01. Praying (Danielsson) (4:13)
02. Fellow (Danielsson) (6:03)
03. Entrance (Danielsson) (3:24)
04. Prado (Danielsson) (2:52)
05. Pasodoble (Danielsson) (4:45)
06. Daughter's Joy (Danielsson) (4:03)
07. It's Easy With You (Mozdzer) (3:42)
08. Hydrospeed (Mozdzer) (3:52)
09. Reminder (Danielsson) (4:22)
10. Innocence 91 (Mozdzer) (3:34)
11. Follow My Backlights (Mozdzer) (3:21)
12. Eja Mitt Hjärta (trad.) (4:10)
13. Berlin (Danielsson) (3:15)
14. Distances (Mozdzer) (3:27)

Lars Danielsson (bass, cello)
Leszek Mozdzer (piano, celesta, harmonium)

Lars Danielsson, one of Sweden's top bassists, joins forces with Polish pianist Leszek Mozdzer for this enjoyable duo session. The precision with which the two men play indicates their classical background, with Danielsson being the most melodic jazz bassist to emerge from Europe since the late Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Mozdzer a perfect partner complementing his every move. The dazzling opener, the bassist's "Praying," has the flavor of a Scandinavian folk song, while the elegant ballad "Fellow" features the keyboardist adding a bit of harmonium and celeste and the leader's warm arco bass. Mozdzer's bittersweet "'It's Easy with You" and tense "Innocence 91" also leave a lasting impression. The only piece not composed by either musician is a haunting treatment of the Swedish folk song "Eja Mitt Hjärta," in which a bit of reverb is added to Danielsson's bowed bass. Highly recommended. --- Ken Dryden, Rovi

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CD-1

1 Eden 6:42
2 Song for E. 4:44
3 December 5:26
4 Pasodoble 4:47
5 Afterglow 4:54
6 Suffering 6:37
7 The Linden 4:59
8 Folk Song 6:34
9 Cornelia 6:39
10 Ironside 7:40
11 Daughter's Joy 4:04
12 Falling Down 5:45

CD-2

1 Asta 6:37
2 Bird Through The Wall 2:11
3 From Above 4:29
4 Les Coulisses 4:47
5 Tarantella 5:01
6 Both Sides Now 3:09
7 Bibor No Azora 5:27
8 The Madonna 6:24
9 Praying 4:15
10 Little Jump 4:19
11 Hymn 4:07
12 Far North 4:32

That Swedish bassist Lars Danielsson is a pliant, flexible player who's worked with American artists including John Abercrombie, Pat Metheny, and Dave Liebman, and notable European names such as Eivind Aarset, Ulf Wakenius, and Nils Petter Molvaer isn't much of a secret—at least, not to audiences on the east side of the Atlantic. In North America he's less of a proven entity, a status that deserves to change on the basis of Signature Edition 3, the third in ACT's series of artist-chosen compilations that, thus far, has shone well-deserved spotlights on guitarists Wakenius and Nguyên Lê. For Danielsson's two-disc collection, the busy bassist culls material from his own ACT releases dating as far back as 2004's softly orchestral Libera Me and as recent as 2009's outstanding Tarantella, featuring a superb multinational group with British guitarist John Parricelli, Norwegian trumpeter Mathias Eick, American percussionist Eric Harland, and Polish pianist Leszek Możdżer.

But like his fellow Signature Series compatriots, Danielsson isn't restricted to just his work on the venerable German label, whose head and producer, Siggi Loch, is celebrating his 50th year in the business, though he also includes guest stints from ACT releases by singers Youn Sun Nah (the gently melancholic "The Linden," from 2009's Voyage) and Viktoria Tolstoy (the equally minor-keyed but more up-tempo "From Above," from 2005's My Swedish Heart). Danielsson dips back as far back as the folkloric yet modal "Folk Song (To All Children)," from Poems (Dragon, 1991)—another transatlantic date, this time with Liebman, fellow Swede Bobo Stenson on piano, and Norwegian drum icon Jon Christensen—and the profoundly lyrical ballad, "Far North," featuring the same group and from the 1994 Dragon album of the same name.

Danielsson's familiarity and reverence for the American jazz tradition shouldn't be in question; certainly not on the basis of "Little Jump," a Metheny-esque track from Origo (Curling Legs, 1997) that quickly reveals its guitar protagonist to be Abercrombie rather than Metheny the moment Danielsson and drummer Adam Nussbaum dive into some fiercely swinging support. Danielsson also takes a brief but telling solo that says all that needs to be said about his ability in a more mainstream setting. On singer Cæcilie Norby's "Afterglow," from her Slow Fruit (Enja, 2009), Danielsson proves his ability to make simple but perfect choices throughout this smoky, late night ballad.

But what shines through most vividly on Signature Edition 3 are the bassist's lyrical compositional bent (all but two of its songs are written/co-written and arranged by Danielsson), his multi-instrumental skills (in addition to bass, playing cello, piano, vibraphone, and more), and an experimental nature that nevertheless remains deeply rooted in melody and no shortage of European classicism. Whether it's the interactive piano/bass duo of 2007's Pasodoble, the combination of Nu Jazz electronica and vivid orchestration on Mélange Bleu from the same year, or the more oblique "December," from European Voices (Dragon, 1995), Danielsson is clearly a force to be reckoned with on many fronts. Multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger...Signature Edition 3 has it all, and then some, proving Danielson worthy of greater attention on both sides of the Atlantic. ---John Kelman, allaboutjazz.com

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01 - Pegasus
02 - Melody on Wood
03 - Traveller's Wife
04 - Traveller's Defense
05 - 1000 Ways
06 - Ballet
07 - Across the Sun
08 - Introitus
09 - Fiojo
10 - Tarantella
11 - Ballerina
12 - The Madonna
13 - Postludum

Lars Danielsson, double-bass, cello, bass violin
Leszek Możdżer, piano, celesta, harpsichord
Mathias Eick, trumpet
John Parricelli, guitar
Eric Harland, drums, percussion

When a jazz improviser comes out with an album titled Tarantella, one cannot help but wonder if he is offering a fusion of jazz and southern Italian folk (the tarantella, after all, originated in Taranto, a coastal city in southeastern Italy, and became popular all over Campania, Calabria, and Sicily). But Tarantella, despite what its title implies, doesn't have a strong Italian influence; there are no jazz arrangements of traditional Italian folk songs on this self-produced post-bop outing. Nonetheless, Tarantella does have its share of European influences, ranging from Euro-classical chamber music to traditional Scandinavian folk -- and Swedish bassist/cellist Lars Danielsson incorporates all of those influences without being overly abstract or academic. In fact, the songs (most of which Danielsson wrote or co-wrote) are relatively accessible. That is not to say that contemplative, evocative offerings such as "Ballerina," "Melody on Wood," "The Madonna," and "Across the Sun" are simplistic; these songs have a lot of depth, but at the same time, they aren't terribly difficult to absorb -- and Danielsson achieves this healthy balance of intellect and accessibility with a solid team that also includes trumpeter Mathias Eick, pianist Leszek Mozdzer, guitarist John Parricelli, and drummer/percussionist Eric Harland. Emotionally, Danielsson and his colleagues have a lot to say on this 58-minute CD, which was recorded in 2008 in Gothenburg, Sweden (a city that is known for its abundance of death metal bands but has many other types of music as well). Danielsson has often been described as a melodic player, and he lives up that reputation on the excellent Tarantella. ---Alex Henderson, Rovi

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