R.I.P. Lars Sjösten

The great Swedish pianist Lars Sjösten died on October 19th,  70 years old. I saw him a lot back in the seventies when Dexter Gordon lived in Copenhagen. He also was a close friend and collaborator with Lars Gullin, both shared a deep fondness for 'Swedish' Melancholia.

Being the first to receive the Jan Johansson award, only a year after Johansson's passing, show us how appreciated Sjösten was.
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A rough Google translate from the swedish Wikipedia page :

Lars Sjösten, born May 7, 1941 in Oskarshamn, is a Swedish jazz musician. In the 1960s, played Sjösten often on the world famous pub the Golden Circle in Stockholm. He played with international greats as Ben Webster, Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer, Stan Getz, as the Swedish tenor saxophonist Bernt Rosengren.

Sjösten was also the pianist in the great Swedish baritone saxophonist and composer Lars Gullin groups. He became good friends with Gullin; this collaboration came to mean more for Sjösten own music creation. In 1969 Lars was Sjösten the first musician who was awarded the Jan Johansson scholarship. In 1997, the newly Sjösten Lars Gullin Award, and in 2006 he received Christer Boustedt scholarship. Over the years, Lars Sjösten led several groups of their own. He has made many recordings and has received both public response and state aid. His touring has taken him to such diverse cities as Paris, Moscow, Vittoria da Praia (Azores) and Emmaboda. Lars Sjösten is also an established composer with a sense of strong melodies and beautiful chord.

On the disc, Lars Sjösten flowing, melodious playing sound and on recordings under his own name and with the likes of Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster, Lee Konitz, Benny Bailey, Bjarne Nerem, Lars Gullin, Bernt Rosengren and Putte Wickman, and with vocal artists such as Nannie Porres and Gunnar "Siljabloo" Nilson.

In 1981 was appointed Sjösten LP Select Notes for this year's Golden Disc, an honor awarded by the magazine Orkesterjournalen. On this album you hear musicians as alto saxophonist Willy Lundin, trombonist Lars Olofsson, trumpeter January Allan, bassist Sture Nordin, drummer Egil Johansen and percussionist Rudi Smith.

There's a shorter english version available as well here.