He is a world-class soloist and artist with heart and soul: Nils Landgren.
Jazz and church music shaped his childhood. As cornetist, Nils Landgren's father brought US jazz into the house. The traditional Swedish chorales and songs came from his grandfather, who was a preacher. Nils Landgren was born in 1956. He began playing drums at the age of six. At 13 he layed his hands and lips on the trombone and was hooked for life.
Between 1972 and 1978 Nils studied classical trombone at the music college in Karlstad with David Maytan and at the university in Arvika with Ingemar Roos. During this time he also met the legendary Swedish Folk-Jazz pioneer Bengt-Arne Wallin and the fantastic tromboneplayer and proffessor of the Graz Conservatory in Austria, Eje Thelin. These two men completely changed the way for Nils to go; from a strict classical player to an improviser with his own idea of what to play and why. After his graduation Nils moved to Stockholm to work as a professional tromboneplayer. First the life of a struggling jazz musician, making no money but gaining loads of experience. Then the call that totally changed his life: an offer to go on tour with Sweden's most successful pop star of that time Björn Skifs who at that time was at #1 in the US pop charts with "Hooked on a feeling". The money was ok, the vibes were cool and the band was simply great! Ever since that time Nils Landgren has been involved in a variety of music styles and projects. These include jazz, rock, soul, hip hop, big band’s, studio sessions, and by his own reckoning, at least 500 albums. Mostly, for natural reasons with Swedish artists but also with such internationals stars as ABBA, The Crusaders, Eddie Harris, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie and Herbie Hancock. Nils even plays on the first Wyclef Jean solo album, titled "Carnival".
In 1981 Thad Jones invited the Swede into his new Bigband project "Ball of Fire", to take the lead-trombone chair. The band was built up around such great musicians as Jerome Richardson, Jerry Dodgion, Tim Hagans, Bobby Burgess, Roger Kellaway, Sahib Shihab, Dusko Goykovich, and Benny. "A fantastic band, sad that it did not work out in the end", Nils says about that expreience. Two years later Nils debut album "Planet Rock" was released, followed by "Streetfighter" in 1984, "You are my Nr 1" in 1985, "Miles from Duke" with Bengt-Arne Wallin in 1987, "Chapter Two 1", in 1987, "Chapter Two 2" and "Follow your heart" in 1989. Between 1985 and 1987 Nils also performed as actor, singer, trombonist, and dancer in over 360 performances of the Swedish "play of the year", SKAEL, as well as appearing in several TV-films as an actor.
1992 saw the first performances and recording of the Nils Landgren Unit; the recording was called "Red Horn", and was mixed by the legendary sound engineer Bruce Swedien. (re-release 2001 as "The First Unit", ACT 9292-2). That same summer the band performed at the "Playboy Jazzfestival" in Los Angeles, hosted by the great Bill Cosby. The final breakthrough outside of Scandinavia came first in 1994: it was at the Jazz Baltica Festival in Germany that the "Unit" became the "Funk Unit". The album "Live in Stockholm" (ACT 9223-2) with guest star Maceo Parker was released that year and was the foundation for the collaboration with Siegfried Loch and his young ACT label.
Angels of Fortune
Nils Landgren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It will live and greet ya with magic
Come leave me tonight
Give me a strong hand
That pitched under weed
Give me a foam and
That shines to my feet
If the rain comes
Got himself good luck
Knock on my door
When another amulets broken
All pearls on the floor
Give me a strong horse
That kicks in the dust
Grant me the power
To gain what I've lost
If the rain comes
Ancient spirits
Appearing through the haze
A ghost, a shade, a more familiar face
See how they vanished
In the blink of the night
See how they're smiling
A face we all cry for love
Angles of fortune
Angles of fortune
Angles of fortune
Leave me tonight
The lyrics of Nils Landgren's song "Angels of Fortune" touch upon the theme of seeking help from higher powers in times of desperation. The singer asks for the angels of fortune to come and stay by his side, believing that they possess magical power. The singer pleads for a strong hand that can handle the tough times and the strength to regain what he has lost, whether it's wealth, love, or peace.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Angels of fortune, leave me tonight," suggesting that the singer wishes to be alone with his thoughts and emotions. The last verse talks about ancient spirits that appear through the haze, possibly hinting at traditions of seeking guidance from ancestors or other supernatural beings. The phrase "a face we all cry for love" stands out as a poignant reminder of the universal longing for connection and support.
Overall, the song conveys a message of hope and faith in something beyond oneself. It suggests that we can reach out to the angels of fortune or other spirits to find strength and guidance in our difficult moments.
Line by Line Meaning
Angels of fortune stay by my side
I rely on my luck to succeed in life and want it to stick around.
It will live and greet ya with magic
This good luck has the ability to bring positivity and enchantment.
Come leave me tonight
I want to be alone tonight.
Give me a strong hand
I need a forceful helper to tackle my problems.
That pitched under weed
This helper should be able to pitch in even during difficult times.
Give me a foam and
I want something bright and shining to uplift my spirit.
That shines to my feet
This brightness should bring light to my path.
If the rain comes
I need my luck to hold up even when things get tough.
Got himself good luck
Someone has been blessed with a lot of luck.
Knock on my door
This lucky person will come knocking on my door.
When another amulets broken
This luck comes in to replace another talisman that has run out of luck.
All pearls on the floor
This new luck makes all other good things in life happen.
Give me a strong horse
I need strength and resilience to face my obstacles.
That kicks in the dust
This resilience should be able to kick up dust and move ahead when the going gets tough.
Grant me the power
I need the ability and the authority to achieve my goals.
To gain what I've lost
This power should help me to regain what I have lost in life.
Ancient spirits
There are some divine spirits from the past who may help you out in life.
Appearing through the haze
These spirits may appear in a mystical and unclear manner.
A ghost, a shade, a more familiar face
These divine spirits may look somewhat familiar yet transcend human form.
See how they vanished
These spirits are likely to disappear mysteriously with effects beyond our understanding.
In the blink of the night
Their appearance and disappearance may occur in an incredibly brief yet magnificent way.
See how they're smiling
These spirits may also have a positive attitude towards life, and seek the same attitude in you.
A face we all cry for love
You may have some feelings of love and longing on seeing these spirits.
Angles of fortune
These divine spirits are likely to bring good fortune into your life.
Leave me tonight
I want to drift off into the night, into another reality, perhaps to my dreams and more.
Contributed by Brody T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.