ACT FAMILY BAND — The Jubilee Concerts (2017) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Those who were fortunate enough to secure tickets for the grand ACT anniversary celebration at the Berlin Konzerthaus will not forget the evening. The British Jazzwise magazine said, "Everything pointed to a label at its zenith, embracing the new while respecting the old, nurturing both, and building stars; ACT is growing up—with a smile on its face and a proud pose." For those who missed this unique family gathering live, they can at least listen to it on CD now. ACT
Tracklist :
1        Send In The Clowns 5:12
Piano – Michael Wollny
Trombone, Vocals – Nils Landgren
Written-By – Stephen Sondheim
2        Walk Tall 5:44
Bass – Lars Danielsson
Drums – Wolfgang Haffner
Guitar – Ulf Wakenius
Piano – Michael Wollny
Trombone – Nils Landgren
Written-By – Esther Marrow, James Rein, Joe Zawinul
3        Savannah Samurai 6:25
Bass – Lars Danielsson
Written-By, Bass – Dieter Ilg
4        Suffering 9:25
Bass – Dieter Ilg
Guitar – Nguyên Lê
Piano – Iiro Rantala
Trombone – Nils Landgren
Written-By, Cello – Lars Danielsson
5        Missing A Page 6:43
Saxophone – Emile Parisien
Written-By, Piano – Joachim Kühn
6        Quo Vadis 10:18
Bass – Dieter Ilg
Drums – Eric Schaefer
Piano – Joachim Kühn
Violin – Adam Bałdych
Written-By – Zbigniew Seifert
7        B&H 12:15
Piano – Michael Wollny
Saxophone – Emile Parisien
Voice – Andreas Schaerer
Written-By, Accordion – Vincent Peirani
8        Dodge The Dodo 7:25
Bass – Lars Danielsson
Drums – Noa Svensson
Flute, Arranged By – Magnus Lindgren
Guitar – Ruben Svensson, Ulf Wakenius
Piano – Iiro Rantala
Trombone – Nils Landgren
Violin – Adam Bałdych
Written-By – Dan Berglund, Esbjörn Svensson, Magnus Öström
9        We Are Family 5:34
Accordion – Vincent Peirani
Bass – Dieter Ilg, Lars Danielsson
Drums – Morten Lund, Wolfgang Haffner
Guitar – Nguyên Lê, Ulf Wakenius
Lead Vocals – Ida Sand
Piano – Jan Lundgren, Michael Wollny
Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Joachim Kühn
Saxophone – Emile Parisien, Magnus Lindgren
Trombone – Nils Landgren
Violin – Adam Bałdych
Vocals – Andreas Schaerer, Cæcilie Norby, Viktoria Tolstoy
Written-By – Bernard Edwards, Nile Rodgers

IDA SAND — The Gospel Truth (2011) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Earthy and distinctive, gospel-infused, blues and soul-soaked: Ida Sand sings classics from Nina Simone to Bobby Scott. with Raul Midón, Joe Sample and Nils Landgren as guests, among others. ACT
Tracklist :
1    Eyes On The Prize    3:35
2    Ain't No Sunshine    3:45
3    He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother    4:12
4    A Change Is Gonna Come    4:32
5    Have A Talk With God    3:37
6    I Wanna Know What Love Is    4:50
7    Until The End    3:15
8    I Wish I Would Know How    4:14
9    Have A Little Faith In Me    4:21
10    It Is To Know    3:49
11    Like A Prayer    4:00
12    God Only Knows    4:16
Credits :
Ida Sand - Vocals, Piano & Keyboards
Mattias Torell - Guitars
Thobias Gabrielson - Bass
Anders Hedlund - Drums & Percussion

Special Guests:
Raul Midón - Vocals
Joe Sample - Piano
Steve Gadd - Drums
Nils Landgren - Trombone
Magnus Lindgren - Woodwinds
The ACT Jubilee Singers - Backing Vocals

TORSTEN GOODS — Love Comes to Town (2013) FLAC (tracks), lossless

With "Love Comes To Town", young star Torsten Goods exceeds expectations as both composer and performer. Funky summer evening soundtrack meets smoky jazz club swing. ACT
Tracklist :
1    You Wind Me Up 4:17
Written-By – Jan Miserre, Torsten Goods
2    When Love Comes To Town 4:01
Written-By – Adam Clayton, David Evans, Laurence Mullen, Paul D. Hewson
3    Freedom Every Day 4:09
Written-By – Nick Whitecross, Torsten Goods
4    Put It Where You Want It 5:26
Written-By – Alan E. Gorrie, Joe Sample
5    Unlucky Like Me 3:50
Written-By – James Bryan, Torsten Goods
6    Right Here Waiting 4:06
Written-By – Richard Marx
7    Brutal Truth 4:40
Written-By – Ida Sand
8    Weekend At The A-Trane 4:21
Written-By – Jan Miserre, Torsten Goods
9    Someone Like You 5:05
Written-By – Adele
10    Summer Lovin 4:48
Written-By – Jan Miserre, Lars Vegas, Torsten Goods
11    Outa Here 3:32
Written-By – Pete Vettese, Torsten Goods
12    Night Life 5:34
Written-By – Willie Nelson
13    They Can't Take That Away From Me 2:56
Written-By – George & Ira Gershwin
14    Berlin P.M. 3:47
Written-By – Jan Miserre, Torsten Goods
Credits :
Torsten Goods - Vocals & Guitar
Jan Miserre - Piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer
Christian von Kaphengst - Fender Jazz Bass, Acoustic Bass
Wolfgang Haffner - Drums

Horns:
Till Brönner - Trumpet
Nils Landgren - Trombone
Magnus Lindgren - Saxophone, Flute
Ingolf Burkhardt - Trumpet on 4, 9 & 11

Ida Sand - Vocals on Vocals on 2 & 7
Viktoria Tolstoy - Vocals on 10 & 13
Felix Lehrmann - Drums on 14

NILS LANDGREN FUNK UNIT — Licence To Funk (2007) FLAC (image+.cue) lossless

Licence to Funk is the eighth album by the Nils Landgren Funk Unit, and again, the Swedish trombonist reconfigures the band's personnel to keep things fresh. He keeps the rhythm section of German drummer Wolfgang Haffner and bassist Magnum Coltrane Price and adds reedman Magnus Lindgren, keyboardist and vocalist Ida Sand, and -- the biggest surprise here -- Detroit guitarist Ray Parker, Jr., author of the hit single "Ghostbusters," who had retired from music in the early '90s and then reappeared on Landgren's collaboration with pianist Joe Sample, Creole Love Call, in 2005. After the previous record's experimentation with ABBA tunes (Funky ABBA), Licence to Funk is basically an homage to various types of old-school '70s funk: the dry, hard-edged funk of James Brown's famous rhythm section is celebrated in an energetic cover of Fred Wesley's "House Party," another cover brings back the bouncy disco-funk of the Ashford & Simpson/Quincy Jones classic "Stuff Like That," and there are several nods toward the smooth soul-funk of the Crusaders -- for example, Landgren's own composition "24Hours," with its soft electric piano, relaxed background vocals, and sweet flute melody, or his near-instrumental "Capetown Shuffle" (not to mention a cover of Crusaders bassist Wilton Felder's "Brazos River Breakdown"). Despite the three cover tunes and the large number of comparisons the music brings to mind, Licence to Funk is neither a full retro album nor a slavish imitation of all those acts -- the Funk Unit is in top form, with tightly locked grooves and inspired soloing, and the record is an excellent showcase for a band that knows how to use a funk rhythm as a springboard to exciting interplay. While all of the musicians are great (and all, except for Lindgren, contribute original songs), Ray Parker, Jr.'s presence is what gives the group that something extra: listening to his opening guitar licks on "Freak U" and the bluesy "Secret" alone makes you glad he's back. The two songs he's written are among the album's highlights: the gritty, driving rhythm of "SampleRayT" inspires some soulful soloing by saxman Magnus Lindgren, and Parker even sings in his instantly recognizable voice on "For Those Who Like to Party." If the Nils Landgren Funk Unit continue to record albums this good, their title-giving licence will never be revoked. Christian Genzel

"With a top-class band, every track becomes fiery party music for jazz-rock fans." - AUDIO ACT
Tracklist :
1    House Party 5:05
Written-By – Fred Wesley
2    Freak U 4:35
Written-By – Magnum Coltrane Price
3    24Hours 4:30
Written-By – Nils Landgren
4    Stuff Like That 5:39
Written-By – Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson, Quincy Jones
5    Slowfoot 5:49
Written-By – Wolfgang Haffner
6    Capetown Shuffle 5:52
Written-By – Nils Landgren
7    At Home 5:22
Written-By – Magnum Coltrane Price, Wolfgang Haffner
8    Secret 4:40
Written-By – Ida Sandlund
9    SampleRayT 5:41
Written-By – Ray Parker Jr.
10    For Those Who Like To Party 4:25
Written-By – Ray Parker Jr.
11    Brazos River Breakdown 5:10
Written-By – Wilton Felder
12    Tomomis Tune 6:57
Written-By – Magnum Coltrane Price
Credits:
Bass, Vocals – Magnum Coltrane Price
Drums, Vocals – Wolfgang Haffner
Guitar, Vocals – Ray Parker Jr.
Keyboards, Vocals – Ida Sand
Trombone, Vocals – Nils Landgren
Woodwind, Vocals – Magnus Lindgren

IDA SAND — Meet Me Around Midnight (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

29-year-old singer and pianist Ida Sand didn't feel rushed to start a solo career: Born into a musical family -- her father was an opera singer, her mother a church musician -- she studied music in Stockholm and then worked with a large number of Swedish musicians, honing her skills. One of these musicians was Nils Landgren, who gave Sand ample opportunity to show her talent on the latest release of his Funk Unit, Licence to Funk, and now that she has finally recorded an album under her own name, Landgren is on board as a producer and also guests on a number of songs. Meet Me Around Midnight is a vocal jazz album deeply influenced by blues and soul, and Sand's experience as a musician shows: she has an earthy, expressive voice, but she never feels the need to push it into the spotlight -- where other young singers make every song a showcase for their undeniably impressive technique, Sand is refreshingly relaxed and focuses on the songs, not on herself. Most of the tracks are covers, and they have been selected from a wide range of sources: Sand performs two Stevie Wonder songs ("Feeding Off the Love of the Land" and "Higher Ground"), the Eurythmics composition "Here Comes the Rain Again," Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang," a Lightnin' Hopkins song ("Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes") and the old Arlen-Mercer song "One for My Baby" (made famous in versions by Frank Sinatra and Etta James). She finds a fresh arrangement for most of these, some more acoustic-based, with piano, bass, drums, and vocals as the main ingredients, and others more electric, giving them a bluesy touch with guitar and electric piano. Sand's own composition "Brutal Truth" is one of the album's highlights, a funky R&B song with a soulful groove, and her beautiful piano ballad "Home" quietly ends the album. Not every song on Meet Me Around Midnight is a standout, but even the less exciting arrangements ("At Last") are performed skillfully enough to make the album work as a whole. Sand is a promising new talent on the music scene, and with her subtle feel for dynamics, Meet Me Around Midnight shows more sophistication than you'd expect from a debut album. It's simply a good listen all the way through. Christian Genzel

"Ida Sand sings with power and feeling – the best female soul voice in a long time!"- (JAZZPODIUM) ACT
Tracklist :
1    Mr Pianoman    3:38
2    Bang Bang    2:47
3    Brutal Truth    3:59
4    Every Little Bit Hurts    4:06
5    Here Comes The Rain Again    4:05
6    One For My Baby    3:50
7    Feeding Off The Love Of The Land    5:16
8    Higher Ground    4:36
9    At Last    5:05
10    Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes    2:53
11    Maybe You'll Be There    4:13
12    Use Me    3:17
13    Home    4:08
Credits:
Acoustic Guitar – Ulf Wakenius
Bass – Lars Danielsson, Ove Andersson (tracks: 12)
Cello – Lars Danielsson (tracks: 12)
Drums – Michael Edlund (tracks: 7, 10, 12), Rasmus Kihlberg
Electric Guitar – Henrik Jansson, Ola Gustafsson (tracks: 7, 10, 12)
Grand Piano – Jan Lundgren (tracks: 1, 5)
Trombone, Vocals – Nils Landgren
Vocals, Grand Piano, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Arranged By – Ida Sand

IDA SAND — Young At Heart (2015) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Young classics the likes of “Harvest Moon”, “Cinnamon Girl” and “Hey Hey, My My” ring out in jazz-soul interpretations with all the depth and expression of the originals, but with an added laid-back feel. ACT
Tracklist :
1    Cinnamon Girl    3:32
2    Hey, Hey, My My    3:13
3    Don't Let It Bring You Down    4:24
4    Harvest Moon    4:45
5    Woodstock    3:23
6    Birds    3:30
7    Only Love Can Break Your Heart    3:47
8    Ohio    4:01
9    Old Man    3:28
10    Helpless    4:32
11    War Of Man    4:16
12    One Of These Days    4:21
13    Sea Of Madness    3:30
Music & Lyrics bei Neil Young except Woodstock by Joni Mitchell
Credits :
Ida Sand - Vocals & Piano
Jesper Nordenström - Keyboards
Ola Gustafsson - Guitars
Dan Berglund - Acoustic Bass
Christer Jansson - Drums & Percussion
Guests:
Sven Lindvall - Electric Bass
Per Texas Johansson - Tenor Saxophone
Nils Landgren - Trombone & Vocals
André Monde de Lang & Paris Renita - Background Vocals
Bo Sundström - Vocals

NGUYÊN LÊ • TERRI LYNE CARRINGTON • IIRO RANTALA • LARS DANIELSON • PETER ERSKINE • LESZEK MOŻDŻER • BUGGE WESSELTOFT • YOUN SUN NAH • IDA SAND — Hendrix in the Spirit of Jazz (2017) FLAC (tracks), lossless

„When I die, I want people to play my music, go wild and freak out and do anything they want to do.“

Jimi Hendrix’s wish has been posthumously fulfilled. Although he had such misfortune in life, and died in 1970 at a mere 27 years of age, his immortal music has continued to be played ever since his death - very much in the spirit of that quote. Countless musicians in rock, pop and jazz have been influenced by Hendrix, and many have overtly based their own music on his. Among the ACT family of artists, several have been inspired by his music, and have found their own individual ways to play it. In November of this year this icon of the 1968 protest movement, this pioneer of rock would have been 75. A good reason, then, for ACT musicians to gather together for a retrospective called “Hendrix in the Spirit of Jazz”, to let the unique spirit of this genius of the electric guitar soar again.

Pride of place here goes to Nguyên Lê. 25 years ago, he was the first artist to have an exclusive contract with ACT, in its first year of existence. As a self-taught guitarist, the Vietnamese-French musician is stylistically close to Hendrix, and the American has discernably influenced Lê’s instantly recognizable world music, which innovatively blends elements from Europe, Asia and America. Indeed, one of Lê’s very greatest successes was the 2002 CD “Purple – Celebrating Jimi Hendrix”. His versions of “1983…(A Merman I Should Turn To Be)” and “If 6 Was 9” form the centre of “Hendrix in the Spirit of Jazz”.

Lê is immaculate in the way he lives up to the challenge of the title, taking all the freedom and danger of Hendrix’s rock music, and using the subtle craft of the jazz improviser to enhance it. Alongside Lê, Terri Lyne Carrington is a pivotal figure in this recording. Hendrix's themes are sometimes furiously rocky, sometimes soulful or atmospherically dream-like, and she not only propels them from the drums, she uses her voice to express his lyrics, which she also expands with thoughts of her own.

And the other ACT stars on this album demonstrate what a kaleidoscope of colours, a diversity of styles and and lively cosmos Hendrix's pieces can become: whether it is Bugge Wesseltoft transforming “Angel” into a tender solo piano ballad, or his Finnish pianist colleague Iiro Rantala in a trio with Lars Danielsson on bass and Peter Erskine on drums on “Little Wing”. Or it can be the unique Youn Sun Nah’s “Drifting”, intoning an irresistible call of longing, or her soulful Swedish sister-in-jazz Ida Sand, wonderfully expressive in “Manic Depression”. From the NDR Bigband rocking out on “Voodoo Chile” to the ACT Family Band - Cæcilie Norby, Céline Bonacina, Wolfgang Haffner, Lars Danielsson with Nguyên Lê again – performing the most famous Hendrix anthem “Purple Haze” in front of an ecstatic audience celebrating the 20th birthday of ACT.

“Hendrix in the Spirit of Jazz” is an anthology which shows that Hendrix’s music is as alive as it ever was – maybe even more so. And what it does -musically at least - is to encourage listeners to ‘go wild and freak out and do anything they want to do’. ACT
Sources
1 Angel 5:21
Album: Everybody Loves Angels (ACT 9847-2)
Musicians: Bugge Wesseltoft - piano

2 Little Wing 4:52
Album: How Long Is Now (ACT 9823-2)
Musicians: iiro Rantala - piano / Lars Danielsson - bass / Peter Erskine - drums

3 Are You Experienced 7:29
Album: Polska (ACT 9557-2)
Musicians: Leszek Mozdzer - piano & celesta / Lars Danielsson - bass / Zohar Fresco - percussion / Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marcin Natecz Niesiotowsky / Ewelina Serafin - flute solo

4 Drifting 4:35
Album: She Moves On (ACT9037-2)
Musicians: Youn Sun Nah - vocals/ Marc Ribot - guitar / Jamie Saft - keys / Brad Jones - bass / Dan Rieser - drums

5 1983 ... (A Merman I Should Turn To Be) 6:02
Album: Purple - Celebrating Jimi Hendrix (ACT 9410-2)
Musicians: Nguyên Lê - guitars & guitar synth / Terri Lyne Carrington - drums & vocals / Michel Alibo - bass / Bojan Z - piano

6 If 6 Was 9 4:02
Album: Purple - Celebrating Jimi Hendrix (ACT 9410-2)
Musicians: Nguyên Lê - guitars / Terri Lyne Carrington - drums & vocals / Bojan Z - fender Rhodes / Aida Khann - spoken words / Michel Alibo - bass

7 Manic Depression 3:25
Album: True Love (ACT 9481-2)
Musicians: Ida Sand - vocals & Wurlitzer / Magnus Lindgren - bass clarinet / Ola Gustafsson - guitars / Peter Forss - bass / Per Lindvall - drums

8 Little Wing 3:51
Album: Million Waves (ACT 9221-2)
Musicians: Nguyên Lê - guitar / Dieter Ilg - bass / Danny Gottlieb - drums

9 Voodoo Chile 5:15
Album: Bravissimo - 50 Years NDR Bigband (ACT 9232-2)
Musicians: NDR Bigband conducted by Rob Pronk / Howard Johnson - tuba & arranger / Stephan Diez - guitar

10 Purple Haze 14:04
Album: The ACT20 Jubilee Concert (ACT 6015-2)
Musicians: ACT Family Band: Cæcilie Norby- vocals / Nguyên Lê - guitar / Celine Bonacina -baritone sax / Lars Danielsson - bass / Wolfgang Haffner - drums

Music composed by Jimi Hendrix
Compiled by Marco Ostrowsky
Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann
Cover art design: Siggi Loch