Participants:
Lasse Lindgren, trumpet (Sweden)
Latvian Radio Big Band

The Latvian Radio Big Band will perform together with the outstanding Swedish trumpeter and big band leader Lasse Lindgren the “Sting’s Music Evening” program in Dzintari Concert Hall on February 24 at 18:00 in the “Jūrmala Jazz” concert series.

One of the most prominent trumpet players of our time, Lasse Lindgren, is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and big band leader, an unrivalled virtuoso of the high registers of the trumpet.

The legendary trombonist and arranger Bob Bruckmeyer also praised Lindgren’s compositional works: “Free, lyrical, inspiring and original – these are the words that came to my mind when I first heard Lasi with the Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, and they are the words that I say to you too.”

During his career, he has collaborated with such artists as the Danish Radio Big Band, the NDR Big Band, the Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, Django Bates and Bob Bruckmeyer, as well as with the legendary jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, who is known worldwide as the author of the movie’s “Rocky” theme “Gonna Fly Now”.

“Lindgren is as impressive on stage as he is on record, with a powerful and piercing tone in his solos, demonstrating that he is one of the few who can follow in Maynard Ferguson’s footsteps without seeming like a parody.” (Hallands Nyheter)

In 2001, Lasse Lindgren created the Lasse Lindgren Constellations project, bringing together outstanding musicians of the jazz fraternity. Lasse is also one of the few musicians in the world who received personal permission from the Swedish band ABBA to make arrangements for their compositions – this collaboration resulted in the album “Plays the ABBA Songbook in a Big Band Atmosphere”. Lasse Lindgren has already collaborated with Latvian Radio Big Band several times – in 2018, their joint album “Baltic Waves” was released.

“There are trumpeters and there is Lase Lindgren,” the artistic director of the Latvian Radio Big Band Kārlis Vanags has said about the talented Swedish musician.

The concert will feature pop legend’s Sting’s most beautiful songs and ballads, which have already become super hits and golden classics – “Englishman In New York”, “Fragile”, “Roxanne”, “Every Breath You Take”, etc. Sting’s compositions have undergone countless versions and arrangements, which rediscover the universal power of this music and its ability to reach the hearts of listeners. The program was arranged by Michael Abene, winner of the “Grammy” award.

Lasse himself says about the program: “I am very proud to be a part of this project – “The Baltic String Thing”! I have always loved Sting, his music and melodies, their moods and colors. Sting is not only a pop star, but also a great musician, composer and lyricist. He is a popular and critically acclaimed artist in jazz music circles as well. When this idea came up, I had no doubt that it would be arranged by Michael Abene and performed by my favorite big band – the Latvian Radio Big Band!”

Approximate concert duration: 1 hour 30 minutes