Björn J:son Lindh - 1971 - Ramadan

Björn J:son Lindh
1971

Ramadan

01. Lastbrygga (5:52)
02. Daphnia (3:52)
03. Min tulpan (1:30)
04. Tuppa (6:36)
05. Benitos Hare (2:32)
06. Ramadan (3:43)
07. Love March (3:09)
08. Kullens fyr (6:10)

Congas – Kofi Ayivor
Congas – Joseph Mocka
Guitar – Hawkey Franzén
Tabla – Jan Bandel
Drums - Ola Brunkert
Electric Bass – Georg Wadenius
Electric Guitar – Kenny Håkansson
Cello – Mats Hagström
Flute, Electric Piano – Björn J:Son Lindh

Björn J:son Lindh was born in 1944, and majored in flute and piano at the Ingesund University College of Music. He continued his musical studies at A Björn J:son Lindh was born in Arvika, Värmland, Sweden in October 25 1944. He majored in piano and flute at the Ingesund University College of Music, in Arvika, Sweden. He pursued his musical training at Musikhögskolan, The Royal School of Music, during the latter half of the 60s, then went on to play free-jazz with NILS SANDSTROM and, with ABD El RAHMAN El KHATIB, who appears on Lindh's album, Cous Cous he played Arabic flute music. Lindh has collaborated with the esteemed jazz-rock fusion/ jazz gutarist, JANNE SCHAFFER - a man best known as a session guitarist for ABBA. Linsh and Schaffer formed the band HORSELMAT. Lindh has played on many RALPH LUNDSTEN albums, who is a pioneer in electronic music and an artist.

While Lindh has worked as a session musician on many albums (he played flute on MIKE OLDFIELD's Islands), he released 14 studio albums under his name between 1970 and 1999, and also has composed music for films and TV. His music ranges from jazz to Eastern, Indian and Arabic music, to folk to pop to classical to ambient electronic relaxation/ new age albums. 

His first album, "Ramadan" is an Eastern flavoured jazz-rock Fusion (and folk) album. His second album, and my personal favourite of his, is the Eclectic "Från Storstad Till Grodspad", which combines classical, jazz, rock, pop and psyche. "Cous Cous" is Arabic/ Eastern inspired jazz-rock, and "Sissel" is a Krautrockish jazz-fusion album.

Lindh also collaborated with TRIANGULUS (in PA under Prog Related) for Triangulus' debut album, "Triangulus and Bjørn J:son Lindh".

Not only is Lindh an active musician (flautist and keyboardist who also works with synths and current technology) but he has composed music and produced albums for many well-known artists.

I do not know how many times I've listened to "Lastbrygga" and "Kullens fyr" and everytime I am blown away with the jazzy grooves of these two amazing tracks. Lindh's flute and electric piano are excellent in every way and always performed in a flawless fashion on every recording of his.

The music could be described as late 60's, early 70's movie soundtracks with it's kind of minimalistic grooves and funky jazz rock. At least that is true in the two tracks previously mentioned. For me that is musical heaven. It is something truly mesmerizing about that sound.

While "Lastbrygga" and "Kullens fyr" are excellent pieces of music the tracks inbetween are pleasent but not really to my taste. They are a bit too similar in sound, I find. The album is framed in the two groovy jazz rock tracks while the main body consists of more mellow pieces. I have always thought that the album would have done better if Lindh put one more groovy track in the middle, making it a more varied album.

For me Ramadan is, and always will be the different way of seeing the flute playing.

Dominantly influenced by Ian Anderson, Thjis Van Leer and Elio D'anna, in the moment I started to listen to J:son Lindh, the whole world of jazz flute open before me. I did memorize every track of this album - that highlights a great competence in making a variety of styles and melodies works, from begning to end.

It is, perhaps, that kind of album thats speaks particularly with particular individuals. Well, it certainly did to me. And I do came back at Ramadan too often to consider this a simple and "just good" album. We're going with four on this one.