Bo Sundström "Det kanske händer" (2021)

Det kanske händer

release date: Feb. 19, 2021

format: vinyl / cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]

producer: Jonas Kullhammar

label: Columbia / Sony Music - nationality: Sweden

3rd solo album by Bo Sundström and the follow-up to his acclaimed 2018 vocal jazz album Mitt dumma jag - svensk jazz is much of a second coming to an established formula. The title track ['It Might Happen'] is a free translation of classic "It Could Happen to You" written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke. It's all predominantly old vocal jazz classics in new arrangements with translated lyrics to a common tone to make one coherent whole of originals covering a wider range of genres and styles, and once again, it's a sheer pleasure to listen to Sundström and his hand-picked backing band. One original track by Sundström has also found its way to another mighty fine acchievement, and in this outing, I think Sundström acchieves more at a time when Bo Kaspers Orkester appears to have lost some steam. We only have to see if he will take some of this new-found success back to the band playground and perhaps introduce us to a full circle with BKO returning to bolder jazz influence. I for one, would like to see that instead of a band who appears too eager to follow contemporary patterns. But that aside, there's an ocean of classic folk, standards and vocal jazz songs to rewrite, re-arrange and to release as future solo albums, and I'm pretty convinced there will be a growing audience for this 'cause Sundström just seems to have found his way.

Recommended.

Bo sundström "Mitt dumma jag - svensk jazz" (2018)

Mitt dumma jag - svensk jazz

release date: Jan. 26, 2018

format: vinyl / cd

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]

producer: Jonas Kullhammar

label: Columbia / Sony Music / Mr RADAR - nationality: Sweden

Second solo album by lead vocalist Bo (Sigvard) Sundström of Swedish band Bo Kaspers Orkester. His solo debut Skåne was released as early as 2005 and that showed an artist trying out pop ballads with various stylistic influences, but this is something entirely different as indicated in the subtitle "svensk jazz" ['Swedish jazz']. All ten songs are old staples from vocal jazz with new lyrics - mostly by Sundström. The end result is a new take on the world of classic jazz and with lyrics in Swedish combined with Sundström's gift for jazz pop as heard on several albums with his usual band and this turns out as a most welcome album. The subtitle delicately hints as the legendary Swedish jazz album of them all: Jazz på svenska by Jan Johansson, and it's in this light you should listen to Mitt dumma jag. All compositions have been handed Swedish titles - only on the back cover the original titles are added, and it's quality titles like "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons", "The Way You Look Tonight", "Once Upon a Summertime",... "My Foolish Heart", the latter translated to "Mitt dumma jag" (track #5). There's also "Waltz for Debby" translated to "Monicas vals" of course in memory of Monica Zetterlund, who made that song an international hit with Bill Evans, and then there's the end-track "Danny's Dream", originally a 1954 Swedish jazz instrumental by Lars Gullin - here with the addition of lyrics written by contemporary Swedish pop diva Lisa Nilsson.

The album is no less than a truly positive surprise. It's not the jazz pop, as some would expect, neither is it pop / rock-styled but instead genuine contemporary vocal jazz in a Swedish tradition that goes hand in hand with jazz greats of former ages.

Recommended.