Nybakat!'s new album "Happy land" is no grand departure from the first one, but it's not as if that's a problem. More folk-influenced Swedish jazz? Yes, please! Pianist Ira Mogilevsky does let her bandmates get in on a bit more the action this time 'round though, so I suppose that does diversify the repertoire. As before, Ira's own pieces definitely reflect her Russian/Israeli background and on this particular record her tracks seem to lean more towards the slow and moody (despite the title, not that I'm complaining), but they are also balanced out by songs such as "Music box", a boppier number penned by drummer Vlad Nedelin with an odd time signature and a tense melody that seems to favor chromatic movement. As someone who doesn't necessarily seek out that much jazz these days, I really am glad that this record found its way to me. It's already received considerable playtime in my house and will continue to get much more in the future. Very recommended.
Somehow I almost forgot to post this week's radio show playlist:
01. Bloodbath - Blasting the virginborn
02. TALK 1
03. Håkan Hellström - Långa vägar
04. Montys Loco - Farewell Mr. Happy
05. Victims - Bomben har fallit
06. TALK 2
07. Death By Kite - Sweet M
08. Ef - Thrills
09. The Bombhappies - Nothing at all
10. TALK 3
11. Motorpsycho - The alchemyst
12. Marybell Katastrophy - Hidden agenda
13. TALK 4
14. In Flames - Moonshield
15. Maskinen - Alla som inte dansar (100dirty remix)
16. The Social Services - Baltic Sea
17. TALK 5
18. Peter Morén - Social competence
19. Lack - Bombing the moon
20. Dmitry Fydorov - Signal
21. TALK 6
22. Looptroop Rockers - The building
23. Six Guns - Think positive
24. Nybakat! - Limu limu lima
25. TALK 7
26. Saft - Sizzling
27. Electric Retard - Greenvalley High
28. Lukestar - The shade you hide
29. Samtidigt Som - Constant in motion
30. TALK 8
31. Bad Cash Quartet - Monday morning
32. Monkeystrikes - I'm sorry, but I'm very dramatic
33. Commando M Pigg - Shoeshine boy
34. Weeping Willows - Touch me
35. TALK 9
36. Pistol Disco - Beat of the tune
It's no secret that I'm fond of folk-influenced jazz (and other music), as I've touched onthe subject many, many times. I love the ways old melodies come alive in new contexts, bridging the gap between old and new. But while I know why I'm drawn to it, I've often wondered where the musicians themselves get their influence and inspiration. So when I received a few CDs from pianist/bandleader Ira Mogilevsky recently, I decided to track her down and find out where she's coming from.
From Russia to Israel to Sweden? Why end up in Stockholm? What brought you there and is it everything you hoped it would be?
My family moved to Israel from Russia in 1991 when I was 16 y.o. Actually, the final "switch" from classical music to jazz happened to me in Israel. I studied in Jerusalem Academy of music with Slava Ganelin, widely known on the international contemporary jazz scene. This wonderful musician and inspiring teacher has been guiding me in the world of music for many years. He was the one who first suggested the idea to try "something new and fresh" and continue my education abroad. Stockholm was the best choice for me at that time: I have heard about very high level of Swedish jazz (it has appeared to be very true!), Sweden seemed enough far and different from Israel to make me feel the freshness of change. Besides that, The Royal College of Music in Stockholm offered me a really interesting and flexible program. So, I ended up in Stockholm and live and work here since 2002. I didn't have so many expectations, just wanted to explore the world and test my own "limits". I am at the middle of this adventure and many exciting things happen to me here in Sweden music-wise.
How did you first become interested in Swedish/Scandinavian folk? What do you think are the similarities between it and other Eastern European/Russian folk traditions that you are familiar with?
One of my first jobs in Sweden was comping the amateur choir. I was very impressed to see how people love singing their folk songs and hundreds - years - old psalms. It is something that I haven't seen either in Russia nor in Israel. I tried to play these tunes in my own way, as any jazz musician would probably do. Some people thought it sounds very fresh and unique. That's how "Nybakat!" band started. (means "fresh-baked" in Swedish)
Probably the fact that I wasn't familiar with traditional performance of Swedish folk music let me approach this material in a quiet free way without a fear of "breaking a taboo". Apparently I broke quite many "traditions" by using odd rhythms, freely changing characters and styles of the songs. Once it even led to a confusing situation: I wrote a very happy up-tempo arrangement for an old psalm "I himmelen, I himmelen" ("in heaven") and after some months realized that it is a funeral psalm!
I must admit that Swedish audience has appeared to be very open minded and supportive regarding my experiments with their folk music!
There are certainly some similarities in the melodism and "modes" of Swedish and Eastern European folk songs. I'm not an expert in folk music, but I think the reason is long- time cultural and historical connections.
In fact, our alternative and humoristic solution for the problem of the funeral psalm mentioned above, was to present it as an Ukrainian folk song "Carnaval" (there is no such a folk song as there is no Carnival in Ukraine!).
Probably the melodic "mode" of this Swedish song was so close to the Ukrainian, that no one felt any suspicions. Perhaps that's good proof for the similarity in folk music traditions.
Of the songs on the Nybakat! CD, is there one piece that's a particular favorite?
Frankly speaking, I like all of them. Probably because I am emotionally involved. In my opinion they are quite different and it's impossible for me to pick up the best. Well, may be it is a mission of independent reviewers to choose the "best", "worst" and "in between". I must say that a great contribution to the CD of Nybakat! were songs and arrangements of the saxophone player Björn Dahlberg and creative approach and support of drummer Vlad Nedelin and bass player Markus Hängsel.
Naturally, I understand your reluctance to pick favorites, but how about I rephrase it- if you had to pick one song and one song only to show listeners what Nybakat! was about, which song would that be?
Hmm..... in this case maybe "Fjäriln vingad syns på Haga"
A fine choice, as far as I'm concerned! Listen below...