Equanimity update - Lineup (Pt. IX) 

ON HORNS - THE TOM WALSH HORNS

 

Just a few weeks before wrapping up tracking for the album, I realized one of the tunes would really benefit from having a proper horn section on it. As I was going through my options, I came to think of this up-and-coming trumpet player/arranger out of the UK, Tom Walsh, whose Dirty Loops horn covers had caught my attention a while back. Knowing that Tom & the guys are very busy on the UK session scene, I contacted him to see if a) they'd be interested in playing on the…

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Equanimity update - Lineup (Pt. VIII) 

ON VOCALS #2 - ACCENT

A cappella music is something that has been with me for as long as I can remember. Growing up, my dad (a now-retired countertenor) always played records by The King's Singers, The Real Group & The Singers Unlimited around the house. I can vividly recall hearing The King's Singers' beautiful arrangement of "And I Love Her" (The Beatles) for the first time.. man, after that there really was no turning back, I was hooked! Later on, I immersed myself in the music of groups like Take 6

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Equanimity update - Lineup (Pt. VII) 

ON VOCALS #1 - GÖRAN EDMAN

Ok, now this one's pretty special to me! See, as a kid I went through a huge Yngwie Malmsteen phase (thanks in large part to Yngwie's sister, who is good friends with my mom and borrowed me a bunch of LPs) - Rising Force, Marching Out, Trilogy, Odyssey, Eclipse, Fire & Ice... I wore all those albums out! Eclipse and Fire & Ice in particular has stuck with me though, and one of the biggest reasons for that is Göran Edman. There is something about the timbre of his voice that just…

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Equanimity update - Lineup (Pt. VI) 

ON FLUGELHORN - JONNE BENTLÖV

The idea to have Jonne play flugelhorn on some song was originally conceived during the writing stages of my second album Painter's Portrait. However, the song I had intended for him to play on was scrapped in favor of "Just a Thought (Interlude)" shortly before recording began, so it never materialized. Jonne still appeared on that album though, playing trumpet as part of the horn section that was featured on a couple of tunes, but I digress. Fast forward to the writing of Eq

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Equanimity update - Lineup (Pt. V) 

ON PIANO/SYNTH - JOEL LYSSARIDES

Most of the songs I wrote early on for this album had an obvious jazz quartet vibe to them, so right out the gate I knew I would need a pianist who's got that type of thing down. Later on, when Björn Arkö got on board, Joel's name immediately popped up in my head. Not only because he is a phenomenal pianist, but also because he & Björn have a history of playing a lot together in various situations, so I knew that their interplay would be a great asset, and really benefit…

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Equanimity update - Lineup (Pt. IV) 

ON SAX/EWI - BJÖRN ARKÖ

When writing material for this album I listened a lot to the likes of Michael Brecker, Bob Berg & Mike Stern. Not that that's anything new - that stuff is always in heavy rotation in this household - but I guess it must've rubbed off on my writing, because what I ended up with was a collection of tunes that had tenor/soprano sax written all over them!

Which leads us to Björn, who is someone I've wanted to work with for quite some time. Actually, the first time I heard him was at an…

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Equanimity update - Lineup (Pt. III) 

ON GUITAR - CARL MÖRNER RINGSTRÖM

For the last couple of years Carl and I have talked on and off about joining forces on some project (since around the release of Luna Nueva, if memory serves me right), and I'm stoked that we could finally make it happen on Equanimity (only took us 6 freakin' years)! In my opinion he is one of the most happening guitarists on the scene today, his playing is full of interesting concepts & ideas, he's got ridiculous dexterity, and I also love how - contrary to the majority…

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Equanimity update - Lineup (Pt. II) 

ON PERCUSSION - ANDREAS EKSTEDT

Andreas has been my go-to guy for percussion since we first worked together on Luna Nueva. He is actually the only one on Equanimity who's appeared on all three of my albums, and no wonder - the guy is super inventive, grooves like a mofo, and really has a knack for coming up with all these cool little parts that add perfectly to the whole vibe of a song, and help to take it up a notch!

 

Andreas is a sought-after session musician and can be heard on several recent releases…

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Equanimity update - Lineup (Pt. I) 

ON DRUMS - JONATHAN LUNDBERG

 

When it became clear that Aron Mellergårdh wouldn't be able to make the recording this time around due to his growing commitments with Dirty Loops, I set out searching for someone to step in and take over the drumming duties. Considering the music covers a lot of ground and can be quite technically demanding at times, I needed someone who could play real solid time, and with chops galore to boot - enter Jonathan Lundberg.

 

Me & Jonathan crossed paths briefly back in 2008…

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Equanimity update - Mixing/mastering done 

So, after a "slight" 2-year delay (why, thank you.. a new personal best!) the album is finally DONE!! I signed off on the final mixes yesterday, and expect a release around the end of April/early May. More info, snippets, etc. to follow in the coming weeks... keep an eye on the website, and come join me on Twitter & Facebook to make sure you don't miss out on any updates!

 

 

Best,

J