Champian's Makes Her Debut as Record Producer
Planning and recording an album as an indie artist, that is to say an artist who is also the producer / record label / publicist, is a huge job for just one person. Picking tunes, thinking of arrangements, managing the vibe during the recording itself, picking final takes once everything recorded, picking an order of songs, naming the record, and then organizing alllll the work that comes with making the CDs such as finalizing graphics, submitting it for digital submission, etc etc etc. It’s really a lot of work and, for me at least, involves a lot of spreadsheets, post-it notes, and check lists. My first self-produced / self-released album came out in 2009 (the breeze and I) and I was lucky to have my father, Stephen Fulton, on my team. As the Indie musician doing it all, you really start to suffer not only from decision fatigue, but also self-doubt, and it’s very important to have someone you trust artistically to advise you on the music, the title, the vibe, and everything else.
As an artist I have made 19 albums, 11 of them self produced, and to be honest, I totally love it. I love making records. It’s fun and I really find the entire process inspiring. I have always wanted to be a producer for someone else’s record, and this year, I have finally made that dream come true.
I am proud to have been the producer for Klas Lindquist’s upcoming quartet album, “Handle with Care.” It’s a super swinging album and I had a great time working with Klas from the very conception of the album through to the finished product. I can’t wait for you to hear it, and I hope to be the producer on more projects to come!
-c
More info about the project here: https://www.klaslindquist.com/new-album-handle-with-care
Esteemed Jazz Alto Saxophonist Klas Lindquist Presents an Intimate New Record “Handle with Care”, Due Out October 11, 2024 on yellow car records
With his fifth release as a leader, Klas Lindquist delivers an intimate mood album, much in the spirit of Jazz legends Johnny Hodges and Lou Donaldson, featuring a collection of sophisticated standards and brilliant originals. “Handle with Care” spotlights Lindquist as a soloist with a voice and perspective all his own; he demonstrates a rare maturity and sensitivity as an improviser in the spartan setting of the quartet with a rhythm section expertly steered by pianist Leo Lindberg and featuring Niklas Fernqvist on bass and Daniel Fredriksson on drums.
The entire album, recorded in one room without isolation at the Abrahamsbergskyrkan just outside of Stockholm, sparkles with the no holds barred approach to creativity. It is a joy to hear the ensemble “stretch out”, especially on the nearly 3 minute long tag of “Cry Me a River”, which is already a supreme example of Lindquist’s refined and tasteful arranging skills.
Several nods to Jazz legend Lou Donaldson are present, including the commanding “The Man with a Horn” and a dynamic version of “Cherokee”, the former being described by Lindquist as a “power ballad”. The ballads may very well be the stars of this album, especially the two composed by Lindquist’s hero Duke Ellington: “Come Sunday” and “Prelude to a Kiss,” in which we hear the alto, the piano and the bass share the melodic duties.
Nestled among the standards, we find two originals: “Bernadette” was previously recorded by Lindquist in a large ensemble setting, but “The Day We Met” makes its debut here; it is a showpiece for the sympathetic comping of drummer Fredriksson, who is a perfect match for Lindquist’s strong rhythmic lines (they have recorded together 5 times). In fact Fredriksson shines on the entire recording, especially on the rubato treatment of “Tea for Two” where he demonstrates his melodicism with the brushes.
While Lindquist’s past releases have featured his much acclaimed nonet, including his most recent album “Alternative Sources of Energy” which was voted Sweden’s number one Jazz album in 2024 by the listeners of Orkesterjournalen, we are pleased he has chosen to return to the small group setting with this carefully curated album, giving us the opportunity to enjoy his virtuosic and beautiful alto playing for over an hour of listening. With purposeful song selections and keys (for the most discerning of listeners, it should be noted that many of these standards are recorded in non-standard, that is to say unusual, keys in order to make the alto “sing” in its best range.) “Handle with Care”, as the liner notes written by American Jazz pianist and vocalist Champian Fulton say, is “meant to be enjoyed and to be listened to with a smile on one’s face.”
Recognized for his “technical brilliance, imagination and style”, Klas is considered one of “Sweden’s most exciting Jazz musicians” (Göteborgs Posten). Recipient of the “The Golden Sax” award, “The Alice Babs Award” and “The Stockholm Culture Scholarship”, Klas Lindquist is a world-renowned ambassador of Jazz excellence.
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Tracklisting:
My Old Flame
Tea for Two
Prelude to a Kiss
The Day We Met
The Man with a Horn
Cry Me a River
Bernadette
Stardust
Cherokee
Days of Wine and Roses
Sweet Pumpkin
Come Sunday
