Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Johan Lindstr?m Septett: On The Asylum

Johan Lindstr?m Septett: On The Asylum

By Karl Ackermann
March 11, 2021
View read count

Multi-instrumentalist and composer

Johan Lindstrom

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Johan Lindstrom issued his 2018 septet debut Music For Empty Halls (Moserobie Music) to global accolades. The unique set was nominated for a Swedish Grammy, an award which Lindstr?m had captured on four previous occasions. The debut was noted for its unhurried and democratic approach to creative ensemble music. On the Asylum, the second outing of the Johan Lindstr?m Septett surpasses its predecessor as a stunning and eclectic project.

Lindstr?m is not yet well-known in the U.S.A. but has a long-standing following in his native Sweden and has worked with a broad array of top talents. He played electric, acoustic, and pedal steel guitars on For The Stars (Deutsche Grammophon, 2001) with Anne Sofie Von Otter and

Elvis Costello

vocals
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Elvis Costello and he has recorded with popular Swedish singer Rebecka T?rnqvist. Lindstr?m was a prominent contributor to E.S.T. Symphony (ACT Music, 2016), a tribute to the music of

Esbjorn Svensson

piano
1964 - 2008

" data-original-title="" title="">Esbjorn Svensson with original drummer

Magnus Ostrom

drums
b.1965

" data-original-title="" title="">Magnus Ostrom and bassist

Dan Berglund

bass
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Dan Berglund. Berglund is also a co-leader of Lindstr?m's Tonbruket group. On the Asylum reunites the core ensemble from the debut album.

Consisting of fourteen vignettes, the album opens with an atypical "What What" featuring Costello on a mostly spoken-word vocal. "Twenty Twenty" acts as a bridge to the mood-setting "Homeward," a pastoral piece featuring elegant reed work from

Jonas Kullhammar

saxophone
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Jonas Kullhammar and

Per Texas Johansson

woodwinds

" data-original-title="" title="">Per Texas Johansson. Lindstr?m's pedal steel guitar adds a different and appealing flavor to the number. "Trombone Interlude" is just that; Mats ?leklint's very brief link to the noirish and majestic "The Prom." A pattern develops as Jesper Nordenstr?m's piano creates a break on "Solitude Tune" then segues into Lindstr?m's acoustic guitar-driven "Echoes Across the Dunes."

Lindstr?m craftily weaves discord into the otherwise bucolic On the Asylum, many of the pieces transitioning without a break, creating a suite-like feeling. There is the gentle swing of "Edwards Chacone," Margareta Bengtson's celestial harp on "Music Orbit Box," and the stately orchestration of "Humming Ships," featuring one of two vocal appearances by Sofie Livebrandt. The collection closes with "Worms of the Underground," an exotic four-track pedal steel guitar concoction. On the Asylum is one of those rare albums which appeals at every point, beginning to end, and on repeated listening. Highly recommended.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

What What; Twenty Twenty; Homeward; Trombone Interlude; The Prom; Solitude Tune; Echoes Across the Dunes; Edwards Chacone; Music Orbit Box; Humming Ships; On the Asylum; Septet Serenade; A Snippet From "Music for Valves and Pedals; Worms of Underground.

Personnel

Johan Lindstrom

guitar

Jonas Kullhammar

saxophone

Jesper Nordenstr?m

keyboards

Per Texas Johansson

woodwinds

Mats Aleklint

trombone

Torbjorn Zetterberg

bass, acoustic

Konrad Agnas

drums

Additional Instrumentation

Johan Lindstr?m:pedal steel guitar, percussion, piano; Jonas Kullhammar: flute, congas; Sofie Livebrandt: vocal (7, 10); Margareta Bengtson: harp (9); Elvis Costello: vocal (1).

Album information

Title: On the Asylum | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Moserobie

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Seeing Jazz: The Photography of Luci...
< Previous

Mostly Outside
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.