Swedish trumpeter and cornetist Tobias Wiklund is a perfect example of a new breed of musician who is neither easy to classify nor difficult to identify.

With a great love for many forms of music, Wiklund moves freely between modern artistic expression and a more traditional sound. Here, on his debut as a leader and playing cornet exclusively, he’s assembled a repertoire of nine songs covering intense minimalism, beautiful ballads, and outgoing, swinging jazz, including two songs popularized by Louis Armstrong, ‘Song Of The Vipers’ and ‘Weather Bird,’ appearing here as a tribute to ‘the past.’

On this album the energy and swing are what drive Wiklund and his fellow musicians – specifically, a free and open interpretation of ‘swing,’ one that doesn’t depend on the rhythm section pushing forward in unison. Those who associate Swedish jazz with melancholic folk music have taken a wrong turn if they think that’s all they can e