The Jazz Project - Album 93: Jan Johanssen - "Jazz på svenska"

        To further my understanding of Jazz, I'm listening through Jazzwise Magazine's "The 100 Jazz Albums That Shook The World". Each album is presented with my stream-of-consciousness thoughts for each track, my general thoughts of the album as a whole, and any relevant information I can capture about the album. Also included is my drink of choice while taking the album in. Thank you for joining me on my journey to [partial] Jazz enlightenment.

Album 93

Jan Johanssen - Jazz på svenska

Drinking: Green Tea

Photo credit: https://i0.wp.com/www.vinylpussycat.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_00223.jpg?fit=1280%2C1277&ssl=1

1. "Visa från Utanmyra": The song starts with a nice bouncy bassline and a somber, almost sneaky piano line. My mind envisions a cool jazz club owner setting up the club for a night of entertainment while the band is warming up. Periodically Jan throws in these sweet chords and quick licks which are excellent. In the middle, it takes on a nostalgic feeling before it returns to this smooth jam.
   
   
2. "Gånglek från Älvdalen": This track has a weird blend of classic, gospel, and jazz to it, and it's captivating. In my mind I'm seeing a cat going through its adventures for the day, chasing a bird, napping, tossing a ball of yarn, etc. It's a fun track.
   
   
3. "Polska från Medelpad": This has a great sound for only being a duo, it's like baroque meets jazz. I'm having a hard time writing because my attention is sucked into the music thoroughly. It feels like I'm watching a ballet from a multistory window, unable to hear the sound but just watching these spinning, twisting people move and sway.
   
   
4. "Visa från Rättvik": There's something reserved in Jan's performing, which isn't often the case in jazz music. It's like the sound of a photo album. It's a little dusty, a little faded, but very well kept.
   
   
5. "Brudmarsch efter Larshöga Jonke": This is the sound of a winter night when the fire has unexpectedly gone out and you're trying to relight it. I don't miss the extra instruments normally found in a jazz record, Johanssen and Riedel hold it together just fine.
   
   
6. "Vallåt från Jämtland": This song is very somber. It's like looking out over a graveyard on a cold autumn day. I want to use the world bleak, but I don't think that's the correct feeling. Neither is dreary. It's hard to describe this feeling. It's a great track though.
   
   
7. "Emigrantvisa": I love the way this song bounces back and forth between concern and hope. It's like a traveler who is trying to make it home, and yet, as traveling will do, is experiencing surprises that delay them. I'd say that thus far, this has to be the jazziest lick of the whole album.
   
   
8. "Berg-Kirstis polska": I was wrong, this is also a very jazzy track too. It's got this swing to it that's captivating. It bounces around with some excellent chord choices. I'm further captivating by Jan's playing which has this delightful lilt to it, it's as catchy as it comes. I love how this one fades away like a memory.
   
   
9. "Leksands skänklåt": One of the things I've been thinking about throughout this album is how deliberate each note is. It feels like a lot of thought went into each note of each line and chord, and to which degree each note should be played in regards to volume and dynamics.
   
   
10. "Gammal bröllopsmarsch": There is a flavor to this song that I can't place, but it's delightful. I love the harsh intervals Jan periodically throws into this song. In the middle is this interplay between the bass and piano that I'm really enjoying. They play in the space created between each other quite skillfully before going back into the swing of the song.
    
    
11. "Visa från Järna": As the shortest track on the album it doesn't impact me quite as much as the rest. I love the choices Riedel makes on this song though, they pop! I'm not sure where the piano is trying to go, it just feels like noodling.
    
    
12. "Polska efter Höök Olle": Finally! A solo! Loving this bass solo. This song makes for a great closer to this album. It ends where it started with that methodical cheekiness.

Photo credit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Jan_Johansson_Hawi.jpg

Overall Thoughts: I was not surprised to learn after listening to this album that each song was a jazz reinterpretation of old Swedish folk songs. Perhaps this is why the music had that old photo album vibe to it. Honestly, I loved this album though, and I loved that it was only two performers and nothing felt like it was missing. Really solid album.


Info: This album was released in 1964 on Megafon Records. It features Jan Johansson on piano and Georg Riedel on bass. It was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden. According to Jazzwise Magazine, this album was a peak point for a sound that would become known as the Nordic Tone. Fun fact, Michael Akerfeldt, of Opeth fame, is said to have been inspired by Jan when writing the opening track to Opeth's album Heritage.

Pick up the album here.

Listen to the album here.