Last Buzz Record Co. - Jump 4 Joy

Jump 4 Joy web site.

Jump4Joy is a four-piece group which since 1992 has graced the world with their own mixture of R&B, Jump and Swing on records and at over 2000 personal appearances. As a group they are often praised for their vital combination of musicality, energy and humour.

Finest Boogie & Swing Collection

BUZZ-8041

Anders Almberg is a drummer based in the style of the 40's and 50's with a compelling stage appearance. His work is especially appealing on my own favourite track on this album, Barbeque. Bosse Gustafsson was the mainstay on saxophone in the top Ska-Reggae group Dag Vag during many years prior to Jump4Joy. His and Ulf Sandstr´¿¢m's combination of forces on stage are most impressive and expressive after having played together over 20 years. His alto- and tenor-saxophone styles are bound to please the fans of Earl Bostic or Bullmoose Jackson. Castle Rock will undoubtedly bring him new fans as well. For reasons unknown to this writer the group usually wears out one excellent bass-player every 2-3 years.

Without a doubt the groups central figure is singer/pianist Ulf Sandstr´¿¢m born in the astrological sign of Leo in 1964 by Swedish parents. His birthplace was Bogota, Colombia, and after a few years there his fathers work in the diplomatic corps brought the family to countries like Hungary (during communist rule), Spain (during the fascist rule of Generalissimo Franco), Boston USA (during Nixon rule), and also to Castro's Cuba before returning to Sweden. Ulf speaks English, Spanish and Danish plus of course Swedish.

He learned to play piano by ear at four with the Kod´¿¢ly-method in Hungary, and finished his schooling in Sweden at twelve with a Jamaican piano teacher. Meanwhile he had an English piano teacher in Spain and practised and played tenor tuba in the school-orchestra in USA. At this time Ulf was still playing by ear, and has not until this day learned to play from sheet-music. He fooled his teachers by simply repeating what he heard them play. After listening to Little Richard's Good Golly Miss Molly he realised that formal schooling had no more to give.

His first group was formed when he was fifteen, and a few years later he turned professional. Other vocational experiences have been sporadic, although Ulf has worked within many related fields like photography, radio and theatre lighting. While being soft-spoken off stage, like a typical Swede on stage he's transformed into "Mr Motor-mouth". I would not be surprised if he has his own radio (or television) show in the future ´¿¢ in Sweden or abroad.

Ulf was discovered by Bo Stenhammar, the impresario who created the Stockholm Jazz and Blues Festival in 1980. It was Bo who brought Professor Longhair, the founder and father of New Orleans R&B, to Sweden in the 70-s. Bo chose Ulf with his first group Sneaky Pete's and later Jump4Joy to back many guest musicians like Clarence "Frogman" Henry and Albert King.

Most of the material on this CD is written by Ulf who has lived for periods in New Orleans. Often staying with Clarence "Frogman" Henry who introduced him to all facets of the fascinating local musical scene and became his mentor. The songs are in English - as much his first language as Swedish. Jump4Joy is one of the few European groups to have performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Blues Heritage Festival. They were well received with a standing ovation and three encores.

The New Orleans connection is evident in many selections on this CD. In fact, many of these tracks could just as well have been written for some of New Orleans finest performers during the golden era of New Orleans R&B. I can picture Ulf in that era, working alongside producers/songwriters/arrangers like Eddie Bo, Huey Smith and Allen Toussaint, perhaps for the Joe Banashak Minit/Instant family of labels. He could have been supplying guys like Earl King, Ernie K-Doe, Curly Moore and Frogman Henry with songs and arrangements. Rushing from the Cosimo Recording Studio on Camp Street to Bourbon Street in the evening for a solo piano spot in one of the piano bars where other professors and entertainers like Roosevelt Sykes, Cousin Joe, Frankie Ford, Art Neville and Archibald are playing next door. Or having a gig with Jump4Joy at Irma Thomas' husband's club The Shadowland, and an occasional weekend gig at the Dew Drop. He could have worked as an A&R man for the Louisiana swamp-based labels like Jin/Swallow and Goldband, arranging numbers like Barbeque for their rooster of swamp-pop-R&B artists. But of course, the music scene has changed and these opportunities are simply not there anymore.

So far Ulf has had around 30 of his own compositions released, and he has several more many solo piano/vocal pieces - in the can for future release. Ulf has also written and recorded Blues and R&B-styled "mood music" on several records for BMG Match Music, that have been used on radio and TV for atmospheric purposes.

In a dimly lit club it is easy to mistake Ulf for a distinguished member of one of Louisiana's finest and oldest Creole families. Others have pointed out his remarkable resemblance to "Baby" Lovett, Pete Johnson's favourite drummer. Physical double "Baby" also had his share of diplomatic life when he, as a member of Julia Lee's Boyfriends, was invited to the White House in 1948. Harry "Give 'em hell!" Truman had the best musical taste of last century's presidents and was also completely insensitive to the opinion of the moral majority who hardly could approve of Miss Lee's repertoire that was shock-full f songs like King Size Papa, My Man Stands Out, Gotta Gimme Whatcha Got, Don't Save It Too Long, Don't Come Too Soon etc. This kind of "double entendre" numbers were banned on most white radio stations and many black stations too (Truman was a political prot´¿¢g´¿¢ of Boss Tom Pendergast, the Major of Kansas City during the prohibition era ´¿¢ when Boogie Woogie King "Roll 'em Pete Johnson" and Big Joe Turner created "I Got A Gal" a.k.a. "Jump For Joy").

The musical comedy styles of Louis Jordan and the Coasters and even the pre-historic R&B-rappers Boogalo and Dr Horse are very evident in everything Jump4Joy does. This tradition is strong in Sweden too with household names like Povel Ramel or Owe Th´¿¢rnqvist. Ulf's latest brainchild has been a musical and theatrical extravaganza that he wrote, in Swedish this time, and staged with the band at the Scala theatre in Stockholm. Working in the theatre has given Jump4Joy a chance to use everything they've learned so far in music, comedy and drama and add some more on top from the Marx Brothers (with the Chico Marx Orchestra), Spike Jones or the film classic Hellzapoppin.

Jump4Joy's reputation as a first class R&B-based show band has spread to countries like France, Russia, The Check Republic, Poland, England and the rest of Scandinavia ´¿¢ to where they have been invited and asked back on their ongoing crusade.

While in USA Ulf became fascinated with Black Gospel Music and the group has had several church appearances in this field working with a division of the Gospel Lukas choir performing Ulf's songs in arrangements by Krister Lundkvist.

The R&B, Jump and Boogie songs on this CD were recorded during 10 years (1994-2004). A few standards are here of course, but my own favourites are the self penned Barbeque, Caretaker, Happy and Why oh Why which sound like one of those great flipsides you discovered when turning over a hit 45 from New Orleans. Happy is a fine R&B number - almost a fusion between Jimmy McCracklin and the metal-group Status Quo. (Shim Sham) Shimmy is a barrelhouse-blues by Champion Jack Dupree. Jacks stage act went back to the vaudeville days and usually included a hilariously funny Mother-In Law routine. Long before Ulf's friend Ernie K-Doe had his million seller. Long before this collection of Jump4Joy's finest Boogie and swing recordings.
Jonas Bernholm (Dec. 2004)

Jonas "Mr R&B" Bernholm compiled and produced circa 180 albums of R&B, Blues, Gospel-music from the 40's and 50's on a dozen labels like Route 66, Jukebox Lil and Clanka Lanka. Two albums were Grammy-nominated in USA and one won first price in Montreux, Switzerland and many R&B-artists were rediscovered and had a second career. Two of these compilations (Amos Milburn and Ivory Joe Hunter) were the main inspiration of Jump4Joy during their first year.

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Love Patrol

BUZZ-8029

Released in 2002. Three promo singles issued (all sold out): "Bauer Mood" (BUZZ-7006), "Love Patrol" (BUZZ-7007) and "Do The Louie" (BUZZ-7009)

"The best yet" according to National Press and a helluva lot of fan mail. 7 original songs ranging from New Orleans R&B and R&R to gospel, plus a teardripping rendition of Waltzin Matilda and Flamingo. A saxomania completed by the less known musical comic strip Shocking and why not Rockin' Robin - if Michael can do it...
Produced by Jump 4 Joy. Recorded with an audience in two sittings at legendary Atlantis Studio in Stockholm, with Pontus Olsson at the helm.

Review @ Blues News

Review @ Blues news (in Norwegian)

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cutest lil' boogie

BUZZ-8022

Released in 2001

The complete epitomy of Jump 4 Joy. A canned session of live energy packed with spicy homage to Amos Milburn along with three original songs. The final original track "True Love" leaves you with an aching heart in a broken down bar even if you are happy. Not slick. 100 % Guitar free. Produced by Jump 4 Joy. Party killer and dance session complete redundancy dynamite.
Recorded quite live in SAMI Studios, Stockholm with Janne Wirmark.

Review @ Blues News

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Jump 4 Joy

BUZZ-8016

Reissue of CD sold out on original label.

A truly extraordinary recording. Eight original songs by Ulf Sandstr´¿¢m. This material takes their unique mix of swing, blues, jive, jump, rock, jazz and gospel to an exciting point without loosing the original flavour. It's a slick and well produced Jump 4 Joy recording...
Backup vocals joyfully administered by The Boppers, and Hanna Wanng´¿¢rd. Percussion by Jonas Lundberg.
Recorded more or less live in Silence Studios, Koppom with Anders Lind - master of acoustics and "reasonability".

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The Sensational

BUZZ-8015

Reissue of CD sold out on original label.

A hard cooking New Orleans Piano Stew with blues, gospel, jazz and boogie influences. This is the record where the Zambian Heritage Brothers quartet are adding deep and charmy backup vocals in several places. Percussion magic.
Recorded more or less live in Ping Pong Studio, Stockholm. Lots of tape compression and analog 24 track recorder.

Review @ Blues News

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Keep It Up

BUZZ-8014

A Rootsy, 50's Rhythm'n Bluesy first recording of this group. Sold greatly much thanks to a large international interest from Lindy Hoppers. Guest appearance of Peps Persson (harmonica) on Jody Williams "She Fooled Me" and Kenny H´¿¢kansson (guitar) on Charles Browns "My Heart Is Mended". 5 strong original tracks by Ulf Sandstr´¿¢m, including the two unique barrelhouse bonus tracks somewhere in the end...

Review at Blues On Stage.

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