Nils Landgren

Nils Landgren，手持一支紅色炫目長號，迷倒了從斯德哥爾摩到北京的萬千樂迷。早先于已故鋼琴手Esbj?rn Svensson的二重奏合作，把瑞典民謠提升到了藝術音樂的高度。作為2001年柏林爵士音樂節(jié)的藝術總監(jiān)，Nils Landgren為廣大樂迷呈現(xiàn)了一場活色生香的斯堪的納維亞藝術盛宴。而在2002年5月，為了表彰Landgren為瑞典爵士在全球范圍內的傳播所作的卓越貢獻，瑞典流行作曲家協(xié)會（Swedish Society Of Popular Composers）向Landgren授予了“Tore Ehrling”獎。
Landgren的童年一直被爵士和教堂音樂所包圍。他的父親經(jīng)常會買些經(jīng)典的美國爵士唱片，而他身為傳教士的祖父會時常誦唱瑞典傳統(tǒng)的贊美詩和名額。出生于1956年的Landgren從6歲起就開始學鼓，13歲時第一次接觸長號，并從此專情。
1972年到1978年間，Landgren師從David Maytan和Ingemar Roos，學習古典長號演奏。在此期間，Landgren遇到了瑞典傳奇式的民謠爵士先鋒人物Bengt-Arne Wallin和卓越的長號手Eje Thelin?？梢哉f這兩個人改變了Landgren之后的人生走向。他從一個嚴格的古典演奏家慢慢向一名即興音樂家轉變，并開始思考，“演奏什么，為什么演奏”等個人對音樂的理解的問題。大學畢業(yè)后，Landgren移居到斯德哥爾摩，成為一名職業(yè)長號手。這段充滿艱辛的生活也為Landgren積累了寶貴的生活閱歷，而一個意外的電話也改變了Landgren的命運。他受邀和當時瑞典最成功的流行歌手Bj?rn Skifs一起巡演，當時Bj?rn的單曲“Hooked on a Feeling”正位居美國流行排行榜的首位。這次經(jīng)歷不僅給Landgren帶來了不錯的收入，演奏各種風格音樂的機會，也讓他有機會和一些非常優(yōu)秀的音樂家合作。從此之后，Landgren就開始開拓更多類型的音樂領域，包括爵士、搖滾、靈歌、嘻哈、大樂隊，以及錄音室作品。據(jù)他自己承認，他的長號演奏先后出現(xiàn)在不下500張唱片中。合作者不僅包括許多瑞典年輕音樂家，也有大量世界知名的音樂家和樂隊，其中包括ABBA, The Crusaders, Eddie Harris, Bernard ‘Pretty’ Purdie, Herbie Hancock等。
1992年，Landgren成立了Nils Langren Unit樂隊，演出并錄制了首張專輯《Red Horn》。此后樂隊頻頻出現(xiàn)于各大爵士音樂節(jié)，并和各地知名音樂家合作。1994年在德國Jazz Baltica音樂節(jié)上，樂隊正式改名Nils Landgren Funk Unit。在這近30年的時間里，艷麗的猩紅長號和奔放律動的節(jié)奏成了Nils Landgren和Funk Unit帶給全球樂迷最好的禮物。
Nils Landgren自言，F(xiàn)unk Unit是“我加入過的最牛的樂隊”。只要看過Funk Unit的現(xiàn)場，任何人都會有這樣的感覺。臺上燈光不落，樂隊節(jié)奏不停，觀眾的舞步不息。
Landgren堅持，要讓人們因為音樂而更快樂，也讓生活本身更有意義。而這一信念也是Nils Landgren Funk Unit新專輯《Funk for Life》的初衷。每張CD收入中將有1歐元用于Médecins Sans Frontières Sweden在內羅畢一個慈善項目的資金。Landgren希望，樂隊的這次新出擊，也能成為非洲貧困的孩子們生活中的一部分。
A world-class soloist and artist with heart and soul: Nils Landgren.
With his smoking, hard-hitting "Funk Unit", the man with the Red Horn has been responsible for a bunch of successful CDs over the past years. His concerts from Stockholm to Beijing have been met with ecstatic acclamation. In duo with pianist Esbj?rn Svensson, he has elevated Swedish folk music to the level of subdued works of art. As the artistic director of the 2001 Berlin Jazz Festival, designed a state of the art presentation of Scandinavian trends and moods. In May 2002 Nils was honored with the `Tore Ehrling-prize′ by the Swedish Society Of Popular Composers for "His outstanding contribution to spread swedish jazz music around the globe".
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 trombone player 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 trombone player. 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 Bj?rn 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.
1992 saw the first performances and recording of the Nils Landgren Unit; the record was called `Red Horn′, and was mixed by the legendary sound engineer Bruce Swedien. 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′.
Nils Landgren calls his Funk Unit "the tightest band I've ever played with". Whoever has experienced a performance of the group knows what he means. The quintet's teamwork is extraordinary, and the group swings with an impressive, relentless rhythmic drive that pushes the music forward in a continuous powerful flow. In a word, they groove.
To make people happy with music and to make life more worthwhile is Mr. Redhorn’s credo. Which is why he is now grooving in proven Funk Unit manner for a good cause with Funk For Life. 1 euro from each sold CD will be donated to the aid organisation Médecins Sans Frontières Sweden for a project in Kibera (Nairobi), one of the biggest slums in Africa. His Funk For Life project is committed to making music an important part of children’s education:
Funk For Life is a true Funk Unit album, with hard hitting riffs, drummers laying down great grooves, spitting horns and chanting vocals. All the ingredients that have made Funk Unit a name in the world of music.
Nils Landgren Funk Unit:
Nils Landgren: trombone, vocals
Ray Parker Jr.: guitar, vocals
Magnum Coltrane Price: bass, vocals
Wolfgang Haffner: drums, vocals
Magnus Lindgren: woodwinds, vocals
Useful Links:
http://www.nilslandgren.com/
http://www.funkforlife.com/
http://www.myspace.com/nilslandgren