The Swedish Saxophone Quartet Rollin´ Phones has always been appreciated for its impressive breadth of repertoire and artistic skills. The band has released several albums anchored in classical and contemporary music, but takes a retrospective look on their own career on their latest album ‘Dedicated’. Rollin´ Phones returns to the group’s early years of folkloristic music and jazzy elements on a recording well worthy of a 30th year anniversary, produced by Jonas Knutsson.
Rollin´ Phones
Rollin´ Phones was founded in 1986 and has since been an important part of the Swedish music scene. With their versatile chamber music repertoire the group has become a pioneer and role model for saxophonists in the classical music scene worldwide. Exciting collaborations with other instrumentalists and singers has always been a part of their work, which has also included vocals, percussion, dance and visual video. The group has toured in Europe, USA, South America, Africa and Asia with chamber concerts to great critical acclaim.
Jazz and folk music in the Swedish big band tradition
On ‘Dedicated’, Rollin´ Phones perform everything from Leonard Bernstein and Irving Berlin, to George Gershwin, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Thelonious Monk to mention but a few. Furthermore, their own Swedish roots are audibly important in the several folk music tunes, not least ‘Visa från Utanmyra’ – a tune not unfamiliar to jazz audiences world wide. Working closely with Rollin´ Phones is Mikael Råberg, who since the early 1980s has been one of Swede’s most prominent composers and arrangers for big band music. His exquisite arrangements has followed Rollin´ Phones throughout most of their career and belongs to their audience’s favourite tunes. Featuring are also saxophonist and composer Jonas Knutsson and percussionist Rafael Sida Huizar, the latter also known from Stockholm Jazz Orchestra and Ale Möller Band.
