Diana Krall, Jane Monheit, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Natalie Cole – these are the stars that have caused a worldwide furore with their full-blown movement back to the ‘standards’. It comes as no surprise that the interpretation of the well-known ballads that make up a large portion of ‘The Great American Songbook’ has always been considered one of the highest disciplines in jazz.

At first glance Nils Landgren might seem a bit out of place in the midst of this illustrious group. When it comes to ballads, Nils Landgren is an old hand. And Nils could sing practically from when he could talk. Nils remembers with amusement that, “In school we had to sing a psalm every day, which definitely didn’t arouse my enthusiasm for singing.” It was a convincing performance in the best James Brown manner that got the 18-year old Landgren his first recording contract. Since then, Nils Landgren has never completely stopped singing, regardless of all the success of his formidable band, Funk Unit.

Landgren’s 1992 ‘Ballads’ album, which was brought into the market without a lot of publicity, evolved into a real word-of-mouth hit. Almost 20,000 copies were sold – a more than respectful success in the jazz world. And so ‘Mr. Redhorn’ once again gives way to his sensitive side and undertakes a trip to the land of emotions.

‘Sentimental Journey’ – could there be a more appropriate title for an album from someone who is almost always speeding from one gig to the next but would like to shift down a gear? Nils declared, “After all the hectic tours in this last period, it was simply the right time to do this album. I’ve always liked quiet songs that tell a story. It doesn’t make much difference to me whether I tell that story with words or with my instrument.”