Back to the Jan Wallgren: Club Jazz 9 1973, Love Chant 1977, and Ballade an Der Ruhr 1980

We encountered the Swedish jazz series in connection with jazz musician and composer Eje Thelin.  As well, the 1973 album from Wallgren called Steel Bend Rock I posted 'Sometime ago' as Chick would say.

The first side of Club Jazz 9 features the full band of the Wallgrens Orkester led of course by keyboardist Jan Wallgren, and the compositions all run into each other forming a nice 20-minute long suite.  For those like me who have become long on experience but short on attention this is a waste following the first 1 or 2 minutes, so I chopped it up where I could at the intermissions, of which there are two, called Mellanspels.  Then I went back and recorded an excerpt from the best composition called Love Chant:





Notice the strong Charlie Mingus influence here, with the minor chord progression, the bowed playing of the bass, even the title of the song, and by the time you get to the end you will hear many more resemblances provided you know your Mingus.  The ending too is stunning, going on for more than a minute with chord after crashing chord.  Sadly it then runs on into the next solo piano intermission, which mars the dramatic effect somewhat.  No long improvisations a la Nordjazz Quintet.  Altogether, a very strong first side.

Side b is completely forgettable dixieland jazz from the Ove Linds Sextett a style which child molester Woody Allen was fluent at, but which I've mentioned before I absolutely abhor and have to turn off within seconds.

Side A recorded at Radiohusets Studio 4, Stockholm, January 9, 1973.
Side B recorded at Radiohusets Studio 4, Stockholm, February 6, 1973.

Subsequently I was surprised to see Wallgren recycled all this material for a 1977 release appropriately enough called Love Chant but played by himself on acoustic piano accompanied by bass and drums.  This is not entirely successful in my view, especially on head to head comparison with the orchestra, but you can decide for yourself.

The 1980 album is almost purely improvised acoustic contemporary jazz and not too interesting for me, I just threw it in because I had it.

Wow!! look at the hirsute guy, bottom right!!!
That stuff is just priceless...