European Swing: Lobel, Nergaard, Wrobel, Amstedt & Lund

Message

Ron · #1 Post by **Ron** » Sat Apr 10, 2004 12:44 pm

I just traded some songs with Bernard from Toulouse. Did you all know that the number one spot in France for Lindy is Toulouse? Anyway, I got some great songs by Scandanavia and other European artists. Some of this may be obscure, but tight jazz playing is clearly not limited to the American continent. It's one thing to get a cool song by Carmen McRae that you've never heard before, but it's even cooler to get great new songs by artists whose name you can't even pronounce. I may have to pick some of these artists albums up. The sound quality on all tracks is excellent, by the way, and there is nothing amateur sounding about any of it.

I already have Jennie Lobel CDs, but I was reminded again how great she is. Anyone who doesn't have her should pick her up. She has a great version of "Moten Swing" (151 BPM), "Love Me Or Leave Me" (127 BPM), "Sugar" (124 BPM), "He Ain't Got Rhythm" (177 BPM).

I got a song by Silje Nergaard that I love called "Me Oh My" (145 BPM). Love her voice! Her CDs look to be pretty expensive (imports), and they may contain mostly ballads. Anyone have her?

I got this song "Scottie" (134 BPM) by Amstedt & Lund which is a great little instrumental. Anyone have any info on them?

I also got a couple great songs by Engelbert Wrobel. He may be German. I have a great version of "9:20 Special" and a song called "El Salon De Gutbucket", a lovely blues pattern based jazz instrumental with great jazz guitar playing.

Ron · #2 Post by **Ron** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 11:52 am

I thought Patrik would jump in here for sure.

LazyP · #3 Post by **LazyP** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 1:05 am

Been away for eastern... so no jumpin' in until now.

Yeah, Jennie Lobel's latest cd is great (though don't get her old one, even she herself is not happy with it)

Silje Nergaard is a norwegian singer. And yes, she does mostly ballads and non swingin jazz. I've only found two good songs of her for lindy hop. Not worth buying for djing with but definitely great jazz for listening. If you like her check out swedish singer Victoria Tolstoy, similar style but different...

The other artists you mention I've never heard of.

Other European stuff to look out for:

Gunhild Carling - Has so far released two albums with different bands, both with great swingin jazz. Buy it at shop.heptown.com

HepCat Daddies - funky swingin jazz, a little neoish but performed by proffesional jazz musicians, which makes all the difference. Buy it at shop.heptown.com

Leonard Pedersen's Jazzkapell - great danish big band swingin jazz

Alice Babs - Swedish singer who has recorded from the 40's to today. Lots of swing throughout the years

Arne Domnerus - Swedish jazz great. Has recorded with many greats including Ellington. Has played since the 50s if I remember correctly. Lots of swing but also lots of other jazz.

Monday night big band - Swedish big band playing swingin jazz but also other stuff. If I ever could afford them I'd hire them for a swing dance. But 20 proffessional jazz musicians ain't cheap. Have among other places played at Carnegie Hall, NYC.

hmmm... that's all I remember right away. More to come another day. Btw if anyone want to know about european jump blues bands let me know. There are lots of them...

And then there are lots of bands who are very hard to find recordings of, but are great to hear live.

LindyChef · #4 Post by **LindyChef** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 10:38 am

Jennie Lobel is actually an artist I've been meaning to get some CDs of ... these posts actually got me off my butt to go to her site, but lo and behold they don't sell their CDs via the web or phone or email. Besides seeing them in person, does anyone know how to purchase copies of their albums?

Ron · #5 Post by **Ron** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 11:07 am

The last info I had was to contact her via email:
jennie@lobel.nu

#6 Post by **JesseMiner** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 11:07 am

LindyChef wrote:Jennie Lobel is actually an artist I've been meaning to get some CDs of ... these posts actually got me off my butt to go to her site, but lo and behold they don't sell their CDs via the web or phone or email. Besides seeing them in person, does anyone know how to purchase copies of their albums?

It looks like you can get her latest album, He Ain't Got Rhythm, from the site Patrik mentions above. This is a great album, and I definitely recommend it, though I also enjoy many songs from her previous album as well. In the past I have played "A little Bit Later On", Love Me Or Leave Me", "Moten Swing" and "Cow Cow Boogie" from "He Ain't Got Rhythm" and "Did You Mean It?", "Now They Call It Swing", "9:20 Special", "Hit That Jive Jack" and "Mean To Me" from her self-titled album. Yes, I dig both albums.

I'd also second the recommendation for Gunhild Carling & her swing band. She swings hard! I have one of her albums, That's My Desire, and I play "Do The Hucklebuck" and "They All Laughed" (several people have come up and asked if it is Bjork singing on this one).

Jesse

LindyChef · #7 Post by **LindyChef** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 10:13 pm

Thanks for the info. I got a reply from Jennie today. If anyone else is interested in directly purchasing CDs from Jennie, here's the info:

Jennie Lobel wrote: Hello Martin

I regurlarly send cds all over the world. Our system is old fashioned: send cash money, 20 dollars for each copy, to

Jennie Löbel
Mörtvikskroken 13
117 69 Stockholm
Sweden

Don´t forget to give me your adress.

/Jennie Löbel

LazyP · #8 Post by **LazyP** » Wed Apr 14, 2004 2:33 am

Ok, here comes a second round...
links go to http://shop.heptown.com

Great swingin' jazz in italian
Billy Bros. Jumpin' Orchestra - Swing Italiano

Classic swing in swedish/english. Good but not great. I dj from it on occassions but not regularly.
Swing After Work - Love Street Summit

Django Reinhardt meets Dick Dale with gypsy jazz influences, or something like that. Trio with two guitars and double bass. Awesome jazz to listen to but the hidden track 12 is awesome swing music.
Swing Of Sahara - Nothing Toulouse

And if you like Louis Prima you should definitely check out all albums by english Ray Gelato and french Les Gigolos. Great music.

Then you can find some french stuff at http://mtamusic.free.fr/ . MTA is a small french label that releases swing music. Somehow associated with lindy hop teachers Bruno and Veronique I believe

LazyP · #9 Post by **LazyP** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 1:41 am

Heard on Yehoodi radio - French artists: Sanseverino, and Serge Gainsbourg
I guess this weeks guest DJ, Olivier, would know much more about French swing music though

russell · #10 Post by **russell** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 9:00 pm

Engelbert Wrobel has a website and if I understand the German (sic) correctly his CDs are available from it.

http://www.engelbertwrobel.de/discographie.htm

He is on the Dan Barrett cd "Harlem 2000" on the German Nagel Hayer Records label which I picked up via Amazon. I like the stuff on there and quite danceable. Steven Mitchell used some of it at our Lismore camp earlier this year.
Dan Barrett has another CD which features the same German pianist Chris Hopkins who is on the other CD. It also features the Australian trombonist Tom Baker on it as well. It is called "International Swing Party" - again on the Nagel Hayer label and recorded live in Hamburg. Again also very danceable.
Tom Baker aside - was born in California but musical career begun in Australia. Died tragically at age 49 in 2001. His son is Sydney based and a very good pianist whose CDs are also worth checking out.

Yakov · #11 Post by **Yakov** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 2:47 am

Hey Mister Jesse's latest podcast spotlighted Engelbert Wrobel. His music is now easily available in America in MP3 format, and a bit less accessible in physical format but you can still get it.

Jesse recommended
-Sophisticated Swing
-Harlem 2000
-Three Tenors of Swing

I haven't copped yet but the online samples sound excellent.