Tuesday, and a blog day. Just about on time this week.

BUT

 “I think its going to rain today”

“Broken windows and empty hallways

A pale dead moon in the sky streaked with grey

Human kindness is overflowing

And I think it's going to rain today”

It's a great tune by Randy Newman which I first heard in about 1966 from an LP by The Chris Barber Band. It was on an LP on the Marmalade label back in those trendy times. 

I did have 2 copies of this LP, and on a radio program offered one as a quiz prize. Some weeks after the show, I discovered that the LP was worth at least £25!! DAM! It last sold on eBay for £75!

I reproduce above the LP Cover. You will notice that this copy isn’t on Marmalade, but Polydor!! SO, Marmalade is probably worth more now, and I do still have one copy!! 

The damp weather of the last few days has prompted a bit more looking and listening than the previously warmer days, and I have found a true treasure source of jazz because of it.

Initially I was looking for music for another project. The German ACT label has some interesting artists signed to it, and one of them is Swedish trombonist and singer Nils Landgren. I have actually seen him play (and dance!) with The London Philharmonic Orchestra. In the first half of the concert he played a trombone concerto with them. In the second he played jazz with some of the orchestra members accompanying him.  I must say were well up for it!

I knew I had heard a recent CD where he played with other Swedish musicians, and I found it and added what I want in to the project. 

However, there was a song on the CD that captivated me. A song by a Swedish lady called Ida Sand, who plays piano as well as sings. So I YouTubed her, and found the resource mentioned above. 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC08F0Rbl03DBZLOi0UZXE_Q?reload=9

Started in 1990 the “Jazz Baltica” festival is now organised by Nils Landgren in the Baltic port of Lubeck in Germany. The link above will give you access to hours of great jazz music from that festival with concerts not just from this year, but many past years as wells.

This years product does seem slightly strange, as it is audience free, and views of the camera people wearing covid masks adds an eerie feel to it all.

The music is however of a very high quality. The sight gives access to many performers (including Ida Sand), and a variety of jazz styles. And it is in depth. No 5 minute bits, but complete concerts. It does have advert breaks, which is how you can watch it for free.

Swedish Jazz has been on my radar ever since I first borrowed an LP from the Maidenhead library of “Jazz at the Pawnshop” by saxophonist Arne Domnerus, who died in 2008.

Recorded in 1976 it had long been used as a Hi Fi demo LP. It is a live recording (differing from the mainly silent dead ones) from a jazz club/café called “The Pawn Shop”.  It has a quintet playing top quality mainstream to bop jazz  music and it introduced me to the quality of Swedish Jazz  including vibes player Lars Erstrand. So back before the day of CD I went out and purchased my own copy of the LP.

Since the days of Long Playing Vinyl, all of the music recorded at that club event in 1976 has now been released on 3 CD’s on the Proprius Music label, (yes, its based in Stockholm). They are illustrated in miniature in the clip about Arne above. Innovatively the CD’s are called “Jazz at the Pawnshop 1”, Jazz at the Pawnshop 2” and Jazz at the Pawnshop 3”. Proprius PRCD 7778, PRCD 9044 and PRCD 9058

So this week try some Baltic with your chips!

The song that captivated me was “Now the Time is Here” which includes the words, “be kind, be patient, let someone be your friend”. 

In these very difficult and different times we all need to do that.

Enjoy today, tomorrow it may still be raining!