Nils Landgren - Teamwork (CD)

Release Date: 04/26/13

The name is the game: Europe`s most successful Jazz-Funk Band featuring Joe Sample and Wilton Felder

James Brown meets Parliament meets Crusaders meets Funk Unit: that's one way you could describe the musical concept on 'Teamwork'. It is pure party feeling, the notes whirl coolly through the ranks, superb horn sets alternate with ecstatic solos, dance beats, smooth vocals and strong melodies, but there is also time for elegance and heartfelt blues. 'Teamwork' is all that and then some, played by a dream team of sweat-inducing funk workers with soul in their blood. With 'Teamwork', Nils Landgren puts more emphasis on the skill of the collective, and pursues the same creative strategy that made funk legends like James Brown and George Clinton's Parliament great: go with the flow, follow where the groove takes you. 'Hours of jamming preceded the recording sessions. We just turned the recorder on and played. It was like panning for gold. The songs emerged bit by bit.' So 'Teamwork' isn't just an empty phrase, it is the essence. You need more than just great individualists, you need a gang of conspirators with the right team spirit. It is the wisdom of the many that gives the album that something special: most of the 13 compositions emerged out of the collaboration with the entire Funk Unit, with various individual leaders. Jonas Wall showed his particular mettle in the horn arrangements and Magnum Coltrane Price gave the album the final polish at the mixing console. With his 7-man European team, Landgren finds the square of the circle: creating authentic-sounding 'black music' and gaining top American protagonists to do so. True greats of the scene are on the new Funk Unit album, including the two Crusaders legends Joe Sample and Wilton Felder. As Landgren explains, 'I've been a member of the Crusaders for some years now, and I've known Joe since the 80s.' With 'Teamwork' Nils Landgren once again fulfils his never-ending mission to conquer the hearts and legs of his fans. It is an expedition that underscores his position in the Champions League of international funk.