Written by Inspector Kurt Wallander put the Swedish coastal town of Ystad on the literary map in the early 1990s. Writer Henning Mankell staged his investigations in this small town. But the image he depicted of the Baltic Sea port bears little resemblance to what jazz fans have been experiencing here at the end of July for the past 16 years.
The city of 19,000 is not gray, foggy, gloomy, or ominous, but rather sunny, warm, friendly, and colorful. The picturesque old town, with its medieval half-timbered houses framed by hollyhocks, provides a stunning backdrop for the jazz parade through the pedestrian zone. The parade, featuring the Danish NB! Brass Band, drew a large and engaged audience under bright sunshine.
The weather gods, apparently jazz lovers themselves, defied the dire forecast; the rain stayed away, allowing all the open-air events—from the Next Generation showcase to the final afternoon concert at Charlottenlund Palace—to shine.
The garden concert, in particular, was in harmony with the weather. Bassist Hans Backenroth and his trio (trumpeter Thomas Fryland and guitarist Jacob Fischer) played their way through jazz history, surrounded by lush rose bushes and heavily laden pear trees, accompanied by the loud commentary of seagulls overhead.
The four-day festival unfolded at a variety of venues, from the refined Baltic Sea spa hotel Saltsjöbad to the monastery and St. Mary’s Church, and to the beautiful old theater, built in 1894 (whose vintage “Läderlappen” [“The Bat”] posters in Swedish are always guaranteed to bring a smile).
Bassist Sonja Bossart | Photo by: MarkusFagersten
Eighty volunteers helped to ensure everything runs smoothly by cooking for the technicians and musicians, assigning seats, and providing information. The festival’s branding—black and pink—makes staff and helpers instantly recognizable, with the colors also featured in the merchandise. Last year, pink rain ponchos were a festival hit on the last rainy concert day; this year it was bright pink fans.
Alongside the volunteers are twelve individuals who plan the event and manage finances. Pianist Jan Lundgren, a Ystad resident, is responsible for the programming as artistic director and also appears on stage during the festival.
His trio Mare Nostrum, featuring accordionist Richard Galliano and trumpeter Paolo Fresu, celebrated its 20th anniversary. Their set showcased the different cultures of its members, weaving together French chanson, musette, Italian opera, and Swedish folk songs, as well as original compositions dedicated to their wives and lullabies for dogs.
Palo Fresu | Photo by: Conrad Paavolainen
Lundgren’s second appearance was a tribute to pianist Bill Evans, who achieved near-saintly status in Sweden thanks in part to his collaboration with singer Monica Zetterlund. The trio—rounded out by the superb Anders Jormin on bass and Wolfgang Haffner on drums—performed favorites like “Waltz for Debby” and the theme from “M.A.S.H.”, though at times the arrangements felt a bit overdone.
The piano was a central focus: Mattias Nilsson performed solo in St. Mary’s Church, Claes Crona played with trumpeter Peter Asplund (also the festival’s tower trumpeter this year) in the monastery church, and Manon Mullener appeared in saxophonist Nicole Johänntgen’s Cuban-Caribbean Robin project.
But it was the pianoless ensembles that proved especially captivating. On the festival’s very first day, two absolute highlights appeared—both performed by former Miles Davis collaborators: bassist Dave Holland, who played with the trumpeter in the late ’60s and early ’70s, and guitarist Mike Stern, who joined the band in the early ’80s.
Dave Holland’s quartet KISMET became a trio due to the illness of guitarist Kevin Eubanks, yet the interplay between Holland, saxophonist Chris Potter, and drummer Marcus Gilmore was thrilling. Slim, elegant bass lines and thoughtful solos—each motif developed with clarity—kept the 480-seat old theater spellbound.
Mike Stern and his band—including his wife Leni, bassist Jimmy Haslip, drummer Dennis Chambers, and saxophonist Gabor Bolla (making his debut with the group)—demonstrated remarkable cohesion and musicality. Stern unleashed an energetic fusion firework to close the first night, a performance that sometimes overshadows his sharp melodic and harmonic sensibility.
Mike Stern | Photo by: Markus Fagersten
Saxophonist and flautist Magnus Lindgren had the chance to arrange his music for the chamber ensemble Musica Vitae. The program ranged from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons to Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” (a nod to jazz flutist Herbie Mann’s pop arrangements), though it might have been nice for the strings to have been given more opportunities for expressive variety beyond jazz textures.
A true discovery was singer Catherine Russell, who impressed alongside bassist Tal Ronen and guitarist Matt Munisteri. After decades as a backing vocalist for David Bowie and Cyndi Lauper, Russell only stepped into the spotlight in 2006, in her late 40s. Her set, which included songs by her father (who worked with Louis Armstrong among others) and delights from the American Songbook (“I like songs that ask questions or talk about food”), left audiences begging for encores.
The festival tradition places strong emphasis on vocals and big bands, a pairing that came together beautifully on the festival’s last day. Under blue skies and against the picture-postcard setting of Charlottenlund Castle, the Bohuslän Big Band provided the perfect finish. The fantastic big band presented a program dedicated to Quincy Jones (Jazz Ambassador at Ystad in 2012), joined by guests Ida Sand, Viktoria Tolstoy, and Nils Landgren (this year’s Jazz Ambassador). The audience danced on the lawn to the summer-bright “Soul Bossa,” while seagulls and greylag geese provided their own commentary from above.
Last modified: September 26, 2025
