Rolf Billberg Altosupremo

[Victor Christensen]

I have just got a CD with the swedish Altoplayer Rolf Billberg titled "Altosupremo" from the swedish record company Anagram, It is very good but somewhat lacking in recording details. I have searched the net but could not find anything.

Most of the tunes are live recordings and what I would like to get is locations and recording dates, the personel is listed in the CD cover, the tracklisting is:

1. Chircorennes

2. Blueszette

3. Billbäck

4. Nature Boy

5. Absolution

6. Detour Ahead

7. Nigerian Walk

8. Sweet And Lovely

9. My Old Flame

All help will be appriciated

Vic

[Daniel A]

I've been interested in this info myself. Date and location info is also missing from the otherwise excellent Anagram release of Harry Bäcklund recordings; a great and undeservedly forgotten Swedish tenor saxophonist who died in obscurity in 1978.

David Reid, who ran Anagram Records, is retired, but I've sent him a message using an old email address to see if he's able to supply discographical data.

[Big Beat Steve]

Have you made an aural comparison with Dragon DRCD369?

According to the online discography of Swedish jazz (on www.visarkiv.se), three of the tracks listed above are on that CD:

- Chircorenes (spelled Chicarones here) and Sweet and Lovely rec. live in Rönneby, Nov. 10, 1964

- Absolution (spelled Ablution here, could this be the correct title, i.e. the Tristano/Konitz tune recorded by Lars Gulin in 1953?) rec. in Skelleftea, Feb. 23, 1965

Maybe the Anagram CD includes additional tracks from the above dates?

[Clunky]

Have you made an aural comparison with Dragon DRCD369?

According to the online discography of Swedish jazz (on www.visarkiv.se), three of the tracks listed above are on that CD:

- Chircorenes (spelled Chicarones here) and Sweet and Lovely rec. live in Rönneby, Nov. 10, 1964

- Absolution (spelled Ablution here, could this be the correct title, i.e. the Tristano/Konitz tune recorded by Lars Gulin in 1953?) rec. in Skelleftea, Feb. 23, 1965

Maybe the Anagram CD includes additional tracks from the above dates?

Personel for these three tracks differs, no dates on my issue

(Altosupremo) Chircorennes = , Billberg, Goran Linberg (P) K Lindgren (b) Jan Carlsson drums)

(Dragon) Chicarones= Billberg , Jan Allan, Rune Gustafsson, etc

Altosupremo = Sweet & Lovely & Abultion both have Lars Gullin where as the the Dragon CD doesn't.

Altosupremo is not a model reissue but the music is excellent.

Edited August 14, 2013 by Clunky

[Victor Christensen]

Hi Guys

I have compared it with Dragon 369, they are not the same issues, personel differs.

Daniel, I hope you hear from Davied Reid, maybe he can cast some light on the issue.

I have a feeling that the recordings are bootlegs, not autorized.

Vic

[romualdo]

I bought this CD (along with a few other Gullin items & the great Norman Howard tribute LP from the anagram website in 2010) - pity the website has shut down - is David Reid still contactable?

I can help with two of the titles, "Ablution" & "Detour Ahead

The MOMA concert (Moderna Museet, Stockholm) was recorded on March 30, 1964 - originally released on Sonet LP 2659 (see below)

The extract below is slightly wrong - "Ablution" & "Detour Ahead" are on Anagram CD 7 (not "You Stepped Out Of A Dream")

http://gullin.blogspot.com.au/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00:00:00%2B01:00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00:00:00%2B01:00&max-results=15

The forgotten tapes

Only parts of the 1964 concert at the Museum of Modern Art (Moderna museet) were published on Sonet. Now Jan Olsson reports that he has rediscovered the remaining materal, including You Stepped out of a Dream, Ablution, Detour Ahead and Fascinating Rhythm. The first two have been issued on Anagram CD7.
But Detour Ahead is played by Rolf Billberg alone with the rhythm section and strings. Nu Gullin present, so strike b from session 64-02.

Lars Gullin with Strings
Lars Gullin var tillbaka i Stockholm i början på 1964. Rolf Billberg hade också återvänt och de började spela alltmer tillsammans. I februari spelar de med en gemensam kvintett två veckor på Gyllene Cirkeln, varifrån några låtar finns utgivna på CD av Anagram. Gullin träffar också producenten Gunnar Lindqvist på EMI som vill ge ut en LP med delvis nytt material som Gullin skrivit i Köpenhamn.

Materialet, bl.a kompositionen Portrait of my Pals, framförs först vid en konsert påsken 1964 på Moderna Museet som arrangerades av musikerorganisationen Emanon. Lars Gullin och Rolf Billberg är huvudsolister och de backas upp av stråkar och en grupp jazzmusiker.
Konserten spelades in men gavs inte ut på skiva förrän 1980, på den här LPn på Sonet. Den är producerad av Keith Knox. Omslagsfotot har tagits av Nils Edström.

[Daniel A]

Thanks for the link, Romualdo (although I've still not found out where the quote in Swedish is from - maybe because I'm browsing from a mobile)!

Victor, I believe these reissues are legit. From what I can remember it was reported back when these albums were released that David Reid received some funds from the Swedish Arts Council to complete some of the releases. More releases were planned, though it would seem he ran out of funds and was unable to continue.

[romualdo]

Thanks for the link, Romualdo (although I've still not found out where the quote in Swedish is from - maybe because I'm browsing from a mobile)!

Victor, I believe these reissues are legit. From what I can remember it was reported back when these albums were released that David Reid received some funds from the Swedish Arts Council to complete some of the releases. More releases were planned, though it would seem he ran out of funds and was unable to continue.

It's a Lars Gullin LP discography - pics of all the LP's he played on

http://www.digmusic.se/LarsGullin.KlassiskaSkivomslag.html

[Daniel A]

Ah, there it is! I knew that page. Anyway, I'll let you know if I hear something from David Reid.

[Victor Christensen]

Hi Daniel

From what I read above about a two week engament at Gyllene Cirklen in February 1964, and that some of the tunes were issued on Anagram,

I get the feeling that it must be "Nigerian Walk", "Sweet And Lovely" and "My Old Flame", all three are the same persons:and live recordings.

Billberg, Gullin, Gunnar Svensson, Sture Nordin, Jan Carlsson.

Vic