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Christmas With My Friends IV

Nils Landgren

Christmas With My Friends IV

Format: CD
Label: ACT music
UPC: 0614427956828
Catnr: ACT 95682
Release date: 21 November 2014
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1 CD
Buy at PlatoMania
 
Label
ACT music
UPC
0614427956828
Catalogue number
ACT 95682
Release date
21 November 2014
Album
Artist(s)
Composer(s)
EN

About the album

And year after year it rings out at Christmastime: Nils Landgren's "Christmas With My Friends" ensemble is a loyal companion for the most wonderful time of the year. The fourth edition again presents a diverse selection of international, Swedish, traditional and modern carols and atmospheric secular popular songs, with the familiar hushed and intimate mood we have come to know and love. "There are still so many songs that touch us and that we want to make our own," Landgren explains the reason for recording another "Christmas With My Friends".

And it is true: the ensemble's interpretations simply do not get any less fascinating. Why? Because a very special magic is inherent in this music, that goes straight to the heart and speaks from the soul of us all. Because it is not sentimentalised and kitschy, but rather exudes a peaceful and familial serenity that is highly addictive. Because this Christmas music is not artificial and calculated, but real, and because it is a special desire and need of Landgren and his family of musicians.

Ever since the "Christmas With My Friends" debut came out in 2006, many people simply can't imagine a Festive Season without this music. The "most beautiful, touching, magnificent Christmas CD of the year. [...] Luminescent. Sparkling. Celebratory." said STERN magazine at the time, and it remained full of praise for the following albums as well: The music "sparkles like the clear night sky of a Nordic winter" ("Christmas With My Friends II") and the third edition it lauded as simply "splendid Christmas music". All three albums have now attained jazz platinum status in Germany. The ensemble's Advent concerts are generally sold out to the last seat, as will most certainly be the case again on the Germany tour this December, when people flock to the churches and music venues to indulge in Christmas spirit.

What makes the "Christmas With My Friends" interpretations so unique? Most of all the fact that the people who have joined up to make them are not only congenial musicians, but also true friends of many years' standing who love to make music together. You can feel the harmony and connection of the group in the results. "Christmas With My Friends" is teamwork, not a one man show.
Nils Landgren understands like few other band leaders how to put his comrades into the limelight, to give them the freedom to stamp their personalities on the music: Jessica Pilnäs shines with her mellow, crystal-clear voice, complemented by the soulful timbre of Ida Sand, who also takes charge of the piano. Soprano Jeanette Köhn lends especially the traditional Christmas carols the necessary classical emphasis, and Sharon Dyall provides the bluesy touch, like on Odetta's "If Anybody Asks You". With his tastefully reduced acoustic guitar accompaniment, Johan Norberg injects the folk-music influence and builds the harmonious foundation, perfectly supplemented by Eva Kruse with her restrained and creamy bass. The jazzy embellishments from Johan Knutsson's saxophone set the interpretations alight and give them magnitude and candour. And over and over, Nils Landgren's butter-soft trombone punctuates the atmospheric music, and his typically fragile vocals touch the soul, for example in the intimate duet with Johan Norberg on his own composition "I Wish It Was Christmas".

Nils Landgren and his friends never tire of telling their personal, musical Christmas Story. Year after year. Because it is simply such a beautiful one. Merry Christmas!

Artist(s)

Nils Landgren

Tender-hearted yet tenacious, Nils Landgren is a world-class artist. His Funk Unit’s groove is irresistible, and The Man with the Red Horn himself has led the band through their highly successful run of CDs, and in rapturously received concerts everywhere from Stockholm to Beijing. 'Funk is my Religion' is the band’s eleventh album – the album title just says it all. Landgren and his Norsemen bring a passion, an intensity and a freshness to their craft which has remained undimmed since the start. For more than 25 years, jazz-funk has been the force driving Landgren. This veritable elixir of life produces the bubbling energy, groove and joy that can be heard and felt in every note of the music. The...
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Tender-hearted yet tenacious, Nils Landgren is a world-class artist. His Funk Unit’s groove is irresistible, and The Man with the Red Horn himself has led the band through their highly successful run of CDs, and in rapturously received concerts everywhere from Stockholm to Beijing. "Funk is my Religion" is the band’s eleventh album – the album title just says it all. Landgren and his Norsemen bring a passion, an intensity and a freshness to their craft which has remained undimmed since the start. For more than 25 years, jazz-funk has been the force driving Landgren. This veritable elixir of life produces the bubbling energy, groove and joy that can be heard and felt in every note of the music. The band’s deliciously easy and laid-back vibe gets straight through to audiences. With the crispness of their funk rhythms, blazing brass, cool vocals and persuasive melodies, a new chapter for the Nils Landgren Funk Unit is only just beginning.

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Ida Sand

Ida Sand was born in 1977 into a very musical family in Stockholm. Her family roots lie in Piteå, a town in the far north of Sweden. Ida’s father was a well-known opera singer who sang at the Stockholm Opera for 30 years, her mother is still an active church musician. Both parents were a strong inspiration for young Ida. She started playing the cello at age 8 but the instrument did not leave much of an impression. Instead, Ida spent more and more time at the piano, singing along while tinkling the keys for hours. She did not let her mum teach her, she wanted to learn for herself and so she did. At 16, Ida went to study at...
more

Ida Sand was born in 1977 into a very musical family in Stockholm. Her family roots lie in Piteå, a town in the far north of Sweden. Ida’s father was a well-known opera singer who sang at the Stockholm Opera for 30 years, her mother is still an active church musician. Both parents were a strong inspiration for young Ida.

She started playing the cello at age 8 but the instrument did not leave much of an impression. Instead, Ida spent more and more time at the piano, singing along while tinkling the keys for hours. She did not let her mum teach her, she wanted to learn for herself and so she did. At 16, Ida went to study at the music gymnasium in Stockholm and two years later, she went on to the Academy of Music in Gothenburg, where she immersed herself in the city’s lively jazz scene.

As fascinating as jazz was to Ida, her musical influences remained Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and Aretha Franklin. After graduating in 2000, she worked continually, spending her time doing nightclub gigs, playing piano bars and soul clubs. Always busy, always learning.

Since Ida started her career as a freelance singer and keyboard player, she has worked with the cream of the crop of the music scene in Sweden: Christian Waltz, Stephen Simmonds, Carola, Lisa Nilsson, Eric Gadd, Bo Kaspers, Jerry Williams, Uno Svenningsson, Jennifer Brown and Nils Landgren, to mention a few.

In spring 2007 Ida’s debut album Meet Me Around Midnight (ACT 9716-2) was released and critics and music lovers felt confident. “Ida Sand sings with power and she is the most soulful white female singer to come along in some time”, said JAZZ PODIUM.

Ida’s second album True Love (ACT 9481-2) was released in 2009. It takes on an even more personal sound than her previous work – one reason for this is that in the interim period Sand has become the mother of a baby girl. True Love is produced by her husband, the guitar player Ola Gustafsson. At the album’s core are five outstanding original compositions, framed by classics from a variety of genres – a very personal declaration of love to her family, the music, and the world

With her third album “The Gospel Truth” (ACT 9725-2), released in September 2011, Ida Sand fulfils a long harboured dream: to unite her three great musical influences – jazz, gospel and soul – with her own personal signature. The album was produced by Nils Landgren who is also involved as a musical guest as is guitarist Raul Midón, singer Rigmor Gustafsson, saxophonist Magnus Lindgren and guitarist and Ida Sand’s husband Ola Gustafsson


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Composer(s)

Press

Play album Play album
01.
I Wish It Was Christmas (with Johan Norberg)
03:11
02.
The First Noel (with Ida Sand, Jessica Pilnäs, Jeanette Köhn, Sharon Dyall, Johan Norberg, Jonas Knutsson & Eva Kruse)
03:59
03.
Come Sunday (with Sharon Dyall & Johan Norberg)
04:16
04.
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (with Eva Kruse)
02:27
05.
What a Wonderful World (with Jessica Pilnäs & Johan Norberg)
04:05
06.
Angel's Carol (with Johan Norberg, Jonas Knutsson & Eva Kruse)
04:02
07.
Last Christmas (with Johan Norberg)
03:26
08.
If Anybody Ask You (with Sharon Dyall, Ida Sand & Eva Kruse)
02:48
09.
Icicles
02:53
10.
Maria durch ein Dornwald ging (with Jeanette Köhn)
02:24
11.
In the Bleak Midwinter (with Johan Norberg)
03:32
12.
Who Would Imagine a King (with Ida Sand & Jonas Knutsson)
04:20
13.
Det brinner en stjärna (with Jeanette Köhn, Johan Norberg & Jonas Knutsson)
03:35
14.
O helga natt (with Ida Sand, Jessica Pilnäs, Jeanette Köhn, Sharon Dyall, Johan Norberg, Jonas Knutsson & Eva Kruse)
05:00
15.
O du saliga / O du fröhliche (with Ida Sand, Jessica Pilnäs, Jeanette Köhn, Sharon Dyall, Johan Norberg, Jonas Knutsson & Eva Kruse)
04:31
16.
I Wish It Was Christmas (with Johan Norberg)
03:11
17.
The First Noel (with Ida Sand, Jessica Pilnäs, Jeanette Köhn, Sharon Dyall, Johan Norberg, Jonas Knutsson & Eva Kruse)
03:59
18.
Come Sunday (with Sharon Dyall & Johan Norberg)
04:16
19.
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (with Eva Kruse)
02:27
20.
What a Wonderful World (with Jessica Pilnäs & Johan Norberg)
04:05
21.
Angel's Carol (with Johan Norberg, Jonas Knutsson & Eva Kruse)
04:02
22.
Last Christmas (with Johan Norberg)
03:26
23.
If Anybody Ask You (with Sharon Dyall, Ida Sand & Eva Kruse)
02:48
24.
Icicles
02:53
25.
Maria durch ein Dornwald ging (with Jeanette Köhn)
02:24
26.
In the Bleak Midwinter (with Johan Norberg)
03:32
27.
Who Would Imagine a King (with Ida Sand & Jonas Knutsson)
04:20
28.
Det brinner en stjärna (with Jeanette Köhn, Johan Norberg & Jonas Knutsson)
03:35
29.
O helga natt (with Ida Sand, Jessica Pilnäs, Jeanette Köhn, Sharon Dyall, Johan Norberg, Jonas Knutsson & Eva Kruse)
05:00
30.
O du saliga / O du fröhliche (with Ida Sand, Jessica Pilnäs, Jeanette Köhn, Sharon Dyall, Johan Norberg, Jonas Knutsson & Eva Kruse)
04:31
show all tracks

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