Fredrik Lundin

Fredrik Lundin (born 7 April 1963) is a Danish jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader. Frank Lundin founded his own jazz quartet in 1981 and since then he has been one of the most expressive and used saxophoners in Danish jazz.^[1]

Fredrik Lundin is currently the leader of the 11-piece Fredrik Lundin Overdrive which he founded in 2000. In the same time he is a member of Jon Balke's Magnetic North Orchestra, Jonas Johansen Move, Sound Of Choice, Peter Danemo Kapell, Bo Stief New Dreams and Michael Blicher Five Songs.

Biography

Fredrik Lundin was born in Copenhagen in 1963 and grew up in Helsingør north of the city. His first instrument was the flute which he played for five years before picking up the saxophon. He founded his own jazz quartet in 1981 and also appeared in several other ensembles in the following years. The same year he joined the European Youth Jazz Orchestra and from 1982 to 1986 he played in the Erling Kroner Tentet.^[2]

In 2000 he founded the 11-piece Fredrik Lundin Overdrive. The band released its debut cd, Choose Your Boots, the following year for which it received several awards, including a Danish Music Award for best jazz release 2001. Since then the band has toured Scandinavia, Spain and Canada.

In 2003 Lundin was asked by Copenhagen Jazz Festival to form a group for the official opening concert, and Basalt was the result, playing all original music by Lundin. The concert was recorded by the Danmarks Radio.

In 2004 Overdrive released its second album, Fredrik Lundin Overdrive Plays The Music of Leadbelly, Belly-up, which features Lundin's arrangements of songs by blues/folk legend Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter.

Other artists with whom he has worked and recorded include Marilyn Mazur (Sax Dance, the JazzPar Prize orchestra), Kenneth Knudsen, Jon Balke (Saturation), Django Bates, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (with Henrik Metz), Pierre Dørge (New Jungle Orchestra, ega week long engagement at Sweet Basil in New York) Steve Swallow (with Jørgen Emborg), Aske Jacoby and Kasper Winding.

Compositions

As a composer, Lundin has covered many different areas. Trine-Lise Væring has put lyrics to and recorded a number of his songs and he has delivered material to Jonas Johansen Move. Works of his have been commissioned and recorded by Copenhagen Art Ensemble, (the albums My Sisters Garden and Angels Share), New Music Orchestra,(for Copenhagen Jazzfestivals) The JazzPar Nonet feat.

He has composed music for dance performances (e.g. Regndråben for Thomas Eisenhardt and Rå Flade for Lars Dahl Pedersen) and a number of children's theatre plays (directed by Jacques Matthiessen). He has written music for the chamber orchestras, e.i. Madame Claude and Ensemble Nord, and Copenhagen Saxophone Quartet has commissioned and recorded a work by him on Six Danish Composers.

Teaching

Fredrik Lundin also teaches saxophone, composition and ensemble playing at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copemhagen.

Awards

• 1982: Sørens Penge (talent prize)
• 1984: Scholarship from the Léonie Sonnings Musikfond
• 1986: JASA-prizen (Danish jazz journalists prize)
• 1991: Hafnias Tonekunstnerlegat
• 1991: The Ministry of Culture (Statens Kunstfond) awarded him a prize for his "outstanding creative playing".
• 1995: DJBFA honorary prize
• 1997: 3 year grant from the ministry of culture
• 1997* Grant from Laurens Bogtman Foundation.
• 2001: Danish Music Award for best jazzrelease 2001 for Choose Your Boots
• 2005: Danish Music Award for best jazzrelease 2005 Fredrik Lundin Overdrive Plays The Music of Leadbelly, Belly-up.
• 2007 Ben Webster Prize

Discography

• Twilight Land (1986)
• The Cycle (1987)
• Pieces of... (1990)
• People, Places, Times and Faces (1992)
• Desde el norde.. (1997)
• Music For Dancers and Dreamers (1997)
• Choose Your Boots (2001)
• Fredrik Lundin Overdrive Plays the Music of Leadbelly, Belly-up (2004)
• Offpiste Gurus (2010)

See also

• Danish jazz

References