[CE34]

Blue Blue

Berger Knutsson Spering

After 19 years, Berger Knutsson Spering found a fourth member and its Max Schultz!

Drummer Bengt Berger, saxophonist Jonas Knutsson and bass player Christian Spering formed the Berger Knutsson Spering trio in 1996, a trio that has six cd albums to its credit, has performed everywhere, was voted Swedish jazz group of the year more than ten years back and is still growing.

We have collaborated with classical musicians, authors and played with a lot of guest musicians but there is one that over the years has become a favorite of ours, guitarist Max Schultz. Max also happens to be the most loved guitar player in Sweden by listeners as well as among fellow musicians. So having played with Max on a number of occasions, when we decided to do this album we wanted Max as a star guest and invited him to become a member of the group.

The trio has done some live albums but now we wanted to make a real studio album and since we wanted the best, Janne Hansson at Atlantic Studios was the obvious choice. So in two days in May 2015 we recorded 12 pieces composed by all the members of the quartet, and, with the wonderful atmosphere within the band and in the studio, they are all first takes.

So here it is: Blue Blue with Berger Knutsson Spering Schultz!

This Country & Eastern album (CE34) was released on September 9, 2015.

Berger Knutsson Spering Schultz played three release concerts:
September 10 at Jazz i Umeå in Umeå
September 11 at Pygméteatern in Stockholm (corrected)
September 12 at HiJazz in Uppsala (corrected)

During October the trio toured India for two weeks of concerts during the centenary celebrations for tabla maestro Pandith Taranath (who was Bengt Berger’s guru). You will find a beautiful video from one of our concerts, this one in Anandashram in Karnataka. You find it at our artist page.

Two swedish reviews came on the release date itself:
4/5 in DN and 4/5 in UNT
A few quotes from a some of the many positive reviews:
“En komplett grupp som bara växer vid varje genomspelning” Thord Ehnberg, DIG
From Finland:
“Blue Blue är ett gott exempel på hur bra det går att blanda vitt skilda ingredienser i jazz utan att konstformens karaktär lider”, Jan-Erik Holmberg, Hufvudstadsbladet, Helsingfors.
From Norway: “Bengt Berger sammen med Christian Spering, Max Schultz og Jonas Knutsson – strålende fra broderfolket” – Tor Hammerø
Here are two incredible english reviews, one by Raul da Gama and one by Michael Tucker in Jazz Journal:
160100_BlueBlueJazzJournal


tracks

  1. Frankly (5.00)
  2. Beyond (4.21)
  3. My Sequence (5.31)
  4. Kim's Corner (4.02)
  5. Old and New Blues (3.28)
  6. Tar Shehnai (4.56)
  7. Maximum (3.22)
  8. Babylon (6.23)
  9. Blue Blue (5.43)
  10. Motsols (4.50)
  11. La Rana Cansada (5.06)
  12. Max Gura (4.27)

more info

Bengt Berger, drums
Jonas Knutsson, saxophones
Christian Spering, bass, tar shehnai
Max Schultz, electric/nylon/steel string guitars, mandolin

Release date september 9, 2015
Recorded on May 14-15 and mixed on June  15-16 by Janne Hansson at Atlantis Studios, Stockholm
Mastered by Claes Persson, CRP
Photos by Viktor Gårdsäter
Graphic design by Jon Edergren, Spektra.