Nils Landgren - Christmas With My Friends VII [LP]

Act Music

£20.61

Format: LP
Catalogue No.: ACTLP99161
Barcode: 0614427991614
Release Date: 30th October 2020
Genre: Jazz

 It is all of fourteen years since Nils Landgren - the risen star of the trombone, charismatic singer and established luminary of the European jazz scene - first gathered together his closest companions in a studio to make a ‘Christmas With My Friends’ album and then take the group on tour with him. The project was successful right from the start: the German magazine Stern hailed the first album as “the most beautiful Christmas CD ever.” So, from that point on, there was no looking back
and never the slightest doubt that Landgren and his friends would go on to repeat this special way of celebrating Christmas: they have continued to do so every other year.
 Legions of fans have welcomed the albums and tour concerts into their own ways of celebrating Christmas. In fact, ‘Christmas With My Friends’ has now established itself as nothing less than a Christmas tradition in its own right.
 There is a very appealing variety here but every single piece also brings out the talent of this unique cohort of musicians. Landgren’s trombone has an inimitable lightness and variety, Norberg’s guitar tone has folk resonances, the saxophone of
Jonas Knutssons is imbued with wonderful lyricism and the sound of Eva Kruse’s bass is warm and full. But above all the magic comes from the fact that the singers have voices that are so distinctive and yet so perfectly complementary: the classical
vocals of Jeanette Köhn, the bittersweet soul of Ida Sand, the radiant clarity of Jessica Pilnäs, the dark, powerful blues of Sharon Dyall and - last but not least - the bright white soul singing of Nils Landgren herself. “Each of us has our own way of interpreting,” says Landgren of this, “and the personality of each one of us shines through on the album. Mine too - yes I have indulged myself... and every song here really does have a special meaning for us - and maybe for you too.”

Tracklisting:
This Christmas (from Sweden) - Johan Norberg
Comin’ Home For Christmas (from Germany & Sweden) - Eva Kruse & Peter Liljeqvist / Peter Liljeqvist
Ave Maria (from Austria) - Franz Schubert
This Endris Night (from Ireland) - Traditional, arranged by CWMF
The Forest Raised A Christmas Tree (from Russia) - Raisa Kudasheva / Leo Beckman /
arranged by CWMF
Gdy śliczna Panna / Listen To My Lullaby (from Poland) - Traditional / English lyrics by
Sharon Dyall / arranged by CWMF
Sizalelwe Indodana / Unto Us A
Son Is Born (from South Africa) - Traditional, arranged by Concord Nkabinde and CWMF
Sweet Was The Song (from Great Britain) - Traditional, arranged by CWMF
Hin fyrstu jól (from Iceland) - Ingibjörg Þorbergs
Hodie Christus (from Great Britain) - Benjamin Britten
Just Another Christmas Song (from the USA) - Homer Steinweiss
Sylvian Joululaulu (from Finland) - Karl Collan / Zacharias Topelius / arranged by CWMF
En förtvivlad vän (from Belgium) - Jaques Brel / Swedish translation by Andreas Mattson
Feliz Navidad (from Puerto Rico) - José Feliciano