Instrumental
International relevance: ***
Ranked #2 on the blog's Top 25 list
Not only does Arbete & Fritid's
debut album stand as one of the cornerstones of progg, it's also one
of the best albums ever to come out in Sweden. It's a prime example
of how to vigorously merge modal jazz, European folk music, and avantgarde
with a light touch of the kind of psychedelia that was still fresh in
Sweden at the time of the album's release in 1970. ”Arbete &
Fritid” (not to be confused with their 1973 album of the same
title) broke new ground with such intuition and craftmanship that it
remains unrivalled to this very day.
Arbete & Fritid rose out of The
Roland Keijser Quartet, a powerhouse jazz combo that emerged on the
fertile Swedish jazz scene of the 60's. Sax player Keijser was one of
the original core members of Arbete & Fritid, but then again –
they had only core members. Each of them offered crucial musical
input being imaginative instrumentalists of the highest order, thus
becoming mainstays of the Swedish folk and jazz scene long after
progg declined as the dominant cultural movement; the only exception
being trumpeter Torsten Eckerman (1945-2013) who became a teacher
after leaving Arbete & Fritid in 1976 and participating in the
tour de force venture Tältprojektet in 1977. The versatile Ove
Karlsson has always added a unique flavour to the music he's been
part of, especially as a cellist, and he has appeared on plenty of
recordings over the years. The equally multi-talented Kjell Westling
(1942-2010) appeared in various contexts where his flair for folk and
folk inspired music came to great use. Drummer par excellence Bengt ”Beche”
Berger has been involved in numerous bands and projects
through the decades, and remains a natural force on the Swedish music
scene, currently being a part of multifaceted outfit Beches Brew.
Roland Keijser too is an ever so remarkable jazz musician, still keen
to join in with both up and coming youngsters of the neo-progressive
genre and noted jazz players. In 2017, he was awarded the prestigious Lars
Gullin Prize.
A lot of people seem to prefer ”Arbete
och Fritids andra LP” (whose title translates into the explanatory
”Arbete och Fritid's Second LP”) and that too is a majestic
effort. Truth is that Arbete & Fritid never made a bad album.
Even when slowly evolving into a different band through a number of
personnel changes from the mid 70's until eventually calling it quits
with ”Håll andan” in 1979, they consistently operated on a
remarkable quality level. But in the early days, in the very
beginning, with their debut album, they were far above everything and
far ahead of everybody else, even themselves. ”Arbete & Fritid”
is a true classic, rich with a vitality that will make it outlive us
all.
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