LARS DANIELSSON SOLO

Nordic jazz legend Lars Danielsson returns to Paliesius Manor—this time with a solo program you won’t hear anywhere else! In the Pasaga Concert Hall, the jazz star will play both double bass and cello. It is a rare opportunity to meet the Swedish musician and experience his extraordinary sound.

Danish double bass legend Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen left the world not only an impressive jazz legacy—he also inspired a modern-day jazz legend. When a young Swedish musician named Lars Danielsson first heard Pedersen in concert, he was so captivated that he decided to take up jazz and the double bass. Born in Gothenburg in 1958, Danielsson had been studying classical cello at his hometown conservatory. Fortunately, he chose not to abandon his cello studies, instead weaving them seamlessly into his musical life. Not only does he always include the cello in his repertoire, but his double bass playing stands out as uniquely melodic, gentle, and lyrical compared to his peers.

It was these exceptional qualities that soon made him highly sought-after internationally as an accompanist. Back in the 1980s, he worked with Swedish and European luminaries such as Lars Jansson, Hans Ulrik, Carsten Dahl, Nils Landgren, Christopher Dell, Johannes Enders, and Trilok Gurtu (remaining a long-time member of the latter’s band). He also shared the stage with American stars like saxophonists Rick Margitza and Charles Lloyd, the Brecker Brothers, drummers Terri Lyne Carrington, Jack DeJohnette, and Billy Hart, as well as guitarists John Scofield, Mike Stern, and John Abercrombie. Yet the role of accompanist was never quite enough for Danielsson. Always possessing a strong composer’s instinct, he is now one of the relatively few double bassists to emerge as a significant bandleader.

For nearly two decades, Danielsson’s ultimate vehicle for musical expression was his own all-star quartet, featuring American saxophonist David Liebman (who had previously played with Miles Davis), Swedish pianist Bobo Stenson, and Norwegian drummer Jon Christensen. Stenson and Christensen are both pioneers of the “Nordic sound”—a distinct blend of jazz and the Scandinavian ethos—as well as long-standing artists for the ECM record label. Four quartet albums released under Danielsson’s name, along with six more featuring special guests, cemented his reputation as one of Europe’s premier jazz musicians, garnering not only enthusiastic reviews but also numerous awards. This ensemble also laid the groundwork for his ever-expanding creative endeavors as a composer, arranger, and producer. In these three roles, Danielsson has collaborated with the Danish Radio Concert Orchestra, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, the NDR Bigband, the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, and the JazzBaltica Ensemble, as well as with drummer Jonas Johansen and singers Viktoria Tolstoy and Cæcilie Norby—the latter being his wife, with whom he frequently shares the stage.

Over the years, Lars Danielsson has continually broadened his musical horizons and the stylistic scope of his projects. His debut on the ACT label, the 2004 album “Libera Me”, proved him a master of orchestral jazz. Released two years later, “Mélange Bleu” surprised listeners with a modern, meticulously crafted electronic framework that complemented his expansive, sonically daring, and rich compositions. With his 2007 release “Pasodoble”, a collaboration with Polish pianist Leszek Możdżer, he crafted a breathtaking sonic manifesto bridging jazz and classical music, to widespread critical acclaim. On “Tarantella” in 2009, continuing his partnership with Możdżer, these musical ideas were transposed into the intimate context of a chamber jazz ensemble. All of these albums—and his subsequent releases—have achieved gold or platinum status, while his self-initiated orchestral project “Blauklang”, co-conducted with Vince Mendoza, earned a Grammy nomination.

In a sense, Danielsson discovered the true essence of his myriad forms of expression in 2012, finding the perfect name for this quintessence: “Liberetto”. This newly coined word “describes a certain mood with which I want to develop my music,” he explains. “The ideas and threads from my earlier albums are carried forward here—both linguistically and as a reference to classical music.” On “Liberetto”, which features Armenian pianist Tigran, “e.s.t.” drummer Magnus Öström, British guitarist John Parricelli, and trumpeter Arve Henriksen, a new equilibrium was struck between jazz, classical music, pop, and European folk traditions, unlocking an entirely new dimension of compositional process and dramaturgy in jazz. The project proved so successful that it continues to this day: following “Liberetto II”, recorded in close duet collaboration with Tigran, and “Liberetto III”, featuring the aforementioned quartet, a new and distinct shade emerged. Alongside Martinique pianist Grégory Privat, Danielsson presented a symphonic iteration of the concept and its dedicated compositions at the Leopolis Jazz Fest. A recording of this monumental project will also be released in the near future.

Naturally, Danielsson still finds time for other captivating projects: he performs in the unique concert series “Jazz at the Berlin Philharmonic” and works in a duet with Sardinian trumpeter Paolo Fresu, one of the most profoundly lyrical trumpeters of all time. Their collaborative album “Summerwind” reveals once more just what makes Danielsson so extraordinary: his technical mastery, an endlessly vibrant musical imagination, and a nearly telepathic connection with his fellow musicians.