Lars Erstrand Quartet feat. Kjell Öhman – Dream Dancing (Vinil 180g, LP)

When Lars Erstrand entered the recording studio in Jakobsberg, a suburb of Stockholm, on February 22, 1991, he already had an impressive jazz career behind him: with over 60 releases, both as a leader and as a sideman, the vibraphonist had earned an excellent reputation far beyond the borders of Scandinavia. In addition, he has a deep friendship with Jan-Eric Persson, for whose label Opus 3 Records he had already recorded various productions since 1979. The fact that “Dream Dancing” was to become one of the most successful releases to date for both Lars Erstrand and Opus 3 was mainly due to the inspiring line-up of the quartet: In addition to the fantastic rhythm section featuring Jonny Johnson on bass and Scandinavian drumming legend Leif “Gus” Dahlberg, it is once again Kjell Öhman who impresses with his characteristic phrasing and original Hammond B-3 sound. As the quasi second leader, he leaves an incomparable mark on these recordings and creates magical moments! Jan-Eric Persson succeeds in capturing the spirit and atmosphere in the studio with his usual minimalist technical effort in a radiantly sparkling, naturalistic soundscape: opulent colors, sensual sound, wonderfully relaxed music!

The LP (180-gram vinyl, 33 RPM), which boasts outstanding sound quality, was pressed by Optimal Media. Andreas “Lupo” Lubich (Calyx Mastering, Berlin) is responsible for the lacquer disc cutting.

MUSICIANS

Lars Erstrand: vibraphone
Kjell Öhman: Hammond B-3 organ
Jonny Johnson: bass
Leif „Gus“ Dahlberg: drums

Opus 3 is an independent Swedish music label dedicated to recording timeless acoustic music such as jazz, blues, folk and classical. Founded in late 1976 by sound engineer Jan-Eric Persson, the label has made it its mission to reproduce voices and instruments as naturally as possible. To achieve this, Opus 3 selects recording environments with good natural. The label’s recording techniques were developed specifically for acoustic music and were originally based on the use of tube gear and “Blumlein” miking. In 2001, Opus 3 switched to digital eight-track technology and later to 16 channels – in the brand-new mixing and mastering studio designed and set up by Sweden’s leading acoustic engineer Lennart Nilsson to mark the label’s 30th anniversary. Apart from a few digital intermediate steps all processing is still done exclusively analog.

We recommend the use of „L’Art du Son” LP cleaner to wet wash your vinyl. Even new records of high quality production will benefit from this.

Lista pieselor

Side A
1. A Beautiful Friendship
2. Dream Dancing
3. East Of The Sun
4  Sweet Georgia Brown
5. Manha De Carnival

Side B
1. One For The Woofer
2. In A Mellow Tone
3. Old Folks