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.
Fragile
Nils Landgren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drying in the colour of the evening sun
Tomorrow's rain will wash the stains away
But something in our minds will always stay
Perhaps this final act was meant
To clinch a lifetime's argument
That nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could
For all those born beneath an angry star
On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are
On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are
How fragile we are how fragile we are
The lyrics to Nils Landgren's song Fragile are a poignant reflection on the fragility of human life and the futility of violence. The first stanza describes the aftermath of violence, with blood drying in the color of the evening sun, and the hope that tomorrow's rain will wash away the stains. However, the second half of the stanza provides a deeper commentary on the lasting impact of violence on the human psyche. Even when the physical evidence is gone, the memory of the violence remains in our minds.
The second stanza offers an interpretation of the violence itself. The final act of violence was perhaps meant to clinch a lifetime's argument, but the lyrics suggest that no good can come from violence. The final lines of the stanza underscore this point, with Landgren singing that "nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could." The song's chorus echoes this sentiment with the repetition of the phrase "how fragile we are," a reminder that life is precious and easily destroyed.
The song's verses and chorus are supported by minimalist instrumentation, with Landgren's mournful trombone providing the main melody. The lyrics are reinforced by the simplicity of the music, which allows the message of the song to take center stage.
Line by Line Meaning
If blood will flow when flesh and steel are one
Even if we try to mix flesh and steel, it will cause harm and bloodshed.
Drying in the colour of the evening sun
As we continue to hurt each other, the result will be the loss of life and blood, which will dry and leave stains on the ground resembling the color of the setting sun.
Tomorrow's rain will wash the stains away
Even though the stains caused by bloodshed will eventually disappear through the passage of time, they will always leave an emotional imprint on our minds.
But something in our minds will always stay
The memories of the violence and brutality we have experienced will remain forever etched in our minds.
Perhaps this final act was meant
The violence and harm we inflict upon each other may be the final testament of our existence on this earth.
To clinch a lifetime's argument
Our lifetime argument may have ended with violence, loss, and suffering, which will forever impact the way we perceive the world.
That nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could
Violence and harm will only lead to the loss of life and emotional turmoils, and it has never brought forth any positive outcomes.
For all those born beneath an angry star
For those of us born into a world where violence and turmoil are just a natural part of life.
Lest we forget how fragile we are
We should never forget how delicate and vulnerable we are as humans and how quickly life can be taken away from us due to the choices we make.
On and on the rain will fall
The rain will continue to fall, much like the tears shed by those affected by violence and loss.
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
The rain falling down from the sky is akin to the tears falling down from the eyes of people who have been affected by violence and loss.
On and on the rain will say
The sound of the rain will sound like a reminder of how vulnerable and fragile we are as humans.
How fragile we are how fragile we are
The rain serves as a reminder that all human beings are delicate and vulnerable and shouldn't forget how easily life can be taken away from us.
Contributed by Madison V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
B² Das Bildungszentrum Brigitte Rösner e.U.
Love this voice
Sharon Enos
Album Personnel
Nils Landgren – vocals and trombone
Anders Widmark – piano
Lars Danielsson – bass
Wolfgang Haffner – drums
FleshQuartet:
Jonas Lindgren – violin
Örjan Högberg – viola
Mattias Hellden – cello
Sebastian Öberg – cello
Chrille Olsson – bass on “Everything must change” + whatever is needed
Guests:
Esbjörn Svensson – fender rhodes
Rigmor Gustafsson: vocals on “Fragile”
Viktoria Tolstoy : vocals on “Be there for you”
Karin and Mimmi Hammar: Trombones on “Sentimental journey”
murat teke
exellent !
Rainer Ott
Beautiful, but why are the other musicians not mentioned?
Marilyn Haverly
This helps a little: https://www.discogs.com/Nils-Landgren-Sentimental-Journey/release/3473813
Domi. M.
aie aie aie aie aie .......qué beauté !
Stanley Yoon 🎗️
😎~~~~~ 👍
Edna Fernandes
wowowowowo