NEWS THE BAND PROJECTS EVENTS/TOURS MUSIC GUESTBOOK   Peter Asplund , trumpet Södertälje, Sweden peterasplund.com Fredrik Noren , trumpet Härnösand, Sweden Musical director of The Stockholm JazzOrchestra and trumpet leadplayer with the band. After a completed Master in Music at the Royal College of music in Stockholm he freelanced in the Stockholm area until 1998, working in theaters,radio,television,recordingsessions, etc.He´s worked with a lot of swedish and internationell jazzmusicians and also internationell stars such as Natalie Cole, Bob Hope, Ann-Margret, Susana Rinaldi. Since 1998 he´s employed by the Swedish Jazzfederation halftime as youthjazzconsultant in order to promote jazz amongst young people all over Sweden. www.swedejazz.se Since 2003 also employed by regional music institute of Västernorrland as jazzconsultant halftime to work with jazz in the region.www.musikivasternorrland.nu Gustavo Bergalli , trumpet Buenos Aires, Argentina Magnus Broo , trumpet Magnus Broo is one of those musicians whose playing undoubtedly stems from an inner necessity and who is constantly driven to express himself as directly as possible. His melodic imagination, the width of his sound and the depth of his emotional expression can best be summed up in a gospel: “Swedish jazz is feeling great!” Since the early 1990s, Magnus Broo has been the favorite of fans, critics and musicians. But his internationally acclaimed and long awaited debut CD “Sudden Joy” only appeared in 1999. In the follow-ups “Levitation” and “Sugarpromise” he shows that the surprising heat and intensity have in no way faded. But then Magnus Broo also has a rich and varied musical career to scoop from. He was born in 1965 and grew up in Västervik (in Småland). As a teenager he was taught the trombone by Bob Henders – a man who opened his ears to jazz and finally got him to join the local big band. At a summer camp, Broo’s musical talent was spotted by the American tubaist and brass instructor Rich Matteson who persuaded him to go back to Texas with him for further studies. He stayed there for five intensive years. Still today he is busy trying to digest all the knowledge and information he was subjected to. When Magnus Broo went back to Sweden he played in many of the most respected Swedish jazz groups like drummer Fredrik Norén’s band (for eight years!), The Stockholm Jazz Orchestra (plus other big bands), Jazz Furniture, Radiojazzgruppen, just to name a few. Despite being a very clever and well-trained instrumentalist, Magnus Broo has not developed a single sound or phrase that illustrates the extravagance he is capable of. Instead, he uses his ability to express his unending creativity and deep musicality. In that way he is the follower of a tradition which is just as old as jazz itself. His playing isn’t just impressive, it speaks to your heart. magnusbroo.com Karl Olandersson , trumpet Born 1978 Hedemora, Sweden karlolandersson.com Bertil Stranberg , trombone In the early seventies Bertil started his career as a jazz/studio musician in Stockholm. He was busy in recording studios and on TV, but mostly he was heard on the Stocholm jazz scene with various groups including Red Mitchell’s “Communication” In the late seventies he worked for four years as a studio musician in the SDR radio big band in Stuttgart Germany. After two years he took over the lead chair after Bobby Burgess. During that period he also held the lead chair in the Al Porcino Big Band in Munich. He also played with other leading German jazz groups including Peter Herboltzheimers “Rhythm Combination And Brass” During the most of eighties he was working in the USA. For three years he was lead trombonist and soloist with The Artie Shaw Orchestra. He was also a member of the Boston based jazz orchestra “Orange Then Blue” under the direction of Gunter Shuller and George Schuller. He also led a quartet during this time including Mick Goodrick on guitar, John Lockwood on bass and Joe Hunt on drums. Back in Sweden 1988 after twelve years of playing abroad he began working as a teacher at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. He has since then worked with many of the leading Swedish Jazz Groups including: Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, The Swedish Radio Jazz Group, Blue Note Sextet, Jan Allan Octet, Bosse Brobergs´ “Nogenja” just to mention a few. He has also on numerous occasions worked as a clinician at different jazz schools throughout Scandinavia and as a guest artist with various big bands. In 2005 he released the CD “Roads Traveled” with his own quartet on the Sittel RecordsHe can be heard on records with many leading Swedish jazz musicians such as Lars Gullin, Arne Domnérus, Berndt Rosengren, Putte Wickman and Jan Allan. He has also recorded with American musicians such as Oliver Nelson, Kenny Drew, Al Cohn, Al Porcino and Red Mitchell. During his stay in the USA he also played shows with among others: The Nelson Riddle Orchestra, The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, The Four Tops, Lou Rawles and The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra In the liner notes to the first LP with the sextet “Communication” Red Mitchell described Bertil as “One of the few best trombone players in the world” Bertil has also a degree in psychology from the University of Umeå. He worked as a psychologist in the early seventies for three years before going full time into music. In the early eighties he spent one and a half year in India where he gained a deeper understanding of eastern psychology and philosophy Magnus Svedberg , trombone Sweden Magnus Wiklund, trombone Magnus jobbar som frilansande musiker i Stockholm. Genom åren har han spelat med en mängd olika band i varierande stilar, även om jazz alltid varit den dominerande genren. Han kan också höras i Mats Holmqvist Stora Stygga och Patrik Boman Seven Piece Machine Anders Viborg , trombone Sweden Johan Hörlen, leadalto, flutes and clarinet Växjö, Sweden Magnus Blom , alto, flutes and clarinet Södertälje, Sweden Karl-Martin Almqvist , tenor, flutes and clarinet Karl-Martin Almqvist, saxophonist and composer, is one of the most uniquely personal voices found on the swedish jazz scene today. He comes from the town of Karlstad, which he left at the age of 18 to take up his studies in music at Skurups Folkhögskola, continuing at the Conservatory of Music in Malmö, then moving on to the Mannes College of Music in New York City in 1994, where he remained for about two years. There Karl-Martin studied with musicians such as George Garzone, Bob Mintzer, Richie Beirach and Reggie Workman. In autumn 1996 he returned to Sweden, and 1998 he made Stockholm his home. As a soloist/member Karl-Martin is found both on record and in performance with a range some of the finest groups and constellations in Sweden, such as Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, Maggi Olin Band, Moksha, Mathias Landeus House of Approximation‚ Rigmor Gustafsson, Nils Landgren Funk Unit and Jacob Karlzon Big 5. He has played extensively throughout Europe and also toured Mexico, Latinamerica, Asia and the U.S. Karl-Martin first formed his quartet in 1996. Full Circle‚ (Prophone PCD 068, 2004) is his second release as a leader, the debut record on the same label having been released 2001 (Prophone PCD 057). As the title suggests, Karl-Martin finds himself having come full circle in the partly new constallation, with Jonas Östholm, piano, Filip Augustson, bass and Sebastian Voegler, drums. The group is showing a new side in it´s overall sound and compositions. The concept and approach have further developed into something more personal and sincere, chrystalicing into a new found ease of expression, which is intensely melodic and rhytmical. The Karl-Martin Almqvist Quartet stands firmly in the grounds of tradition, at the same time as the group is searching for new streams. Robert Nordmark , tenor and flutes Piteå, Sweden robertnordmark.com Neta Noren , baritone and bassclarinet Neta Norén, born in Lidköping, Sweden in 1962. She had her final exam as “Master of Music” from the Royal College of Music in 1986, her main instrument being Saxophone, second instrument clarinet. Neta works as a freelance musician and saxophone teacher. She was one of the founders and still performs with the Swedish saxophone quartet Rollin’ Phones that celebrated their 20 year anniversary in 2006. She also plays with the Swiss Jazz Orchestra, a part time, professional jazz orchestra in Switzerland. Neta has been active in the Swedish music scene since 1982 and has performed as theater-musiscian´in different musicals in Stockholm, among others at the China Theater (Cats), The Oscar Theater (La Cage Aux Folles) and at the Royal Dramatic Theater in “A midsummer nights dream” by Shakespeare. She has also been engaged as a saxophonist in different Symphony Orchestras, such as the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra and as a soloist with the Rollin´Phones with the Gothenburg Philharmonics, the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, the Hermitage Orchestra of St Petersburg-Russia, Orchestre de Laval-Canada and the Valencia Symphony Orchestra, Spain. Very often Neta Norén is working with different professional Wind bands around Sweden, often called in on a short notice. Except for being a productive and creative musician Neta also works with managing the Swedish Saxophone quartet Rollin´Phones. Working daytime at her office she has managed to arrange tours for the group during their 20 year long career. Göran Strandberg , piano Kramfors, Sweden Jukkis Outila , drums or/and piano Born 1960 Helsinki, Finland jukkisuotila.com JUKKIS is best known for: - his subtle but explosive drumming and versatile musicianship that has enabled him to produce six CD's featuring also his compositional talents: INTROSPECTION (Polydor/Fnac), AVENIDA (Stunt) and JUKKIS UOTILA BAND LIVE (Stunt) and in addition FAST COMPANY with Jerry Bergonzi on Blue Jackel label and HUNTERS AND GATHERERS with Dave Liebman on DoubleTime Records. Along with his compositions, his sensitive pianism can be heard on the latest release, MENINAS (Spice of Life) - his performances as a leader of his own small groups that have included such sidemen as Randy Brecker, Bob Mintzer, Mike Stern, Bob Berg, Wayne Krantz, Anders Jormin, Jim Beard, Jerry Bergonzi, Joey Calderazzo, Lars Danielsson and others. - the wide stylistic adaptability and international free-lance work with such varied names as : Toots Thielemans, Randy Brecker/Eliane Elias, Mike Stern, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Benny Goodman, Chet Baker, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Lovano, Jack McDuff, Gil Evans, Maria Schneider and John Scofield. - his vast big band playing experience -- a long association (1986-93) with the UMO orchestra of Finland that Jukkis also often conducted, a membership in the Stockholm Jazz Orchestra since 1991 and numerous visits with other fine orchestras such as the WDR big band, Norrbotten big band, the NDR big band, the SWR big band, Toshiko Akioshi/Lew Tabackin, Frank Foster, the Bohuslän big band and the Swedish Radio jazz group. Martin Sjöstedt, acoustic- and electric bass Born 1978 Uppsala, Sweden martinsjostedt.com Martin Sjostedt was born in Uppsala in 1978. At the age of five he began playing the piano. Because of his father's keen interest in jazz, Martin was exposed to the recordings of Armstrong, Basie, Ellington and Miles Davis at an early age. He was introduced to playing the double bass by a friend of the family who loaned him his instrument. Already at the age of sixteen he began playing the bass in the Uppsala region with local professional musicians such as trumpeter Bosse Broberg, pianists Ulf Johansson Were and Gösta Rundquist and singer Claes Janson.In 1997 Martin moved to Stockholm to study at the Royal College of Music. However, the demands for his services as a bass player were so heavy that he was unable to complete his studies. He became the regular bassist with the Stockholm Jazz Orchestra and in consequence had the opportunity of playing with such international guest stars as Bob Mintzer, Joe Lovano, Jim McNeely, Maria Schneider and others. Among the Swedish musician with whom Martin often plays are trumpeter Peter Asplund and saxophonists Magnus Lindgren and Håkan Broström. In 2002 Martin formed his own group "Martin Sjöstedt Band" with Magnus Lindgren, pianist Jonas Östholm and drummer Daniel Fredriksson. Martin Sjöstedt's conception of bass playing is focused very much on the acoustic sound of the instrument. With his firm and impressive technique he is rooted in the American tradition of Jimmy Blanton and Ray Brown. Since 1998 he has taken part in around 30 released recordings     Shortcuts Trumpets Peter Asplund Fredrik Noren Gustavo Bergalli Magnus Broo Karl Olandersson Trombones: Bertil Strandberg Magnus Svedberg Magnus Wiklund Anders Viborg Saxophones: Johan Hörlen Magnus Blom Karl-Martin Almqvist Robert Nordmark Neta Noren Rythm section: Göran Stranberg Jukkis Uotila Martin Sjöstedt