The Gift
Self-Released, 2021
9/10
The esteemed Swedish jazz-rock artist Stefan Nilsson returns with The Gift, and he’s got an all star cast along with him to flesh out the precise, fusion focused affair.
“Yttsersti” starts the listen with Johan Hasselquist’s fluent drumming and Erik Soderlind’s warm electric guitar complementing Nilsson’s agile keys in the smooth jazz-rock opener, and this energy continues to the flowing melodies of “Menuet", which benefits much from Patrik Boman’s strategic bass and Magnus Persson’s unpredictable percussion as Nilsson interprets the J.S. Bach classic.
In the middle, “Let’s Go” bounces and shakes with help from Max Schultz on guitar and Rafael Sida Huizar’s dreamy percussion that adds much beauty to the landscape, while “Keltsong” truly showcases Nilsson’s incredible key prowess as the mood gets a bit mysterious amid some folk nods. “Honeysuckle Rose”, another excellent track, then displays Soderlind’s fascinating guitar alongside Nilsson’s keyless bass skills.
“Winter” arrives near the end and has Aminah Malmborg on vocals, as her gorgeous pipes help illuminate the sublime beauty of the album highlight which pays tribute to Vivaldi, and “Sana Sananina” exits the listen aglow in a cultured, playful personality that accents Fakir’s diverse singing, the frisky drumming, proficient keys and graceful guitars.
In the area of jazz fusion, it just doesn’t get much better than this. Nilsson’s key work is stunning from beginning to end, and the wealth of talent present only solidifies The Gift as, well, truly a gift for the attentive listener.
Travels well with: David Janeway- Distant Voices; Billy Test Trio- Coming Down Roses