This is a saxophone improvisation I made over a simple synth loop. I added the pad harmony and bass afterwards when I realised it was a tune. 🙂 It describes the feeling I had as a little kid lying in the bow of my dad’s boat, singing over the drone of the outboard engine.

I write my songs under the name Bear Valley Mountain. Swedish people know what I mean… Here is a lyrics video to the song Orphan Train. Check out more songs on Spotify or wherever you stream music.

Here is a clip of Björn & the Brothers of Rhythm from a show at the 1066 Jazz Club.

As I wrote in my last post, it’s lovely when something you’ve recorded has been released. This one is a little bit old but it deserves a feature. Nicoletta has recorded a beautiful album called “Altre Me” and I play on a fair bit of it. There’s also a lot of fantastic performances of other Brighton musicians on it as well as an incredible track with the Kocani Orkestar. Here I play barytone sax and clarinet. I just wished I had been flown to New York to record the music video 🙂

I have some very sad news. Brighton’s premiere songbird Rene Ansell has passed away silently in her sleep. It was a true honour to play with such a great musician. I have many beautiful memories of making music with her, perhaps the best one was at her 90th birthday last spring where an abundance of musicians came and paid tribute. We managed to get a final recording in before Christmas and she was a true professional. For each song we did 3-4 takes and she sang faultlessly and beautifully each time, not complaining, just doing what she was put here on earth to do over and over again. The 5-song EP is being mastered at the moment but I have a little taster for you. I arranged “It’s a sin to tell a lie” and here is an unmastered version. Keep on swinging Rene, I know you are somewhere looking down at us and saying “Great solos, everyone!”

I just had to share this!

The very reason I wanted to be a jazz musician was that my parents had a single of Take Five and Paul Desmond’s alto sound just blew me away. He said about himself: “I have won several prizes as the world’s slowest alto player, as well as a special award in 1961 for quietness.” One of the few jazz alto saxophonists who didn’t base his playing on Charlie Parker but rather Lester Young. Well, all of that has recently come into my mind as I have portrayed Lester in “My Friend Lester”.

While looking around the internet this morning I found this incredible gem. A recording of Paul Desmond together with the Modern Jazz Quartet. Listen and enjoy!

And on a side note, I have also started a Facebook fan page. If you want music and videos of me in your facebook feed just go there and click the like button. It would make me very happy 🙂

To be Benny again with ABBA the Show. I know this confuses the people who knows me as a jazz saxophonist and folk clarinetist but I am a musician who wears many hats 🙂 Except Benny doesn’t wear a hat. And I’m not even wearing a wig since my hair is cut just the right length… Tour schedule on the right and a promo video for he show below.

Here’s a fantastic review of My Friend Lester by Hope Wisechild for Brighton & Hove Free Press.

I just added a new item at the top menu – Music Trancription Service. If you need sheet music of any kind, of any song, transposed into any key feel free to contact me. I’ve written hundreds of arrangements from lead sheets to big band and everything in between.

I’ve started a new project with Paul Richards (who leads the Brunswick Jazz Jam). It’s a duo with nylon string guitar and clarinet or bass clarinet and we play Brazilian choros, sambas and some straight-up jazz. Very sophisticated with a gentle sound. We’ve done a few gigs at the Gallery in Hove so far. Be sure to check back here to see when the gigs come in.