Featured artists: Barabbas / Stetson Cody Group / Ramaskri
Swedish vocals, instrumental
Caprice Records have always been
tireless flagbearers for Swedish contemporary and historic
music, but then again, being the record outlet for the Rikskonserter
organisation, they were on a mission from the Swedish Social Democrat
government in the 70's. While that might sound dull, more often than
not it wasn't, as their catalogue of jazz, folk and classical music
is as almost as qualitative as it is quantitive. Don't forget that
their series of annual volumes of ”Jazz in Sweden” gave us both
Sevda and Rena Rama back in the day. While Caprice have graced ”Jazz
in Sweden” with CD and/or digital reissues, of the informal trilogy
of ”Jazz- Och Rockstipendiater 1976”, ”Tvärsnitt” and ”Jazz
& Rock” only the latter resurfaced as a (digital) reissue for the time being. Similar in spirit to ”Jazz in Sweden”, these three
volumes are different insofar they also present rock oriented
bands.
On the live recorded ”Jazz & Rock”, the most out-and-out rock –
or progg – band here is Ramaskri. Their three tracks remind me of a
more rudimentary ”Hej på er!” era Trettioåriga Kriget, which
means I'm not at all impressed by them. Very dull.
Only
marginally better are Stetson Cody Group whose four tracks are more varied. ”Kraftrock” suggests King Crimson or perhaps some lesser RIO act. Then they go from undistinguished prog over pseudo-symphonic rock
to 'complicated' and pretty embarrassing funk fusion. Worth mentioning is that this was Kjell Hilding Lövbom's first band. He later changed his name to Kee Marcello and made it big with hair metal band Europe.
Barabbas
round off the album in a slightly more pleasing manner with two
rather energetic free jazz/post-bop outworks. While not top of the
heap, they're at least OK.
All in all, this is far from any of
Caprice's most memorable releases. Europe completists (if there's such a thing) need it, but hardly anyone else.
Full album playlist
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