Danilo Pérez and the Bohuslän Big Band – Lumen (Prophone Records, 2024)
Lumen by Danilo Pérez and the Bohuslän Big Band is a striking new release that brings together flavorful Pan-American rhythms, Latin jazz and Nordic big band traditions. The album, primarily composed by Pérez, celebrates improvisation, experimentation, and cultural unity, offering a rich set of global jazz influences.
This collaboration, initiated during Pérez’s tenure as Artist in Residence at Vara Concert Hall in 2020, brought together the Panamanian pianist and composer with Sweden’s premier jazz orchestra. Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the project thrived, culminating in an album brimming with creativity and cross-cultural dialog. Tracks like “Galactic Panama” and the title track, “Lumen,” underscore Pérez’s Panamanian roots while embracing the vigorous, exploratory spirit of the Bohuslän Big Band.
Pérez describes Lumen as a milestone, stating, “It symbolizes the power of music to bring cultures together and create shared experiences of beauty and harmony.” The album’s highlights include the interplay between Pérez’s piano and Joakim Rolandsson’s soprano saxophone on the title track, Staffan Svensson’s luminous flugelhorn solo on “Across the Crystal Sea,” and the closing moments of “Sunburn & Mosquito,” which capture the ensemble’s playful energy.
The Bohuslän Big Band, known for its fearless approach to the big band tradition, embraced Pérez’s vision with enthusiasm. Eric Brandström Arellano, the band’s orchestra manager, remarked, “Danilo created an inclusive and exploratory atmosphere that allowed the musicians to delve deep into the intricacies of his music.”
Danilo Pérez, a multi-Grammy Award-winning pianist, composer, and educator, is renowned for his pioneering contributions to contemporary jazz. His unique style, which fuses Panamanian folk music with elements of West African, Middle Eastern, jazz, and western classical traditions, exemplifies his belief in music as a universal language for unity and social impact.
A prodigy who rose to prominence as the youngest member of Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nations Orchestra, Pérez has collaborated with legends like Wayne Shorter while leading his own acclaimed ensembles. His accolades include the Doris Duke Artist Award, USA Fellowship, and multiple international honors for his cultural and educational initiatives, including founding the Panama Jazz Festival and the Berklee Global Jazz Institute.
In contrast, Sweden’s Bohuslän Big Band challenges conventions of the big band genre with bold collaborations and artistic versatility. As part of Vara Concert Hall since 2004, they have performed with global jazz icons such as Gregory Porter, Maria Schneider, and Vince Mendoza, consistently redefining the possibilities of orchestral jazz.
Musicians: Danilo Pérez on piano & Fender Rhodes; Joakim Rolandsson on alto saxophone & woodwinds; Martin Bjurek Svanström on alto saxophone & woodwinds; Linus Lindblom on tenor saxophone & woodwinds; Mikael Karlsson on tenor saxophone & woodwinds; Alberto Pinton on baritone saxophone & woodwinds; Lennart Grahn on trumpet & flugelhorn; Samuel Olsson on trumpet & flugelhorn; Staffan Svensson on trumpet & flugelhorn; Jan Eliasson on trumpet & flugelhorn; Niclas Rydh on trombone; Christer Olofsson on trombone; Gustaf Wiklund on trombone; Ingrid Utne on bass trombone; Olli Rantala on double bass; Lisbeth Diers on percussion; and Göran Kroon on drums.
Recorded at Nilento Studio, Gothenburg, Sweden on September 26-27, 2021.
With Support from Region Västra Götaland, Sweden.
Recording engineer: Lars Nilsson
Assistant engineer: Michael Dahlvid & Joar Hallgren
Coordinator: Jenny Nilsson.
Mixed and mastered by Lars Nilsson at Nilento Studio
Production Assistant, Additional Recording and Editing: David Rosenspire at Cholo Music Recording.
Piano Tuning: Fred Mudge.
Produced by Danilo Pérez & Lars Nilsson.
Executive Producer: Bohuslän Big Band and Vara Concert Hall.
Illustration: Moa Schulman.
Layout: Kristin Nyberg.
Track List
- Across The Crystal Sea
- Suite For The Americas
- Prayer For Peace
- Expeditions
- Galactic Panama
- One For Toni (Dedicated To Toni Morrison)
- Irremediablemente Solo
- Sunburn And Mosquito
Buy Lumen.
Author: Iliana Cabrera
