The Weekend Planet

File under ‘Swedish folk’. But prepare to be surprised, very nicely! Horn Please! is an octet, led by Jonas Knutsson. He is a saxophonist, as are five of his seven colleagues. The others play acoustic and electric basses and various percussion. Their eponymous debut CD offers a mostly-Scandinavian repertoire of ingeniously-arranged traditional tunes and Swedish-accented originals, plus the odd Carnatic {South Indian} number. The band’s name comes from the back of the Subcontinent’s trucks!

Discover a little more, here:
www.hornplease.se/e/hornplease.html

and here:
www.touchemusic.se/jknutsson.html

Playlist

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Details of each track are presented in the following order:
BROADCAST TIME
TRACK NUMBER AND TITLE
COMPOSER
PUBLISHING AND COPYRIGHT DETAILS
RECORDING COMPANY AND CD NUMBER
( distributor/ source details, in brackets like this, in lower-case)
ARTIST AND CD TITLE
Duration of track
Description of track, in lower-case.
Where relevant, further info links to information, gigs/events/related programs

’THE WEEKEND PLANET’ SUN 27. 4 08

2205
THEME:
(details below, as per the original CD.. This cut is also on these compilations Ketama - ’ Nuevos Medios Coleccion’ - Nuevos Medios NM 15 820
{ in Australia via MGM www.thegroovemerchants.com
worldwide, via: www.flamenco-world.com/noticias/nuevos.htm }
and ’ Jarabi - the best of Toumani Diabate’ (Hannibal 334352 )

CD CUT 1, ’ JARABI’
TRAD, ARR TOUMANI DIABATE
HAMILCAR MUSIC LTD
HANNIBAL HNCD 1323
( in Australia, some releases through Stomp Enquiries to: ben@stomp.com.au
worldwide: www.rykodisc.com )
KETAMA, TOUMANI DIABATE, DANNY THOMPSON - ’ SONGHAI’
THIRTY SECONDS (EXCERPT)
(retains a stately-Manding air, whilst also embracing flamenco elements. Toumani Diabate’ s kora, Danny Thompson’ s beautiful double bass and Ketama’ s flamenco guitars )

2207
CD CUT 1, ’LORIKPOLSKAN’
TRAD, ATTRIBUTED TO BJÖRN ST ÅBI AND PERS HANS OLSSON. ARR BY JONAS KNUTSSON
COMP IS PUBLIC DOMAIN. ARR IS NOT SPEC
COUNTRY AND EASTERN CE 08
( no Australian distributor
Readily available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
JONAS KNUTSSON AND HORN PLEASE - ’HORN PLEASE!’
3: 25
( You would expect to find a fiddler on a polska. Here, this Swedish dance-form is in the hands of six Swedish saxophonists, plus an electric bassist and percussionist. A polska is NOT a polka.

LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE POLSKA ?
{ in the Scandinavian-dance sense )

This is a good place to start:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polska_(dance) )

SEGUE

2210
CD CUT 4, ’KOLARPOLSKAN/ THE CHARCOAL-BURNER’S POLSKA’
TRAD, ARR FRIFOT
COMP IS PUBLIC DOMAIN. ARR IS NOT SPEC
P & C ECM RECORDS
ECM 1690/ 557 653-2
( in Australia through Fuse Music
www.fusemusic.com.au
worldwide: www.ecmrecords.com )
PER GUDMUNDSON/ ALE MOLLER/ LENA WILLEMARK - ’FRIFOT’
3: 26
(a polska treated in both robust and in delicate fashion. Per Gudmunson and Lena Willemark are the fiddlers, with Ale Möller’s mandola )

2216
CD CUT 10, ’FLOWER IN THE SKY’
THE WORDS ARE A POEM BY ICELANDIC AUTHOR MATTHIAS JOHANNESSEN, AS TRANSLATED BY MARSHALL BREMENT. THE MUSIC IS BY JONAS KNUTSSON
THE POEM IS C 1985 ICELAND REVIEW. MUSIC PUB NOT SPEC.
ACT 9248-2
( In Australia, through The Planet Company/ MGM
email: info@theplanetcompany.com
website: www.theplanetcompany.com
worldwide: www.actmusic.com )
JONAS KNUTSSON - FLOWER IN THE SKY’
5: 52
( dramatic-yearning-jazz-balladic setting of a contemporary Icelandic poem. Sung in English by Lena Willemark { the same Lena who was playing fiddle @ 2210 above } , with Jonas on soprano sax, plus piano, ac bass, drums )

SEGUE

2222
CD CUT 8, ’HANNAS HORN’
HANNA WISKARI
PUB NOT SPEC
COUNTRY AND EASTERN CE 08
( no Australian distributor
Readily available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
JONAS KNUTSSON AND HORN PLEASE - ’HORN PLEASE!’
1: 19
( its composer’s soprano saxophone, alone: reverent, spare, spacious, recognisably ’Nordic’)

SEGUE

2223
CD CUT 9. ’VINTERPOLSKA’
{BY OR VIA} CARL WIKLUND TREHÖRNINGEN, ARR JONAS KNUTSSON
COMP IS PROBABLY PUBLIC DOMAIN. ARR IS NOT SPEC
COUNTRY AND EASTERN CE 08
( no Australian distributor
Readily available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
JONAS KNUTSSON AND HORN PLEASE - ’HORN PLEASE!’
5: 19
( Six Swedish saxophonists plus an electric bassist and a very good percussionist. Lively, limber and surprising treatment of a traditional Swedish dance. A polska is NOT a polka. Daniel Carlsson is the improvising soprano sax soloist . Åsa Johansson is the lead soprano saxist )

2232
CD CUT 2, ’INDIAN TIME’
COMP MAX SCHULTZ
C & P 1990 VERABRA RECORDS
VERABRA VBR 2037 2
( no current Australian distributor. I think this label is now defunct )
MYNTA - ’INDIAN TIMES’
4: 19
(1990-vintage North Indian-cum-South-Indian fusion, plus jazzish elements. Upbeat - male voices vocalise the rhythm, then a jubilant spiral-dance for tabla { Zakir Hussain’s brother Fazal Quereshi }, the composer’s ac guitar, Jonas Knutsson’s soprano sax + digital delay {very ’shenai’-inflected} and Parthasarathy Sridar on mridangam { South Indian hand-drums } )

SEGUE

2236
CD CUT 10, ’JEYRAN’ (DEER)
MUSIC IS TRAD AZERBAIJANI. THE TEXT IS BY ASHIQ ALSAGAR {1821 - 1926} AND IT INCORPORATES WORDS FROM A GHAZAL BY HAJI REZA SERRAF (DIED, 1907)
PRESUMABLY, PUBLIC DOMAIN
SMITHSONIAN FOLKWAYS SFW CD 40525
( in Australia through Fuse Music
www.fusemusic.com.au
worldwide: http://www.folkways.si.edu )
ALIM AND FARGANA QASIMOV - ’SPIRITUAL MUSIC OF AZERBAIJAN’
6: 30
( Romantic-yearning, spare-refined Azerbaijani song for Fargana’s female voice, with small ensemble. ’Jeyran’ is type a deer. It is a popular name for girls in Azerbaijan and its love poetry often likens a beautiful woman to a deer.
In part the words here say:

Let me encircle you with love,
Your black eyes and eyebrows, Jeyran.
I have fallen into the flames of longing,
Help me recover from this pain, Jeyran.
Let the partridge cackle, my little deer )

SEGUE

2243
CD CUT 4, ’PASSION’
HOSSEIN ALIZADEH
GEMA
BUDA RECORDS 1986082
( In Australia, through The Planet Company/ MGM
email: info@theplanetcompany.com
website: www.theplanetcompany.com
worldwide: www.budamusique.com )
HOSSEIN ALIZADEH AND MADJID KHALADJ - ’IRAN: MASTERS OF IMPROVISATION’ (IMPROVISATIONS IN THE ESFAHAN MODE)
3: 46
(Hossein only on this stupendous solo on the tar - wire strung lute. Modal improvisation in the Persian erudite/classical/art tradition - virtuosic, refined and emotionally intense. Superbly recorded, too.

YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE/KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS PERSIAN LUTE?

Go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar_(lute) )

2248
CD CUT 8, ’THE BODY DESOLATE AS A STAIRCASE’
TIM STEVENS
COPYRIGHT CONTROL
RUFUS RF088
( in Australia through Universal
Rufus website: www.rufusrecords.com.au )
TIM STEVENS TRIO - ’MICKETS’
6: 27
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERF: Introspective, darkly-beautiful ballad for the composer’s piano, Ben Robertson’s ac bass and Dave Beck’s brushes. The album title refers to the way Tim’s young son first attempted to say the word ’music’

LIKE TO KNOW WHEN AND WHERE TIM PERFORMS?

His gig details are here:
www.myspace.com/timothystevens )

2356
CD CUT 5, ’NO IT’S NOT’
TIM STEVENS
COPYRIGHT CONTROL
RUFUS RF088
( in Australia through Universal
Rufus website: www.rufusrecords.com.au )
TIM STEVENS TRIO - ’MICKETS’
3: 10 ( excerpt )
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERF: Playful-conversational piece for the composer’s piano, Ben Robertson’s ac bass and drummer Dave Beck.

LIKE TO KNOW WHEN AND WHERE TIM PERFORMS?

His gig details are here:
www.myspace.com/timothystevens )

----
11 PM NEWS
----

2305
CD CUT 2, ’THE VAULTS OF LATTANZIO’
JEFF LANG
PUB INVISIBLE, BUT LIKELY THIS: ORIENT PACIFIC MUSIC/ ORIGIN
ABC MUSIC/ WARNER MUSIC 5144271282
( in Australia through Warner Music.
Available at ABC shops & online: www.abcshop.com.au )
JEFF LANG - ’HALF SEAS OVER’
1: 59
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERF: brooding-atmospheric-shimmering instrumental for Jeff’s slide dobro and electric guitars.

ABC RADIO NATIONAL JEFF LANG ALERT

’The Daily Planet’ will explore this album, Mon May 5 through Fri May 9

’The Daily Planet’ - with Lucky Oceans - airs Monday to Friday at 2.20pm
Except on Fridays, it has a second airing at 11.20 pm
website {includes audio} : www.abc.net.au/rn/dailyplanet

LIKE TO KNOW WHEN AND WHERE JEFF PERFORMS?

His gig details are always posted here:
www.myspace.com/jefflangmusic )

2308
CD CUT 13, ’GLACIÄR’
BENGT JONASSON, ARR BENGT JONASSON AND PETTER BERNDALEN
PUB NOT SPEC
COUNTRY AND EASTERN CE 08
( no Australian distributor
Readily available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
JONAS KNUTSSON AND HORN PLEASE - ’HORN PLEASE!’
1: 48
( A spiral-dancing duet for the composer’s electric bass and the co-arranger’s percussion. They are the two not-sax-player members of ’Horn Please! ’)

SEGUE

2310
CD CUT 2, ’COPPER MINE’
JEFF LANG
PUB INVISIBLE, BUT LIKELY THIS: ORIENT PACIFIC MUSIC/ ORIGIN
ABC MUSIC/ WARNER MUSIC 5144271282
( in Australia through Warner Music.
Available at ABC shops & online: www.abcshop.com.au )
JEFF LANG - ’HALF SEAS OVER’
5: 16
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERF: hypnotic. Rocking-groove-wise, very akin to the so-called ’desert blues’ of Mali’s late-great Ali Farka Toure - to whom this song is a tribute. Subject-wise, it’s about mining as an activity dangerous to the miners themselves and to those downriver from the mine. Prominent are Jeff’s voice, amplified cumbush {essentially, a fretless banjo} guitars, a fretless lute and tolling percussion, with Grant Cummerford’s acoustic bass.

ABC RADIO NATIONAL JEFF LANG ALERT

’The Daily Planet’ will explore this album, Mon May 5 through Fri May 9

’The Daily Planet’ - with Lucky Oceans - airs Monday to Friday at 2.20pm
Except on Fridays, it has a second airing at 11.20 pm
website {includes audio} : www.abc.net.au/rn/dailyplanet

LIKE TO KNOW WHEN AND WHERE JEFF PERFORMS?

His gig details are always posted here:
www.myspace.com/jefflangmusic )

SEGUE

2315
CD CUT 10, ’HORN KLAS’
KLAS TORESSON
PUB NOT SPEC
COUNTRY AND EASTERN CE 08
( no Australian distributor
Readily available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
JONAS KNUTSSON AND HORN PLEASE - ’HORN PLEASE!’
1: 45
(Klas Toresson’s tenor saxophone, alone - spare, probing-expectant, with a Nordic accent )

SEGUE (continuous)

2317
CD CUT 11, ’TOPOLSKAN’
TRAD SWEDISH { FROM BÄSKSELE, VILHELMINA ATTRIBUTED TO PER JOHAN ARNSTRÖM } , ARR HORN PLEASE
TUNE IS PUBLIC DOMAIN. ARR PUB IS NOT SPEC
COUNTRY AND EASTERN CE 08
( no Australian distributor
Readily available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
JONAS KNUTSSON AND HORN PLEASE - ’HORN PLEASE!’
2: 22
( six Swedish saxophonists {plus one discreetly-tramping foot}, beautifully arranged. A cappella horns version of a decorously celebratory polska - the most widespread form of Swedish folk dance, which likely has an ancestry at least part-courtly. A polska is most definitely not a polka. This one came from the southern part of Swedish Lappland.

LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE POLSKA ?
{ in the Scandinavian-dance sense )

This is a good place to start:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polska_(dance) )

2321
CD CUT 2 ’SKAR’ (SKERRIES)
JOHAN HEDIN
ATRIUM 3984-22107-2
( no current Australian distributor
www.warnermusic.se )
JOHAN HEDIN - ’ANGEL ARCHIPELAGO’
3: 05
(elegant, overtly Nordic. Composed by its nyckelharpa { key-fiddle} player. His colleagues are Ola Backstrom on a conventional fiddle, bassist Backa Hans Eriksson and Jonas Knutsson on baritone and soprano saxophones

LIKE TO SEE/KNOW MORE ABOUT THE NYCKELHARPA?

Go to: www.nyckelharpa.org )

SEGUE

2324
CD CUT 16, ’BOSAMBO-REVATI’
TRADITONAL SOUTH INDIAN (CARNATIC/KARNATIC), ATTRIBUTED TO SESHAMPATTI T. SIVALINGAM. ARR BY JONAS KNUTSSON
TUNE IS PUBLIC DOMAIN. ARR PUB IS NOT SPEC
COUNTRY AND EASTERN CE 08
( no Australian distributor
Readily available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
JONAS KNUTSSON AND HORN PLEASE - ’HORN PLEASE!’
5: 43
( Six Swedish saxophonists, one percussionist and one bassist robustly take on a celebratory, traditional South Indian song/chant. Not lacking in oomph! The soloists are Jonas Knutsson on alto sax and Alexandra Särström on baritone sax )

SEGUE

2330
CD CUT 2, ’O JAGADAMBU NANU’ (IN RAGA ANANDA BHAIRAVII)
SHYAMA SHASTRI
PUB NOT SPEC, BUT LIKELY PUBLIC DOMAIN
IB 02
(available direct. Email: iyerbrothers@hotmail.com
OR - Within Australia: send your address details and a cheque for twenty-two Australian dollars (includes postage within Australia) payable to Ramnath Iyer or Gopinath Iyer at: 25 Clarke Place, Mount Waverley, Victoria 3149)
OR - outside Australia - as above, but make it twenty US dollars.
IYER BROTHERS AND SRIDHAR CHARI - ’SOULFUL STRINGS’
6: 35
(AUSTRAL PERF AND ARR: Carnatic (South Indian) classical: lyrical, catchy. Instrumental-only, but very recognisably still a song’. Ramnath and Gopinath Iyer play the two veenas {wire-strung lutes} with hand-drummer Srdihar Chari playing mridangam )

2339
CD CUT 4, ’PRAY WITHOUT CEASING’
TIM STEVENS
COPYRIGHT CONTROL
RUFUS RF088
( in Australia through Universal
Rufus website: www.rufusrecords.com.au )
TIM STEVENS TRIO - ’MICKETS’
6: 12
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERF: Warm, mobile, gospel-tinged ballad. The composer’s piano, Ben Robertson’s ac bass and drummer Dave Beck.

LIKE TO KNOW WHEN AND WHERE TIM PERFORMS?

His gig details are here:
www.myspace.com/timothystevens )

SEGUE

2345
CD CUT 5, ’SNYGG OLLES POLSKA’
TRAD SWEDISH, ATTRIBUTED TO OLA BÄCKSTRÖM AND PER GUDMUNDSSON. ARR BY JONAS KNUTSSON
TUNE IS PUBLIC DOMAIN. ARR PUB IS NOT SPEC
COUNTRY AND EASTERN CE 08
( no Australian distributor
Readily available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
JONAS KNUTSSON AND HORN PLEASE - ’HORN PLEASE!’
5: 00
( Six Swedish saxophonists, one percussionist and one electric bassist, interpreting a traditional Swedish dance. Initially almost-sombre, low-toned, then becomes sinuous and sweeter, then more dense and improvisatory. Very nice use of the leader’s baritone sax. The soloists - on soprano sax and frame-drum, respectively - are Alexandra Särström and Petter Berndalen )

SEGUE

2350
CD CUT 3, ’GULLHARPAN’
TRAD, ARR ALE MOLLER
PUB NOT SPEC
ECM 1536
( in Australia through Fuse Music
www.fusemusic.com.au
worldwide: www.ecmrecords.com )
LENA WILLEMARK/ALE MOLLER - ’NORDAN’
6: 32
(A phenomenal Swedish female voice { Lena } w mandola { Ale }, ac bass { Palle Danielsson }, soprano sax { Jonas Knutsson } , drone-fiddle and zither {kantele - it and fiddle played by Mats Edén} and percussion. Dramatic rendition of epic tale of the ’sea-wife’ who lures lusting swains to their deaths. Here, an intended-victim survives by playing on his magic, golden harp - the ’gullharpan’. This 1999 CD was a landmark release )

2358
CD CUT 17, ’MÁRET ANNE’
TRADITIONAL NORWEGIAN, ATTRIBUTED TO JOHAN ANDERS BAER FROM KARASJOK. ARR BY JONAS KNUTSSON
TUNE IS PUBLIC DOMAIN. ARR PUB IS NOT SPEC
COUNTRY AND EASTERN CE 08
( no Australian distributor
Readily available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
JONAS KNUTSSON AND HORN PLEASE - ’HORN PLEASE!’
0: 50 ( excerpt )
( Very spare, spacious, recognisably ’Nordic’, but ’sui generis’. Jonas Knutsson’s soprano sax is the solo instrument, with Bengt Jonasson also prominent, playing harmonics on elec bass. Discreet colours from percussionist Petter Berndalen and discreet-distant-processed key-slaps and flutterings from three of the group’s other saxophonists )

Presenter

Doug Spencer

Producer

Doug Spencer