- Limehouse Blues
- I’m Confessin’
- High Life
- Jeep’s Blues
- Lady Be Good
- Take Five
- Everything Happens to Me
- Barbados
- Stuffy
Arne Domnerus - Alto & Clarinet
Bengt Hallberg - Piano
Lars Estrand - Vibes
Georg Riedel - Bass
Egil Johansen - Drums
Recorded at Stampen Jazz Club in Stockholm
December 6&7 1976.
Strangely the sleeve note concentrates on
the capabilities of Recording Engineer Gert
Palmcrant and no doubt he was a master craftsman.
This CD version, which was released in Sweden
in 1996, was digitally re-mastered by Torbjorn
Samuelsson, so just who should get the credit
for the quality of the sound, which is excellent,
is anybody’s guess. I think we should just
be glad for it!
I would like to concentrate on the music,
which is also excellent. Arne Domnerus has
always been a favourite of mine and his playing
on both Alto and Clarinet when this was recorded
in 1976, shows that he was in fine form. The
musical standard of the whole group is very
high, the rhythm section swings along effortlessly,
Bengt Hallberg is excellent both as soloist
and accompanying both Domnerus and the exciting
Lars Estrand on vibes. Lars is obviously influenced
by Lionel Hampton, but not to the extent of
losing his own identity.
Limehouse Blues gets things off to an exciting
start, excellent solos all round, a coda that
gets a bit out of hand, but it gets everything
off to a super start. I’m Confessin’ shows
the group in more mellow mood, but it is equally
successful. High Life is a kind of Calypso
piece in which Estrand plays without the motor
on his vibes running, making it sound more
like a Xylophone, Red Norvo of course often
recorded on that instrument.
Jeeps Blues reminds us of Arne Domnerus’s
liking for Johnny Hodges and it is interesting
how his Alto playing sits in between Hodges
and Parker, a great place to be! Lars Estrand
contributes a fine solo here as he does again
on Lady be Good. You can’t help being aware
of the quality of Georg Reidel’s Bass work
throughout and if we all had the chance to
play with a drummer of Egil Johansen’s quality
regularly, we would be very happy.
Take Five is taken at a faster tempo than
the Brubeck version with Paul Desmond, but
no-one sounds uncomfortable with either the
5/4 time or the tempo. Everything Happens
to Me is a terrific tune and this is one of
the best version of it I have heard, Arne’s
theme statement is a delight. Barbados is
a Parker original and Arne sounds just as
comfortable in this role as he was in the
Hodges one.
Stuffy comes from the Coleman Hawkins and
is a nice easy swinger which seems to bring
out the best in everyone, we even get a bit
of stride piano from Bengt, but in a great
solo, he again shows us just how inventive
he could be.
In a Blindfold test, I would have thought
this was an American Group, which shows the
quality of music being produced by these excellent
musicians in Sweden in 1976. My only regret
is that I would like to have heard it 29 years
ago! I recommend it without reservation.
Don Mather
CD Reviews
PROPHONE PRCD 7778
