Lars Gullin – Complete 1956-1960 Studio Recordings – Featuring Sweden’s Top Jazzmen – 4CD

4 CD Box Set including a 36-page booklet with comprehensive essay written by Ray Comiskey, session details, photos, original art & liner notes.

Lars Gullin (1928-1976) was not only the greatest of the golden generation of jazz musicians who first put Sweden on the global jazz scene in the 1950s, but also one of the best baritone saxophonists the music has ever seen. Lyrical, imaginative, remarkably creative as a player and prolific composer, he forged a uniquely personal and instantly recognisable style out of the rapidly absorbed influences of Gerry Mulligan and Lee Konitz and the folk and classical music of his own country. International recognition was swift. In 1954 he was the first non-American to win a Down Beat poll when he was voted New Baritone Sax Star. With Mulligan and Serge Chaloff he helped to establish the baritone firmly as a front-rank solo instrument in jazz.

Despite a life occasionally beset by personal problems, throughout his career he produced music that was consistently good and sometimes sublime. And during 1956-1960, the period covered in this collection, he was at his peak. Surrounded by outstanding members of that Scandinavian golden generation, including Rolf Billberg, Åke Persson, Arne Domnérus, Jan Allan, Rune Öfwermann and Bengt-Arne Wallin, he made a series of recordings that stand as testimony to his multiple gifts as a player, composer and arranger.

Track Listing:

CD1:
1. Fedja (Gullin) 5:01   2. Ma (Gullin) 5:49   3. How About You? (Lane-Freed) 5:35   4. Perntz (Gullin) 5:12   5. All of Me (Simons-Marks) 5:45   6. Like Someone In Love (Burke-Van Heusen) 5:33   7. Jeepers Creepers (Warren-Mercer) 4:55   8. You Go to My Head (Coots-Gillespie) 7:09   9. So What (Mulligan) 6:02   10. Always (Berlin) 6:09   11. Summertime (G. & I. Gershwin) 5:29   12. Lover Come Back to Me (Hammerstein II-Romberg) 5:07   13. Yesterdays (Harbach-Kern) 4:29   14. A Foggy Day (G. & I. Gershwin) 4:42

CD2:
1. After Eight P.M. (Lars Gullin) 5:27   2. Mean to Me (F.E.Ahlert-R.Turk) 6:41   3. Medley 6:37   -Just Friends (Klenner-Lewis)   -Someone to Watch Over Me (G. & I. Gershwin)   -Lover Man (Davis-Ramirez-Sherman)    4. Half Nelson (Davis) 5:39   5. Fedja (Gullin) 4:10   6. Ma (Gullin) 4:34   7. Perntz (Gullin) 5:55   8. So What (Mulligan) 3:11   9. Lover Come Back to Me (Romberg-Hammerstein II) 7:28   10. ‘Tain’t No Use (Lane-Magidson) 5:55   11. Bésame Mucho (Velázquez) 4:33   12. Stella By Starlight (Young-Washington) 2:46   13. Lover Man (Davis-Ramirez-Sherman) 4:39   14. Lover Come Back to Me (Romberg-Hammerstein II) 7:17

CD3:
1. I Fall In Love Too Easily (Styne-Cahn) 5:34   2. Happy Again (Gullin) 4:59   3. Get Happy (Arlen-Koehler) 2:42   4. Fine Together (Gullin) 4:05   5. Good Day to You (Gullin) 2:56   6. Just Friends (Klenner-Lewis) 2:58   7. A Night in Tunisia (Gillespie) 3:54   8. The Flight (Gullin) 5:52   9. Aesthetic Lady (Gullin) 4:43   10. Icarus on the Moon (Gullin) 5:56   11. The Knob (Aka Our Knob) (Gullin) 5:50   12. The Song Is You (Kern-Hammerstein II) 2:51   13. Everything Happens to Me (Dennis-Adair) 3:25   14. I Love You (Porter) 4:26   15. What’s New? (Haggart-Burke) 4:48   16. Body and Soul (Green-Heyman-Sour-Eyton) 3:02

CD4:
1. My Old Flame (Coslow-Johnston) 4:31   2. Sweet and Lovely (Arnheim-Tobias-Lemore) 3:12   3. Fine Together (Gullin) 3:43   4. The Black Rose (Gullin) 2:53   5. Merlin (Gullin) 3:10   6. For F.J. Fans Only (Gullin) 4:03   7. Nightshade (Gullin) 3:14   8. Darn That Dream(Van Heusen-DeLange) 3:18   9. Without a Chance (Gullin) 2:47   10. I Love You (Porter) 2:58   11. Birks’ Works (Gillespie) 2:46   12. Darn That Dream [Alternate version] (Van Heusen-DeLange) 5:57   13. Don’t Get Scared (Hendricks) 4:00   14. The Yellow Leaves’ Love to the Earth (Lars Gullin) 5:14   15. Blue Mail (Gullin) 3:45   16. Baritonome Take 1 (Gullin) 3:19   17. Stockholm Street (Gullin) 4:11   18. Our Knob (Aka The Knob) (Gullin) 3:52

Original sources CD 1:
Tracks #1 & 2, from the 7" EP “Lars Gullin Octet” (Metronome MEP 196)
Tracks #3 & 4, from the 7" EP “Lars Gullin Septet” (Metronome MEP 197)
Tracks #5 & 6, from the 7" EP “Lars Gullin Quartet” (Metronome MEP 198)
Tracks #7 & 8, from the 7" EP “Lars Gullin Quartet” (Metronome MEP 199)
Tracks #9 & 10, from the 7" EP “Lars Gullin Quintet” (Metronome MEP 202)
Tracks #11 & 12, from the 7" EP “Lars Gullin with Gösta Theselius & His Orchestra” (Metronome MEP 200)
Tracks #13 & 14, from the 7" EP “Lars Gullin with Gösta Theselius & His Orchestra” (Metronome MEP 201)

Original sources CD 2:
Tracks #1 & 2, from the 7" EP “Lars Gullin Sextet” (Metronome MEP 203)
Tracks #3 & 4, from the 7" EP “Lars Gullin Sextet” (Metronome MEP 204)
Tracks #5-7, from the album “The Great Lars Gullin, Vol.1 - 1955-1956” (Dragon DRLP 36)
Tracks #8 & 9, from the 7" EP “Gullin-Billberg Quintet” (Sonet SXP 2002)
Tracks #10-13, from the album “Lars Gullin-Åke Persson” (Philips P08202L)
Track #14, from the 7" EP “Session at Midnignt” (Sonet SXP 2501)

Original sources CD 3:
Tracks #1-3, from the album “Lars Gullin–Ake Persson” (Philips P08202L)
Tracks #4,5 & 7-13, from the album “The Artistry of Lars Gullin” (Sonet SLP1)
Tracks #6 & 14-16, from the album “Fine Together” (Sonet SLPD 2542)

Original sources CD 4:
Track #1, from the album “The Artistry of Lars Gullin” (Sonet SLP1)
Track #2, from the 7” EP “Lars Gullin Play” (Sonet SXP 2519)
Tracks #3-6, from the 7" EP “Fine Together-The Lars Gullin Octet” (Artist AEP 1025)
Track #7, from the album “The Great Lars Gullin, Vol.4 - 1959-1960” (Dragon DRLP 156)
Tracks #8-11, from the 7" EP “Lars Gullin” (Artist AEP 1059)
Tracks #12 & 13, from the “Lars Gullin, Vol.4 -Stockholm Street 1959/60” (Dragon DRCD 264)
Tracks #14-16, from the 7" EP “Blue Mail-Lars Gullin Octet” (Artist AEP 1075)
Tracks #17 & 18, from the 7" EP “Lars Gullin” (Jöns 6010)

Personnel on CD 1

Tracks #1-4: Lars Gullin Octet & Septet
Georg Vernon, trombone; Arne Domnérus, clarinet, alto sax; Carl-Henrik Norin, tenor sax; Lars Gullin, Rune Falk (except on #3 & 4), baritone saxes; Rune Öfwermann, piano; Georg Riedel, bass; Nils-Bertil Dahlander, drums.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, April 23, 1956

Tracks #5-8: Lars Gullin Quartet
Lars Gullin, baritone sax; Rune Öfwermann, piano; Bengt Carlsson, bass; Nils-Bertil Dahlander, drums.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, April 24, 1956

Tracks #9-10: Lars Gullin Quintet
Åke Persson, trombone; Lars Gullin, baritone sax; Rune Öfwermann, piano; Georg Riedel, bass; Nils-Bertil Dahlander, drums.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, April 25, 1956

Tracks #11-14:
Lars Gullin with Gösta Theselius and His Orchestra
Weine Renliden, Bengt-Arne Wallin, Jan Allan, Nils Skoog, trumpets; Åke Persson, Georg Vernon, Göran Ohlsson, trombones; Arne Domnérus, alto sax; Rolf Blomquist, Carl-Henrik Norin, tenor saxes; Lars Gullin, Rune Falk, baritone saxes; Rune Öfwermann, piano; Georg Riedel, bass; Nils-Bertil Dahlander, drums. Gösta Theselius, conductor & arranger.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, April 25, 1956

Personnel on CD 2

Tracks #1-4: Lars Gullin Sextet
Åke Persson, trombone; Arne Domnérus, alto sax; Lars Gullin, baritone sax; Rune Öfwermann, piano; Georg Riedel, bass; Nils-Bertil Dahlander, drums.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, April 26, 1956

Tracks #5-7: Lars Gullin Octet
Göran Ohlsson, trombone; Arne Domnérus, clarinet, alto sax; Bjarne Nerem, tenor sax; Lars Gullin, Lennart Jansson, baritone saxes; Gunnar Svensson, piano; Georg Riedel, bass; Egil Johansen, drums.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, May 31, 1956

Tracks #8-9: Gullin-Billberg Quintet
Rolf Billberg, tenor sax; Lars Gullin, baritone sax; Poul Godske, piano; Poul Gregersen, bass; William Schiöppfe, drums.
Recorded in Copenhagen, Denmark, September 1956

Tracks #10-11: Lars Gullin-Åke Persson Quintet
Åke Persson, trombone; Lars Gullin, baritone sax; Claes-Göran Fagerstedt, piano; Bengt Carlsson, bass; Nils-Bertil Dahlander, drums. Gösta Theselius, conductor & arranger.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, Jan. 14 & 15, 1957

Tracks #12-13: Lars Gullin Quartet
Lars Gullin, baritone sax; Rune Öfwermann, piano; Bengt Carlsson, bass; Nils-Bertil Dahlander, drums.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, January 18, 1957

Track #14 [Bonus track]: Lars Gullin Quartet
Lars Gullin, baritone sax & piano; Rune Gustafsson, guitar; Sture Nordin, bass; Robert Edman, drums.
Recorded live in Bollmora, Sweden, spring 1956

Personnel on CD 3

Tracks #1-3: Lars Gullin Quartet
Lars Gullin, baritone sax; Claes-Göran Fagerstedt, piano; Torbjörn Hultcrantz, bass; Sune Spångberg, drums.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, March 4, 1957

Tracks #4-7: Lars Gullin Quartet
Lars Gullin, baritone sax; Claes-Göran Fagerstedt, piano; Torbjörn Hultcrantz, bass; Sune Spångberg, drums; Gana M’Bow, bongo added on #7.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, January 21, 1958

Tracks #8-9: Lars Gullin Orkester
Jan Allan (#9) trumpet; Arnold Johansson, valve-trombone; Rolf Billberg, alto sax; Lars Gullin, Rune Falk (#9), baritone sax; Lars Bagge, piano; Lars “Lasse” Pettersson, bass; Sune Spångberg, drums.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, March 26, 1958

Tracks #10-11: Lars Gullin Quintet
Jan Allan, trumpet; Lars Gullin, baritone sax; Rune Gustafsson, guitar; Claes Lindroth, bass; Sune Spångberg, drums.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, April 11 (#10) and 16 (#11), 1958

Tracks #12-16: Lars Gullin Trio
Lars Gullin, baritone sax; Rune Gustafsson, guitar; Claes Lindroth, bass.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, April 16, 1958

Personnel on CD 4

Tracks #1-2: Gullin-Billberg Duo
Rolf Billberg, alto sax; Lars Gullin, baritone sax.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, May 22, 1958

Tracks #3-6: Lars Gullin Octet
Bengt-Arne Wallin, trumpet; Georg Vernon, trombone (except on #6); Rolf Billberg, alto sax; Harry Bäcklund, tenor sax; Lars Gullin, baritone sax; Lars Bagge, piano; Lars “Lasse” Pettersson, bass; Sture Kallin, drums.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, January 28, 1959

Track #7: Lars Gullin Octet
Bengt-Arne Wallin, trumpet; prob. Andreas Skjold, trombone; Rolf Billberg, alto sax; Harry Bäcklund, tenor sax; Lars Gullin, baritone sax; Lars Bagge, piano; Claes Lindroth, bass; Sture Kallin, drums.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, January 24, 1960

Tracks #8-13: Lars Gullin Quartet
Lars Gullin, baritone sax; Lars Bagge, piano; Claes Lindroth, bass; Sture Kallin, drums. Rolf Billberg, alto sax (added on #11).
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, January, 1960

Tracks #14-16: Lars Gullin Octet
Bengt-Arne Wallin, trumpet; Andreas Skjold, trombone; Rolf Billberg, alto sax; Harry Bäcklund, tenor sax; Lars Gullin, baritone sax; Lars Bagge, piano; Claes Lindroth, bass; Bo Skoglund, drums.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, February 17, 1960

Tracks #17-18: Lars Gullin-Putte Wickmann Septet
Eje Thelin, trombone; Putte Wickmann, clarinet; Harry Bäcklund, tenor sax; Lars Gullin, baritone sax; Rune Larsson, guitar; Erik Lundborg, bass; Robert Edman, drums.
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, Sept. 2, 1960

Recordings produced by Anders Burman, Lars Burman and Börje Ekberg (Metronome), Arne Widegren and Bengt Bernhag (Philips) and Gunnar Bergström (Sonet)

This 4-CD set produced by Jordi Pujol
Liner notes by Ray Comiskey