Klas Lindquist - Handle with Care (2024)

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 2023 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.
credits

Klas Lindquist - alto saxophone
Leo Lindberg - piano
Niklas Fernqvist - bass
Daniel Fredriksson - drums