Another selection of the world-famous 1976 analogue recordings at the Pawnshop Jazz Club in Stockholm, Sweden, with the outstanding Domnerus Group (still going strong). And a token of sound engineer Gert Palmcrantz's mastership!

When recording engineer Gert Palmcrantz was loading his car with equipment outside Europa Film Studios on December 6th, 1976, it was only to make one of many recordings. No one knew then that it was to become a cult recording among audiophiles and one of the most appreciated jazz recordings ever made. Palmcrantz put the equipment in the car and drove off to Stampen, the jazz club in Gamla Stan in Stockholm. It was far from the first time for him to record jazz at Stampen. The club, named after a pawnbrokers’ shop which used to be in that block, opened in 1968.

Jazz At The Pawnshop Volume 2 is the second volume of the great Jazz at the Pawnshop sessions that were recorded in December 1976 over two nights at the intimate Pawnshop jazz club in Stockholm. It was named because a Pawnshop was previously housed at the site. The album is considered one of the best recorded and most famous audiophile recordings in Jazz music history. Both the musicianship and the engineering came together in a magical symbiosis captured in this enduring classic.

Recording engineer Gert Palmcrantz used one pair of microphones spaced eight inches apart for the main pick-up, with a couple of microphones placed to register the “live” atmosphere and a few discrete support mikes, all recorded on a pair of two-track Nagra tape recorders in the restaurant kitchen!

Jazz At The Pawnshop Volume 2 includes 9 previously unreleased tracks from the Jazz At The Pawnshop 1976 recordings in Stockholm, Sweden.

The second of four volumes that fully document a 1976 engagement at the Pawnshop Jazz Club in Stockholm, Sweden, this set differs from the others in that vibraphonist Lars Erstrand is not present. Arne Domnerus (on alto and clarinet) heads a quartet also featuring pianist Bengt Hallberg, bassist Georg Riedel and drummer Egil Johnasen. Other than an African folk song (a second version of "High Life,") and a Swedish folk song, the repertoire is dominated by swing standards; highlights include a lengthy "In a Mellow Tone," "Poor Butterfly" and "Things Ain't What They Used to Be."

Press reviews here: “On December 6 and 7, 1976, in a small Jazz club called Stampen (The Pawn Shop) in Stockholm’s Old Town, Swedish sound engineer Gert Palmcrantz recorded a group of leading Scandinavian jazzmen live, trying to get “the tight, harmonious sound of the records of my childhood.” Conditions were less than ideal. A full house, with a great deal of background noise. No rehearsals. No sound checks. The musicians just started playing with no one knowing what would be next on the agenda until Reedman Arne Domnerus called it.

The result has often been hailed as the best live Jazz recording ever. Amazingly, for a small country such as Sweden, the record sold more than half a million copies and still sells, at a rate of around 4,000 copies annually.

Sound aside, the music is a glorious mix that seamlessly knits Ellington with Armstrong, melancholic Swedish folk songs with bop, and two takes of African High Life thrown in for good measure. Domnerus is at the very height of his considerable powers on alto saxophone and clarinet. Pianist Bengt Hallberg, usually an extremely delicate and very measured player, was affected by the general ambience, and here and there cut loose with awesome force. “Bengt went almost crazy on occasions,” bassist Riedel recalls. Erstrand, one of Europe’s best on vibes, played just one night but added a light, airy feel. He rides high on up-tempo numbers like “Limehouse Blues,” but also provides subtle underpinning on ballads including “I’m Confessin'” and “Lady Be Good.”You hear the chink of glasses, the chime of the bell to acknowledge a tip, the burr of conversation. It all fits. That intimate club atmosphere sparks Jazz at its best. You feel as though you’re there. Which is Palmcrantz’s triumph, and why Jazz at the Pawnshop is likely to continue to fascinate both Jazz and audio fans for a good many years to come.” - By Chris Mosey from All About Jazz

Album: Arne Domnerus Group - Jazz At The Pawnshop Volume 2
Label: AudioNautes Recordings - AN-RTR-2304
Format: 2 x Reel-To-Reel, 15 ips, ¼", 2-Track Stereo, 10.5" NAB Reel, Album, Limited Edition, CCIR OR NAB Equalization
Country: Italy
Released: June 2023
Genre: Jazz
Style: Bop

Tracklist:

1. Over the RainbowHarold Arlen / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
2. Gubben Och KällingenTraditional
3. In a Mellow ToneDuke Ellington / Milt Gabler
4. Nancy (With the Laughing Face)James Van Heusen / Phil Silvers
5. High LifeArne Domnérus
6. Poor ButterflyJohn Golden / Raymond Hubbell
7. Exactly Like YouDorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
8. Things Ain't What They Used to BeMercer Ellington / Ted Persons
9. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)Duke Ellington / Irving Mills

Musician: Arne Domnérus, Bengt Hallberg, Georg Riedel

Composers: ARLEN, Ellington, Hubbell, McHugh, Traditional, van Heusen
Producer By Jacob BoëthiusRecorded By Gert Palmcrantz
Recorded live at The Pawnshop (Stampen) Jazz Club, Stockholm, December 6-7, 1976

Jazz enthusiast Sten Holmquist discovered Stampen as a pawnshop romantically located in the old town of Stockholm. It came complete with a 17th century cellar, and until 1880 had been the premises of the French Reform Church. The name “Stampen” is derived from the stamps clients would receive per regular maintenance payments, for items they had deposited at the pawn shop as collateral.

Original Recording Format: Analog Tape

Essential AudioNautes Tape Albums For Your Collection - YOU DON'T KNOW ANALOG TAPE SOUND UNTIL YOU'VE EXPERIENCED ONE

AudioNautes Recordings started with the purpose of offering the very best version of some favourite (sometimes almost unknown or forgotten) recordings. At AudioNautes, each copy is transferred in real-time, using studio-level reel-to-reel tape recorders on freshly-made RTM audiotape. Production of audiotapes is a time-consuming process so each album is released in limited batches.

AudioNautes Recordings - Reel Audio Tape Discography:

• AN-RTR-2107 Oscar's Motet Choir - Cantate Domino
• AN-RTR-2203 Arne Domnérus - Jazz at the Pawnshop Vol. 1
• AN-RTR-2204 Arne Domnerus - Antiphone Blues
• AN-RTR-2205 Gregorio Paniagua - La Spagna XV, XVI, And XVII Centuries
• AN-RTR-2303 Bengt Berg: Now The Green Blade Riseth Vol. 1
• AN-RTR-2304 Arne Domnérus - Jazz at the Pawnshop Vol. 2
• AN-RTR-2305 Belafonte at the Carnegie Hall
• AN-RTR-2306 Polyphonia Antiqua ‎- Ultreia!
• AN-RTR-20000 Joculatores Upsalienses
• AN-RTR-2301 Gunilla von Bahr - Solflöjt
• AN-RTR-20002 Bengt Berg: Now The Green Blade Riseth Vol. 2

AudioNautes Recordings – Made and Printed in Italy.

AudioNautes Recordings started with the purpose of offering the very best version of some favourite (sometimes almost unknown or forgotten) recordings. At AudioNautes, each copy is transferred in real-time, using studio-level reel-to-reel tape recorders on freshly-made RTM audiotape. Production of audiotapes is a time-consuming process so each album is released in limited batches.

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