Edition of 200 copies
Svenska Folkjazzkvartetten (The Swedish Folk Jazz Quartet) play traditional Swedish violin music, but as a jazz quartet. The raw, swinging jazz and the beautifully mournful folk tones are woven together into an extraordinarily powerful mix.
Isak Hedtjärn is still quite young but has already played with jazz legends like Mats Gustafsson, Tristan Honsinger, Christer Bothén etc. and he has also done work with more left field acts such as avantgarde punks Viagra Boys and also is a recurring member of Joakim Åhlund & Jockum Nordström’s live band. Together with Jonas Liljeberg he has been exploring folk music on clarinet and saxophone for quite some time now. They have made extensive research among old recordings and looked up old Swedish fiddlers that still live, to learn the tradition, and then tried to find a unique way to play the traditional music but in their own interpretation, together with bassist Vilhelm Bromander and drummer Anton Jonsson.
Loriken was a notorious fiddler from Orsa. He stole the church’s wine and threw stones at the local police’s window. Chased by the police, he fled by boat to America and disappeared. He left behind three beautiful melodies, which Svenka Folkjazzkvartetten now interprets on their new EP, Loriken.
Chimp Limbs, 2024