On their second album Swedish jazz group Daniel Lantz Trio (Daniel Lantz, piano - Mattias Astrom, double bass - Daniel Olsson, drums) present an exciting selection of original material. Containing ten powerful and varied tracks, the disc boasts nine original compositions by Daniel Lantz himself, and one standard. The nostalgic title 'Remember When' actually points to the pianist's memories of the past, as the songs - musical souvenirs - were produced on various occasions over a period of eight years. Lantz' own voice and style of composition is highly varied and although rooted in a firm jazz mold, his creations are refreshingly enticing as they cross between jazz, blues, bebop to pop, film music, classical, latin, folk music and even world fusion. Piano player Daniel Lantz, above all a jazzman, is a multi-faceted musical personality that through his varied background in pop, rock, folk/ethno, classical, film and theatre music displays a wide range in his musical expression. This is made very evident in his ability to swing ferociously in fast tempos as well as finding meaningful, musical tranquility in slower numbers. Influenced by pianists like Bill Evans, Ahmad Jamal, Wynton Kelly and Keith Jarrett, Lantz' melodic lyricism, balanced touch and harmonic versatility on the piano make him a delightful performer. Alike many Swedish fellow pianists such as Esbjorn Svensson and Jan Johansson, Lantz' sound betrays a Scandinavian melancholy, coupled with the earthy roots of American jazz and blues, as well as a uniquely personal quality. Whilst possessing fine technique, Lantz never overplays, but rather shows full awareness of the importance of silence and careful phrasing in music. Lantz founded his trio in 1999 and has ever since continued to develop its expression in terms of interplay, dynamics and repertoire. Drummer Daniel Olsson's stylistic freedom and rhythmic imagination, in combination with bassist Mattias Astrom's driving and melodic bass approach, beautifully complements Lantz' improvisational outings on the keyboard. Unusually for a group that has been together for such a long time, 'Remember When' is only their second CD. Their debut-CD 'On The Tiles', where they join forces with Swedish top flautist Staffan Hallgren, was praised by critics for its impressive swing, and, somehow, comes across as a highly enjoyable prequel to 'Remember When'. The music on 'Remember When' is lyrical, moody and peaceful without sacrificing verve and energy, and it showcases Lantz' unfailing ability to create catchy, memorable themes without making things overly complicated. In the liner notes, Lantz never reveals his intentions with the music, but the titles and moods still give the listener a pretty clear idea of what they are about. The opening track "Summer Without End" captures the heat of a long summer with its latin rhythms, its laid-back cocktail lounge-feel and Henry Mancini-flavoured choral harmonies. The title track "Remember When" is a soft and flowing waltz that perfectly puts us into a nostalgic state of mind for reminiscing; its strong, bittersweet melody and melancholy chords makes it easy to understand why it was chosen as the title piece of the disc. "Masquerade" is a feverishly pumping fusion latin piece that finds us exploring the trio's more extrovert and energetic sides. Thereafter, flute guru Staffan Hallgren makes a welcome returning guest performance on Lantz' effervescent samba "Fresh Orange Juice", appropriately chilling and refreshing. "Parloga", a beautiful creation in 7/4-metre, is closer to a pop ballad than jazz, and is another fine example of how Lantz conjures up a strong melody with very simple means. Especially moving is Lantz' piano solo "Distant Friend", whose unmistakable, simple beauty goes straight into the listener's heart. The oddly-titled "Mit Schwung", a German phrase meaning 'with a groove', is a pun, jokingly wanting to disprove the myth that German jazz does not swing, and is an example of what musical fun Lantz is able to create by toying with worn-out blues-clichés and playing around with sneaky shifts of tempo. Finally, Lantz' long experience of folk/world music and traditional tunes from his home country surfaces on the tracks "Freak Land" and the remarkable 10-minute rollercoaster "Sjumilapolska". The latter, where the jazz force of the trio meets the spirited playing of folk violinists Erika Lindgren and Mia Jones, as well as the intricate polyrhythms from Indian tabla master Suranjana Ghosh - one of the world's few female tabla experts - is the album's single most unusual and impressive composition. The only standard on the disc, the one track that Lantz didn't write, is Vernon Duke's atmospherical "What Is There To Say", and has been transformed by Lantz into a peaceful, nearly whispering statement, marching slowly but steadily through lush, dark chords towards a bright and satisfying conclusion. 'Remember When' sums up pianist Daniel Lantz' creative output over a period of eight years. Neat, highly varied and interesting pieces of music performed with heart and ingenuity by Lantz and jazz cohorts Astrom and Olsson. Informative and amusing liner notes by UK jazz drummer Ralph Erle (once one of Lantz' co-musicians) and some colourful imaginative cover artwork make this an irresistible musical package well worth the purchase! Simply, music that goes straight for the heart! NIGEL MENDEZ (Canterbury, UK) --------------------------------------------- Performers: Daniel Lantz, piano Mattias Astrom, double bass Daniel Olsson, drums Guest performers: Staffan Hallgren, flute Erika Lindgren, violin Mia Jones, violin Suranjana Ghosh, tabla Enora Vocal Quartet, vocals Recorded, mixed, mastered and produced in Uppsala, Studio Löten, May 9-10th, June 25th 2008 and March 17th 2007 by Anders Westin. Record Label: Do Music Records - www.domusicrecords.com Official release date: December 8th 2008 More info about Daniel Lantz: www.daniellantz.com ____________________________________________ REVIEWS FROM SWEDISH MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS: "Delicately, tastefully played, with care, and with exquisite harmonies!" - Sven Bjerstedt, KRISTIANSTADSBLADET "Overall enjoyable and beautiful harmonies and melodies, with solos that never feel annoyingly lengthy. Flautist Staffan Hallgren, who set the tone for the trio's debut album, is back here on 'Fresh Orange Juice', one of many nice melodies on a delightful album!" – Hans Bloom, DALADEMOKRATEN "'Masquerade', betraying a scent of Avishai Cohen, feels overwhelmingly fresh, as does the upbeat number 'Fresh Orange Juice'. Even 'Sjumilapolska', with its energizing folk music influences, is a highlight!" – Andreas Jakobsson, ERGO "Daniel Lantz is a skilled pianist who explores the adjacent genres of jazz fit for improvisation. This is demonstrated clearly on this very well-crafted album. The music has great merits where the excellent, elaborate arrangements create the mood for Daniel’s compositions!" – Göran Olson, DIG JAZZ "The leader [Daniel Lantz] is a most passionate instrumentalist! Together with bass player Mattias Astrom and drummer Daniel Olsson he delivers big-time in a number of personal well-designed mainstream jazz tunes that keeps you coming back for more!" - Björn G Stenberg, UNT "Their musical rapport fits like a smooth hand inside a tailor-made soft leather glove! Some albums have the certain quality that they become more valuable the more you play them. This is such an album!" - Thord Ehnberg, LJUSNAN "Everything is wrapped up in a musically attractive package! I look forward to future recordings with Daniel Lantz Trio, because they are a very tight group!" - Lars Grip, ORKESTERJOURNALEN "Rhythmically clever piano performance with good articulation and many nice melodies are significant traits of his [Daniel Lantz] style of playing! Also the bass and the drums have an enjoyable forward motion. Together they possess a playfulness that is infectious!" - Andreas Lagercrantz, LIRA MUSIKMAGAZIN