The four musicians are well-established protagonists of the European jazz scene. The songs are not only vehicles for improvisations, but also captivate with original themes. Despite its enthusiasm for freedom, also a heart for tradition.
You might think that Free Swing is a fitting name for a jazz quartet, but there is actually more to it in the case of this international band of four; the two words are composed of the internationally customary abbreviations of the countries of origin of the protagonists: Trumpeter Axel Schlosser comes from Germany (GER), tenor saxophonist Karl-Martin Almqvist and bassist Mattias Welin from Sweden (SWE) and drummer Jaska Lukkarinen from Finland (FIN). Of course, Free Swing also stands for the music of the quartet: "We play music that swings," Axel Schlosser put it in a nutshell, "but it is very freely designed.” The four musicians came together on long, winding paths. “I know Karl-Martin from the JazzBaltica-Ensemble, and I met Jaska on a tour with the EBU big band,” Axel Schlosser recounted. "We also met again and again by chance, in Stockholm and elsewhere, and at some point the two of them told me about their band with Mattias, for which they were looking for a fourth musician. That's how I joined them, and we went on tour in Sweden for the first time. Most of the recordings of the album were made during our first meeting.”
1. Zeil (06:47)
2. Opus 10, Nr. 4 (03:46)
3. Have You Met Mr. Jones? (05:52)
4. Bunky Bunk (06:53)
5. Near Birches, Birds and Bees (06:04)
6. Countdown 1234 (05:26)
7. Saiam (06:04)
8. Keep It Simple (04:45)
9. Yellow & Orange (04:47)
10. Welin In Acapulco (04:49)
11. If There is No Blues... (06:45)