Another selection of the world-famous 1976 analogue recordings at the Pawnshop Jazz Club in Stockholm, Sweden, with the outstanding Domnerus Group (still going strong). When recording engineer Gert Palmcrantz was loading his car with equipment outside Europa Film Studios on December 6th, 1976, it was only to make one of many recordings. No one knew then that it was to become a cult recording among audiophiles and one of the most appreciated jazz recordings ever made. Palmcrantz put the equipment in the car and drove off to Stampen, the jazz club in Gamla Stan in Stockholm. It was far from the first time for him to record jazz at Stampen. The club, named after a pawnbrokers’ shop which used to be in that block, opened in 1968.
Jazz At The Pawnshop Volume 2 is the second volume of the great Jazz at the Pawnshop sessions that were recorded in December 1976 over two nights at the intimate Pawnshop jazz club in Stockholm. It was named because a Pawnshop was previously housed at the site. The album is considered one of the best recorded and most famous audiophile recordings in Jazz music history. Both the musicianship and the engineering came together in a magical symbiosis captured in this enduring classic.
Recording engineer Gert Palmcrantz used one pair of microphones spaced eight inches apart for the main pick-up, with a couple of microphones placed to register the “live” atmosphere and a few discrete support mikes, all recorded on a pair of two-track Nagra tape recorders in the restaurant kitchen!
Jazz enthusiast Sten Holmquist discovered Stampen as a pawnshop romantically located in the old town of Stockholm. It came complete with a 17th century cellar, and until 1880 had been the premises of the French Reform Church. The name “Stampen” is derived from the stamps clients would receive per regular maintenance payments, for items they had deposited at the pawn shop as collateral.
Original Recording Format: Analog Tape
Arne Domnérus, Bengt Hallberg, Georg Riedel, Egil Johansen, Lars Erstrand – Jazz At The Pawnshop
Bass – Georg Riedel
Drums – Egil Johansen
Piano – Bengt Hallberg
Saxophone, Clarinet – Arne Domnérus
Vibraphone – Lars Erstrand
Producer – Jacob Boëthius
Recorded By – Gert Palmcrantz
Live session at Stampen in Stockholm, Sweden.
The second of four volumes that fully document a 1976 engagement at the Pawnshop Jazz Club in Stockholm, Sweden, this set differs from the others in that vibraphonist Lars Erstrand is not present. Arne Domnerus (on alto and clarinet) heads a quartet also featuring pianist Bengt Hallberg, bassist Georg Riedel and drummer Egil Johnasen. Other than an African folk song (a second version of "High Life,") and a Swedish folk song, the repertoire is dominated by swing standards; highlights include a lengthy "In a Mellow Tone," "Poor Butterfly" and "Things Ain't What They Used to Be."
Press reviews here: “On December 6 and 7, 1976, in a small Jazz club called Stampen (The Pawn Shop) in Stockholm’s Old Town, Swedish sound engineer Gert Palmcrantz recorded a group of leading Scandinavian jazzmen live, trying to get “the tight, harmonious sound of the records of my childhood.” Conditions were less than ideal. A full house, with a great deal of background noise. No rehearsals. No sound checks. The musicians just started playing with no one knowing what would be next on the agenda until Reedman Arne Domnerus called it.
Sound aside, the music is a glorious mix that seamlessly knits Ellington with Armstrong, melancholic Swedish folk songs with bop, and two takes of African High Life thrown in for good measure. Domnerus is at the very height of his considerable powers on alto saxophone and clarinet. Pianist Bengt Hallberg, usually an extremely delicate and very measured player, was affected by the general ambience, and here and there cut loose with awesome force. “Bengt went almost crazy on occasions,” bassist Riedel recalls. Erstrand, one of Europe’s best on vibes, played just one night but added a light, airy feel. He rides high on up-tempo numbers like “Limehouse Blues,” but also provides subtle underpinning on ballads including “I’m Confessin'” and “Lady Be Good.”You hear the chink of glasses, the chime of the bell to acknowledge a tip, the burr of conversation. It all fits. That intimate club atmosphere sparks Jazz at its best. You feel as though you’re there. Which is Palmcrantz’s triumph, and why Jazz at the Pawnshop is likely to continue to fascinate both Jazz and audio fans for a good many years to come.” - By Chris Mosey from All About Jazz.
Arne Domnerus, Bengt Hallberg, Egil Johansen, Georg Riedel, Lars Erstrand
AudioNautes Recordings - Made and Printed in Italy.
