BERITS HALSBAND

Lovers of jazz rock and fusion, this is the perfect record for you!

Berits halsband was a Sweidsh ensemble which only did one studio record back in the year 1975. Before listening to this I was a little skeptical (much beacuse of that fusion isn't my favourite genre) but after listening I must admit it is hard to give this a low rating. The musicians impress me with a lot of talent and musically visions. They are so coherent and progressive in everything they do. It feels they were doing something great of a big nothing. This doesn't feels like unknown music at all. I think every fan of jazz and fusion should listen to this. But with all their talent, I think it was a pity they didn't do more organized music. So why I give this three and not five stars, is that I have my personal taste, and that music allways is subjective.

The records best track is "Elhamokk" with a toach of the Orient and heavy rock. The amazing melody line is played on flute(Mats Anton Karis). The giant on this record: "Flaxöras hemliga återkomst" contains a lot of great material. It is driven by the blowers: Thomas Brandt(saxophone), Tommy Adolfsson(trumpet) and Bengt Ekevärn(trumpet). Also the guitar(Olof Söderberg) is important and great on this record. We also have a bass player (Göran Fors), a drummer(Michael Lindqvist), a violin and pianist(Jonas Lindgren) and a pianist(Per Lejring).

All the record is sounds from the seventies and it certainly shows one side of rock music that is important. I hesitated about giving such a good record just three stars, but it is still a matter of taste. Recommended for jazz lovers, worthwhile listening for others!

Somebody has written the wronng names on the songs. The long song is "Flaxöras hemliga återkomst" and not "Halvvägs Hildur" which is the last song.

3.5 stars really!!!

A Swedish 70's JR/F septet that produced (to my knowledge) only one sole self-titled and self-released album in 75. BH's line-up is the usual "prog quartet" with three wind players - two trumpets and a flute, none of which members I've recognised in similar Scandinavian bands of the era. The album is made from four lengthy instrumental steamy upbeat fusion pieces, sometimes reminiscent of Secret Oyster (with wind instruments) or Arbete Och Fritid project. Apparently recorded live in the studio on a two-track tape, the album is a small tour-de-force, since nothing could be modified and there are no weak moments.

The opening 11-mis+ Miror I Koket features some steamy electric fusion, with a slower flute section, some Spanish-sounding trumpet section. The calmer (at first) 18-mis+ Flaxoras track sounds more like a cross-fusion of Headhunters and Mwandishi, with some broody moods, but it never reaches the dissonant of the latter or the funkiness of the former. Lindgren's Rhodes is the sonic centre of this long soundscape, which veers slowly Bitches-like around the end. The album-closing 8-mins Halvags Hinder opens on semi-dissonant slow Rhodes and chimes and bells, but drums, bass and guitar gradually come in, before the three winds make their entrance by the 3-mis mark. It gradually picks up intensity and speeds up only to drop out slowly to its end.

I'm not aware of this album having ever seen a reissue, whether vinyl or CD, but if you do find one, or the original vinyl, don't hesitate a second forking out a few bucks, because every fusion fan will find it a worthy investment, if not a must-have. Certainly one of Sweden's best JR/F album ever? and not just IMHO ;o)))

4.5 stars. Man this album really speaks to me with that melancholic vibe and the strong jazz flavour. It's pretty cool that multi- instrumentlist Tommy Adolfsson from ARCHIMEDES BADKAR is here playing trumpet but we also get another trumpet player plus a sax man. The flute, guitar and trumpet tend to lead the way here and the guitar really adds a lot to the sound in my opinion along with the electric piano with this nine piece band.

"Myror I Koket" is such a great opener starting off slow with clashing cymbals and a bass line before the drums and guitar join in as it slowly builds. The electric piano sounds really good as it joins in as well. A horn comes in soloing over top then he stops as the guitar takes a turn 3 1/2 minutes in. I really enjoy the sound here. It settles back 5 1/2 minutes in as the flute joins in. The guitar starts to make some noise before 7 minutes as the flute continues. Just tripping along here then it picks up again after 10 1/2 minutes with horns leading the way.

"Elhamokk" is the only song that doesn't do much for me. It's different from the rest in that it's uptempo and brighter but I prefer the Swedish melancholy of the other three tracks. Flute, horns, bass and drums to start but it's that horn led melody that I'm not into that comes and goes. The best part for me is when the flute leads 7 minutes in with the drums and electric piano shining for me as well. That horn led melody is back quickly though to end it.

"Halvvags Hildur" is almost 19 minutes of amazing music bringing Miles Davis to mind. A bass intro as cymbals and atmospheric keys help out. It kicks in around a minute with drums. Great sound as the flute also joins in. A definite Miles vibe here. Horns at 2 1/2 minutes then the guitar kicks in sounding incredible soloing over top. Trumpet before 5 1/2 minutes as we trip along. Check it out 8 1/2 minutes in, so good! The electric piano starts to lead then it trades off with the guitar before 11 minutes. A change 12 minutes in as it seems like they are starting over again. Bass and drums lead as the flute comes in. Horns replace the flute as the electric piano also joins in. I love the guitar after 14 minutes as well and every time it shows up the rest of the way.

"Flaxoras Hemliga Aterkommst" reminds me of the opening track with that Swedish melancholy. Atmosphere, cymbals and a bass line to start then the horns come in blasting over top as the flute also helps out. Love that constant bass line though. The guitar comes and goes as well. Love the mood here and the way the lead instruments keep taking turns leading.

Without that one song I'd be giving this 5 stars for sure. I'm just a sucker for melancholic music with a jazz flavour. I'm so impressed with this release. It was re-issued on cd in 2015 by the way. A must!

Berits Halsband was a Swedish group who played an interesting brand of jazz-rock which reminds me of what would happen if Zappa's Hot Rats-era band decided to take the pomp and comedy out of their music and replaced it with a sense of melancholy and wistful daydreams. Take that and add in some absolutely fierce trumpet from Bengt Ekevärn and Tommy Adolfsson and you have a fascinating "one album and that's your lot" project that offers a somewhat more serious counterpoint to the often slightly flippant sound of Samla Mammas Manna, the Swedish jazz-prog band which seemed to get most international traction.

This Swedish house band recorded this album live in the studio on a two-track tape recorder!

1. "Myror I Köket" (11:45) Very brave and unique jazz-rock fusion with electric foundation and great Spanish/Latin- sounding trumpet play. Very engaging foundation and rhythm track as well. A delightful downshift at 5:40 allows space in the upper end for flute to be heard. Too bad these guys didn't get a few more chances to practice and refine this (or have multi-tracks for overdubbing). (23/25)

2. "Elhamokk" (9:45) the drumming is excellent, the coordinated delivery of lines and chords by the rest of the band quite extraordinary--like the synchronic timing of a big band. For some reason I hear a very strong hint of both Spanish and Balkan melodic traditions in this music. I also feel a bit of the high school band class in the performances- -which makes the song get a little old and dull over it's ten minute length. (17.333333/20)

3. "Halvvägs Hildur" (19:00) has quite a Mwandishi-era Herbie Hancock feel to it with its sprawling length and excellent solos from guitarist Olof Söderberg and trumpeter Tommy Adolfsson (along with the consistently impressive drumming of Michael Lindqvist). Still hard to believe this was all recorded live, in one take, with no layering or overdubbing. The stylistic shift in the eighth minute into a more drummer-driven cruise machine makes a big difference in its power and engageability. Nice electric piano work and accents from the horn section. Again, the drumming is most impressive: it feels like a cross between Billy Cobham and Tony Williams. A full stop-and-shift in the 11th minute turns into a more pregnant earworm of a rhythm track over which horns and electric guitar begin an attempt to carry a melody forward together. Lot's of angular riffs thrown into the spaces between phrases as the bottom cruises along unperturbedly. The end is a bit of a disappointment. I liked that middle section the best. (35/40)

4. "Flaxöras Hemliga Återkomst" (8:40) a song that takes a little too long with its drawn out introductory motif to develop and turn into anything interesting--and then turns out to be a little more avant-garde than expected. Too bad the rhythm track wasn't allowed to develop a little more. (17.25/20)

Total Time 49:10

Too bad these guys A) didn't stay together (the bulk of the band members did reappear for one song ["Peter Yogurt = Peter Yoghourt"] as Berits Halsband on a 1980 Ton Kraft Records compilation album entitled Levande Music Från Sverige = Live Music from Sweden), B) didn't have a quality studio, engineer and/or producer for this album, C) didn't have the chance to polish and perfect their music, cuz this is wonderful stuff! It's not as exciting or rock-dynamic as Return To Forever or Mahavishnu Orchestra--rather, more mellow and melodic as was the habit of much of the northern Continent at the time. Too bad the solid and engaging rhythm section (especially the bass) were often stifled into remaining so constant for so long.

B/four stars; an excellent if rather raw exposition of fresh though under-developed and under-polished Jazz-Rock Fusion.