Westlin/Tontin – Westlin/Tontin (Grodor Och Fåglar, 2018) ***½

By Gustav Lindqvist

On the tiny Swedish label Grodor Och Fåglar (Frogs And Birds) comes the first 12” vinyl release by Westlin/Tontin. This is an album filled with fun! They stay true to tradition, but clearly Westlin has thought this through and spices each song with humoresque melodic snippets. Jonsson is often on a different planet throughout the entire album, and I love it! On Dagen då 50-öringen försvann he seems to have decided where to go, and then he’s off, leaving the rest of the band in a cloud of smoke. This album reminds me of Jari Haapalainen Trio with its theme à la madness and its bend-and-break style. I find myself standing on a dancefloor after having just a little bit too much to drink, but still with a distinct idea of certain dance moves. Westlin/Tontin accompanies that perfectly. It’s a small box of jewels that are all unique in color and feel. I’d like to hear more from Mogensen and Davidsson on future releases, even though on Trimmer they’re stretching their legs a bit. Jonsson is the highlight of this somewhat short release. This is promising, and I hope to hear more from the group in 2019.

Personnel:

Double Bass – Boel Mogensen

Drums – Anton Jonsson

Tenor Saxophone – Pelle Westlin

Trombone – Gustav Davidsson