Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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GULLIN, Lars

(b 4 May 1928, Visby, Sweden; d 17 May 1976, Vissefj„rda) Baritone sax, composer, arranger; the second European jazzman after Django Reinhardt to have an international impact, and to be widely admired in the USA without living there. From the age of 13 he played bugle and clarinet, then studied piano; he turned to jazz by the time he was 20, and settled on baritone; he was influenced by Lennie Tristano, as well as by Swedish folk and classical music. He recorded quartet, quintet, sextet, octet and big-band tracks beginning in 1951 almost entirely in Sweden, with few exceptions such as a concert in Stuttgart with the Chet Baker Quartet '55 including Richard Twardzik on piano, other dates in Milan (some tracks with George Gruntz on piano) and Rome (some with Romano Mussolini), both '59. One session in '53 with his visiting 'American All Stars' included Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino, Lee Konitz and Zoot Sims; otherwise the first-rate Swedish sidemen included Arne Domnérus on alto (d 2 September 2008 aged 83), Rolf Ericson on trumpet, Aake Persson on trombone, Bengt Halberg on piano and many others who deserved to be much better known, such as pianist Rune Ofverman on several '56 dates.

Gullin was the first European to win a USA jazz poll (down beat New Star '54); some tracks were issued on EmArcy and Atlantic in the USA; the Dragon label issued up to five LPs of his '50s recordings in the '80s and began reissuing them on CD '93. Apart from his mastery of his instrument (he could play it like an alto, though his proficiency was not the kind that drew attention to itself), he was an exceptional melodist, the sort of improviser whose ideas (like Bix's) arose out of one another, not just a series of variations; and he was also a gifted composer and arranger of unique ensemble colours and textures. He was also a self-editor: two takes of the moody 'Manchester Fog' (on Dragon's Vol. 5) are both beautiful, each different. From the mid-'60s his recording slowed down as he devoted himself to writing (though The House I Live In on Steeplechase, a live duo with Archie Shepp in Copenhagen backed by the Tete Montoliu trio is especially fine); his last recording '76 was 'Aeros Aromatica Atomica Suite' with a big band, and he also wrote for a symphony orchestra with jazz soloists. He suffered periods of ill health due to a drug problem; the film Sven Klangs Kvintett '76 (directed by Stellan Olsson) was based on his life. His son Peter Gullin (b 12 April 1959 in Milan) also plays baritone and alto sax. Dedicated To Lee -- Lars Sjösten Octet Featuring Lee Konitz Plays The Music Of Lars Gullin '83 on Dragon presented Gullin's tunes in his arrangements.