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.
Summer Night
Nils Landgren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Soul dancing in the dark
Summer night city
Walking in the moonlight
Love-making in a park
Summer night city
In the sun I feel like sleeping
My impatience slowly creeping
Up my spine and growing strong
I know what's waiting there for me
Tonight I'm loose and fancy-free
When the night comes with the action
I just know it's time to go
Can't resist the strange attraction
From that giant dynamo
Lots to take and lots to give
Time to breath and time to live
Waiting for the sunrise
Soul dancing in the dark
Summer night city
Walking in the moonlight
Love-making in a park
Summer night city
It's elusive
Call it glitter
Somehow something turns me on
Some folks only see the litter
We don't miss them when they're gone
I love the feeling in the air
My kind of people everywhere
When the night comes with the action
I just know it's time to go
Can't resist the strange attraction
From that giant dynamo
And tomorrow
When it's dawning
And the first birds start to sing
In the pale light of the morning
Nothing's worth remembering
It's a dream
It's out of reach
Scattered driftwood on the beach
Waiting for the sunrise
Soul dancing in the dark
Summer night city
Walking in the moonlight
Love-making in a park
Summer night city
The lyrics to Nils Landgren's song "Summer Night City" describe the experience of being out and about in a city on a warm summer night. The first verse sets the scene, with the singer waiting for the sunrise and enjoying the feeling of their soul "dancing in the dark" of the night. We get the sense that the singer is excited for what's to come - "I know what's waiting there for me / Tonight I'm loose and fancy-free."
The chorus repeats the title of the song, emphasizing the singer's enjoyment of the experience: "Summer night city / Walking in the moonlight / Love-making in a park / Summer night city." The second verse adds more detail about the singer's mindset - in the sunshine, they feel like sleeping and can't handle it for too long, but at night they feel alive and ready for action. The third verse describes the feeling the singer gets from being out in the city at night: "It's elusive / Call it glitter / Somehow something turns me on / Some folks only see the litter / We don't miss them when they're gone." The singer feels energized and attracted to the excitement of the city, even if others might see it as dirty or unappealing.
Overall, "Summer Night City" is a celebration of the joys of being out in a city on a warm summer night. The singer enjoys the feeling of their soul dancing, the excitement of the nightlife, and the sense of being surrounded by their kind of people.
Line by Line Meaning
Waiting for the sunrise
Anticipating the sun's appearance
Soul dancing in the dark
Feeling alive and moving to the rhythm of life despite darkness
Summer night city
A city alive and thriving on summer nights
Walking in the moonlight
Strolling under the moon's light
Love-making in a park
Sharing deep intimacy in a serene outdoor setting
Summer night city
A city alive and vibrant on summer nights
In the sun I feel like sleeping
In the presence of the sun I feel sluggish and lethargic
I can't take it for too long
It's difficult to tolerate for extended periods
My impatience slowly creeping
My growing restlessness taking over
Up my spine and growing strong
Vigorously overtaking my entire being
I know what's waiting there for me
I anticipate and am aware of what's in store for me
Tonight I'm loose and fancy-free
I'm unbound and free-spirited tonight
When the night comes with the action
As night arrives, energetic activity commences
I just know it's time to go
I instinctively recognize it's time to move on
Can't resist the strange attraction
Unable to resist a peculiar enchantment
From that giant dynamo
From the source of immense energy
Lots to take and lots to give
Endless opportunities for both receiving and giving
Time to breath and time to live
Time to relax and fully embrace life
It's elusive
It's hard to grasp
Call it glitter
Refer to it as a glittering attraction
Somehow something turns me on
Something within me is excited by it
Some folks only see the litter
Certain individuals only notice the trash or impurities
We don't miss them when they're gone
We don't regret the absence of those individuals
I love the feeling in the air
I relish in the ambiance pervading the atmosphere
My kind of people everywhere
Surrounded by people I can relate to
And tomorrow
Looking ahead to the next day
When it's dawning
As the sun begins to appear on the horizon
And the first birds start to sing
As the first birds begin to chirp
In the pale light of the morning
In the soft, milky light of dawn
Nothing's worth remembering
Nothing from the previous night sticks out as particularly noteworthy
It's a dream
It feels as though it never really happened
It's out of reach
It's beyond my grasp
Scattered driftwood on the beach
Remnants leftover from a joyous occasion
Waiting for the sunrise
Anticipating the arrival of the sun
Soul dancing in the dark
Vibrantly alive, reveling amidst the darkness
Summer night city
A city alive and bustling on summer nights
Walking in the moonlight
Strolling in the moon's glow
Love-making in a park
Engaging in passionate intimacy in a natural setting
Summer night city
A city vibrant with life on summer nights
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BENNY GORAN BROR ANDERSSON, BJOERN K. ULVAEUS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind