CD review: Hakan Brostrom, New Places Orchestra – Cosmic Friends 2023: Video, CD cover

In 2005 Håkan Broström was asked to do a so called “composer portrait” for the Swedish record label Phono Suecia.

With a more generous budget than what is common for jazz recordings he had the opportunity to record seven compositions for big band and five for a 9 piece string section. The CD was named after one of the compositions “New Places”.

5 years later in the spring of 2010 Håkan was asked by jazz club Fasching to put together a big band for series of concerts with various guest artists. The band needed a name and “New Places Orhestra” was born.

Håkan Broström is one of Sweden’s most versatile saxophone players. Through the years he has played with bands like Tolvan Big Band, Mikael Råbergs Storband, Norrbotten Big Band, Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, Mats Holmqvists Stora Stygga and Radiojazzgruppen. Broström is also a prolific composer and arranger for both big and small constellations.

”Cosmic Friends” is Håkan Broström’s tenth album, his third in the big band format when he is accompanied by New Places Orchestra. The band which was formed in 2010 engages several of Sweden’s best jazz musicians. The name comes from Broström’s album ”New Places” (PSCD169, Phono Suecia, 2006). All the music at ”Cosmic Friends” is composed and arranged by Håkan Broström except two standards, Benny Goodman’s “Memories of you” and George Gershwin’s ”I Loves you Porgy”.

This album was kind of a documentation of what I have been into the last few years. Most of the songs on the album are compositions that I wrote for my quartet. It feels good to have put this on record and now I can go on with something new and maybe different. I think my sound is a little bit more relaxed now maybe. Well there are 17 musicians in the band and I picked them one by one. Seven of the musicians on the recording are women. I think that has a positive effect on the music,- an interview with me said Håkan Broström.

I guarantee that you should definitely have this album, listen and enjoy it and definitely keep it in your collections!

01 May night (9:29)
02 Among The Stars (6:43)
03 Do I Know You? (7:45)
04 I Loves You Porgy (3:42)
05 Cosmic Friends (7:02)
06 Memories of You (4:35)
07 Consequence (7:46)
08 Childish Song (7:00)

Buy from here – New CD 2023