore treat us to a superb "Winter Wonderland": it’s swinging and American - but with a knowing, five-four smile.A song which was not originally written with Christmas in mind, but which has nonetheless found its way into the canon is "A Child is Born" by Thad Jones: Laila Biali's version of it is released here on CD for the first time. Another which has also become a Christmas evergreen is Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". Polish violinist Adam Bałdych interprets it here. And with "Happy Xmas, War is Over" from 1971, we hear Iiro Rantala paying homage to John Lennon. His solo piano interpretation is virtuosic yet has depth, and the song’s message of peace could not be more topical or important than it is today. Caecilie Norby and Lars Danielsson have made a new recording of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" especially for "Christmas in the Spirit of Jazz". We hear just the duo of voice and bass, the mood carefree yet festive. "Christmas Song" is heard in a calmly uplifting version from Viktoria Tolstoy, with Ida Sand, Ulf Wakenius and Nils Landgren. And finally Mr. Redhorn brings "Christmas in the Spirit of Jazz" to an atmospheric conclusion on solo trombone: "Der Mond ist aufgegangen" (the moon is risen) is from his recently released solo album "Nature Boy". Landgren’s trombone sound echoes weightlessly through space and time: the final mood is one of contemplation and peace.

Tore Brunborg - Nordic ChristmasCD / digital Tore Brunborg saxophones, recorder Kjetil Bjerkestrand organ Nordic Christmas is far removed from pomp and kitsch, excess and grand gestures. It is familial and traditional, drawing its strength from silence. Contemplation and focus define the most beautiful time of the year in the Scandinavian countries. And their music reflects this quiet, intimate atmosphere. From Sweden, the now-famous "Christmas With My Friends" by Nils Landgren exemplifies this spirit. Warm and harmonious, emotional and tender, the star trombonist has accompanied the Christmas season for over ten years. A classic from Norway was recorded by Bugge Wesseltoft back in 1997: "It’s Snowing On My Piano," described by WAZ as “the greatest Christmas album contemporary jazz has ever produced” in its almost ethereal beauty. To this day, this solo piano interpretation of Christmas songs and old folk tunes remains the best-selling album in the history of ACT. Anyone who has fallen under the spell of the unique musical charm of the Nordic Christmas can now celebrate "Nordic Christmas" with Tore Brunborg and Kjetil Bjerkestrand. This recording, made years ago at the height of their collaboration in the church of Avaldsnes in Norway, offers yet another facet of Christmas music, all in the distinctive "Nordic sound" style: not in grand arrangements but in an unusual and intimate duo of saxophone and church organ. Most often, Tore Brunborg's tenor or soprano saxophone carries the melodic line, while Kjetil Bjerkestrand's organ provides accompaniment in a variety of styles – from baroque counterpoint and classical cadences to near-avant-garde dissonances, from delicate single-note responses to multi-voiced sound storms. The two always begin with the original themes before departing into variations and at times into free improvisation. For instance, the slow and contemplative "Det Kimer Nå Til Julefest" by Carl Christian Nicolaj Balle receives a grooving bass and a pop hookline after the first verse. "Jeg Synger Julekvad" shifts from jazzy, playful lines into a broad hymn. In "Ave Maris Stella," Nordic melancholy mixes with intriguing buzzing sounds and overblowing techniques. The familiar "O, du fröhliche" is reinterpreted through powerful and angular rhythmic chords, while Lewis Henry Redner’s "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" becomes a cheerful waltz. As these examples show, the repertoire ranges from well-known global Christmas standards like "Det Hev Ei Rose Sprunge" ("Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming") or "Stille Natt" ("Silent Night") to British songs like William James Kirkpatrick’s "Away in a Manger," and lesser-known Norwegian Christmas songs such as Lars Søraas’ "Det Lyser I Stille Grender" or the traditional piece from Nordmøre, "Et Lite Barn Så Lystelig." Almost magically, Tore Brunborg’s distinctively warm tone and Kjetil Bjerkestrand’s equally unique, register-spanning organ sounds merge. These two artists – far too little celebrated in the German-speaking world – bring forth deeply moving Nordic Christmas music. Brunborg, now 57, has led his own bands since 1982 but made his mark primarily as a key sideman with the most prominent "typically" Norwegian jazz musicians like Jon Christensen, Jon Balke, Nils Petter Molvaer, Geir Lysne, or Tord Gustavsen, and also with stars such as Manu Katché or Pat Metheny – until he stepped into the international spotlight just two years ago with his ACT debut "Slow Snow." Five years his senior, Bjerkestrand was a long-time church organist before discovering the organ as an instrument for improvisation and becoming active as a composer, arranger, and producer. He spent several years working in Paris with Dee Dee Bridgewater, wrote arrangements for Ray Charles, and later recorded several albums with the pop group a-ha. He accompanied singers like Rebekka Bakken, co-founded the band Timbersound with a-ha keyboardist Magne Furuholmen, and collaborated with Eivind Aarset on the project "Electronique Noire." He has also had a successful career as a film composer; the soundtrack for the film adaptation of Astrid Lindgren’s children’s book classic "Karlsson-on-the-Roof" as well as the TV series "Hotel Oslo" were written by him. These skills and experiences are clearly audible in their collaboration, which brings Christmas to life in a uniquely Scandinavian atmosphere – with music that exists somewhere between tradition and modernity, between classical music and jazz. It evokes vivid images: the rugged Norwegian winter landscape on one hand, and the warmly lit family scenes so uniquely depicted by Swedish artist Carl Larsson on the other. Merry Nordic Christmas! Credits: Music arranged by Tore Brunborg & Kjetil Bjerkestrand, except otherwise noted Recorded by Truls Birkeland & Jens Dreyer at Avaldsnes Church, Norway Mixed by Truls Birkeland at Studio 1, Oslo Mastered by Bjørn Engelmann at Cutting Room, Stockholm Produced by Erik Hillestad

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

Tore Brunborg - Slow SnowCD / digital Tore Brunborg tenor saxophone & piano Eivind Aarset guitars & electronics Steinar Raknes double bass Per Oddvar Johansen drums & electronicsStill waters run deepOn a per-capita basis, no other country in the world spawns more top-class jazz musicians than Norway. Jan Garbarek is the guiding star, but it was also the second generation born in the 60s that helped "Nordic Jazz" to global notoriety: Nils Petter Molvær, Bugge Wesseltoft, Geir Lysne, Eivind Aarset and saxophonist Tore Brunborg. Although highly respected in the Norwegian jazz scene, Brunborg has until now been known internationally as a sideman, however this year, the 54 year-old brings out his own international release, his ACT debut "Slow Snow". The fact that he has not stepped into the limelight until now may be due to Brunborg's unassuming and halcyon character. He grew up in the introspective and placid Voss, a town of 7000 inhabitants on the banks of Lake Vangsvatnet just north of the city of Bergen, surrounded by mountains, forests and waterfalls. Brunborg discovered his passion for music, the saxophone and jazz at an early age. At 19 he joined the Knut Kristiansen / Per Jørgensen Quintet in Bergen and a year later he was accepted into the Trondheim Conservatorium, already considered a European counterpart to the American Berklee College of Music in Boston, and, alongside Oslo, the talent foundry of Norwegian jazz. From 1982 onwards, Brunborg played in his own trio and quartet, but most of all as sideman to virtually all the important jazz musicians in the country, from Arild Andersen and Jon Christensen to Jon Balke and Nils Petter Molvær, to Geir Lysne's Listening Ensemble and Tord Gustavsen, and then ultimately with international stars such as Billy Cobham, Pat Metheny and Manu Katché. Manu Katché, who likes to seek out new influences and frequently changes the members of his bands, has held on tight to Brunborg for many years, and recently explained why, "For a start he is a fantastic, modest guy, who makes it easy to work or tour with him. But the musical reason is even more important than that. Tore blushes when I say this to him, but it's the truth: When he plays, it always sounds just the way I imagined it while composing. If I had to define what my melodic ideas, my sound-imaginations for brass, if you will, look like, I would always say: Listen to Tore. I can't explain it, he just does it." And the admiration for Brunborg goes further than Manu Katché, in 2012 he was honoured with the "Buddyprisen", Norway's most prestigious jazz award. Brunborg now proves his worth one yet again on "Slow Snow", an album that exclusively showcases his own compositions. It is characterised by the interweaving of closeness and distance, relaxation and compaction, eccentricity and simplicity, of electronic and natural sounds. Especially the contrast between the entirely reduced, almost gnarly bass rhythms and motifs and the warm and lyrical saxophone lines that lend pieces like "History" and "Tree Strong, Tall Swaying, Swinging, Sighing" (a title that borders on an allegorical description of the song's contents) an inspired, powerful flow that grabs you and doesn't let go. Brunborg selected his fellow campaigners for the record carefully: on the drums the 46 year-old Per Oddvar Johansen, a five-time winner of the "Spellemannprisen" (the Norwegian Grammy), who has also demonstrated his fondness of subtle power with Trygve Seim, The Source and Solveig Slettahjell; on bass Steinar Raknes, one of the most highly talented youngsters around, who has already performed together with US stars the likes of Chick Corea, Michael Brecker and Bobby McFerrin; and last but not least, Eivind Aarset, one of the most renowned Norwegian guitar experimenters for many years now, who contributes a multitude of fascinating sounds, some of them electronic, to "Slow Snow". As was to be expected from team-player Tore Brunborg, these four are about as close as it gets. A true band with genuine, deeply felt music is what you get here. And quite by the by, Brunborg shows something on "Slow Snow" that many of his colleagues knew but audiences were not yet aware of, right from the start on "Shelter", that he is an outstanding melodic composer and a pianist of masterful touch. It is high time you discover one of the unsung heroes of Nordic Jazz: Tore Brunborg. Credits: Music composed and produced by Tore Brunborg Recorded January 3 - 5, 2014 by Jan Erik Kongshaug at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, Norway Mixed and mastered by Ulf Holand at Holand Sound, Oslo, Norway Cover art by Olafur Eliasson, Seven blue movie, 2010, ACT Art Collection

Manu Katché - Live in ConcertCD / Vinyl / digital Manu Katché drums Luca Aquino trumpet Tore Brunborg sax Jim Watson piano & Hammond organ June. Monday night. Inside the New Morning, the atmosphere is special: the faithful are here — all connoisseurs — and you can feel it. As soon as Manu Katché launches into his concert — with the snap of a snare, a rumble on the toms — you can sense this is going to be some journey and he's not holding back. His bass-drum thuds with authority, punctuated by flashing cymbals, and his sticks fly into the air before they drop softly: right from the start, they express the elegant dynamics which have come to characterize his style. They're his signature now. Beneath his beige cap, a broad grin lights up his immense desire to play. There's something in the air: an exceptional moment is coming. The quartet present on stage played some 130 concerts last year, which gives it impressive cohesion; the sound is superbly solid, sweeping all before it. Braced by layers of Hammond organ from the subtle Jim Watson, trumpeter Luca Aquino — now standing in for the excellent Nils Petter Molvaer — takes flight. Inside his percussive tone threads the same, velvet lyricism dispensed by Paolo Fresu, one of his former teachers. The twin voices of Tore Brunborg, tenor and soprano saxophones close to Jan Garbarek, conduct a perfect dialogue with the elegant arabesques from the trumpet. Jim Watson, whose heavy responsibility is to provide all the bass parts with his Hammond B3, shows himself to be just as inspired as when behind a grand piano. His rare solos are compact, stripped to the essentials, and far from any hollow virtuosity: they bring welcome breathing-space. The skilled mix of discreet, electronic contributions with a dominant, acoustic sound constitutes one of this group's major strengths. Listening carefully, you notice that these musicians cleverly mix an extreme rigour into their creative liberties in order that everything will remain possible. It's obvious that they listen to each other attentively: they show respect for each other, never seeking to assert themselves, even less gain the upper hand. To introduce the title “Loving You”, Manu steps out from behind the drums to sit down at the piano. It's an unaccustomed role which fits him like a glove; and it also reminds us that he belongs to the extremely tight circle of drummer-leaders who also compose the tunes they play. Later, during a short break, Manu steps up to the microphone to thank the audience for coming to the gig. Closeness, again, even complicity, and always respect. Manu would also like to apologize for any inconvenience caused by the technical crew busy in the room because tonight, the concert is being filmed and recorded. The live capture of the proceedings will give birth to the group's next "live" album. This is a quartet which shows an impressive mastery over atmospheric changes: they're just as much at ease in a minimalist climate as they are when muscling their way through a piece bordering on funk with an edgy, jittery bass-synth line (like "Keep On Trippin’" or "Beats & Bounce"). Inside the room, the ambiance is now totally electric. Several encores later, the audience still hasn't had enough. Manu thanks the audience warmly again, treating them like friends in drily confessing that, "We wouldn't have had nearly as much pleasure playing the same things in front of empty seats." Amplifying the palpable intensity of that exchange, Manu encourages the audience to sing, persuading those present in this legendary club that here, tonight, they can do even better than a roomful of Americans. He's quite shrewd: he easily gets them to pick up — in unison — the short motif of an old title called "Snapshot", and their communion is total. Thanks to those few notes chanted together, the sense of sharing felt by musicians and audience alike turns into something physical, and the separation between the room and the group disappears. With the concert over, in the midst of the crowd on their (regretful) way out of the New Morning, one can feel that the magic of this genuinely special night will take a long time to evaporate. So much the better, for everyone.Credits: Music composed by Manu Katché Recorded live at the New Morning, Paris, 16.06.2014 Produced by Manu Katché Executive Producer: Reno Di Matteo for Anteprima Cover art by Katharina Grosse, untitled (detail), 2012 © Katharina Grosse & VG Bild-Kunst, 2014