Hans Backenroth - For Ray, Milt & MJQ - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

An effortless fusion of folk, pop and classical music, the sophomore from Me and the Grownups whispers tales of longing and lost love though rich instrumental harmonies. Showcasing eight dark intricate cerebral compositions, Knowing Lovers, Naive Lovers is totally unlike anything else you will encounter this summer. It casts a slow and nostalgic spell that will intrigue, inspire and linger long after the album's final haunting notes.

I've been listening to Hans's music for more than 25 years in many contexts, and I have noticed how he has grown and matured as an artist. And how he's always thinking weInch instead of InchIInch. So, all things considered, here's a tribute that everybody involved should be proud of. I'm sure that Charlie Parker would have smiled approvingly. Yes, Bird lives!Inch (Thorbjørn Sjøgren) Hans Backenroth discovered jazz at the end of his teens, which led him to play double bass influenced by, among others, Paul Chambers, Ray Brown, Scott LaFaro and NHØP. In 1986 Hans moved to Stockholm to study at the music department at Birkagarden college, followed by three years at the Royal Academy of Music, where he graduated in 1989 in both jazz and classical bass, arranging and improvisational education. During the final year Hans became a member of Fredrik Norén Band, with tours in Sweden, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Baltics, and soon he began to appear at Stockholm's jazz venues like Fasching and Stampen and at many jazz clubs around Sweden. He appears on this album alongside Klas Lindquist, Erik Soderlind, and Karl-Henrik Ousback.

Blending African and Middle Eastern influences together with a vague hint of guitar-based Western pop, the Los Angeles world-pop outfit Fool's Gold make music that's as glittery and beguiling as their moniker suggests, though not nearly as disingenuous.