Son of the late legendary Swedish baritone sax bebopper
Lars Gullin,
Peter Gullin also took up the baritone, doubled on tenor, and established his own approach before he passed away in 2003. What differentiated the son from the father is a timbre that utilized the upper third register on the bigger horn similar to his sound on the tenor. The younger
Gullin also expanded his style to include folk, contemporary European neo-classical, and original updated jazz music that easily fit into modern times.
Untold Story incorporates two Danish musicians -- electric and acoustic guitarist Morten Kargaard and bassist Ole Rasmussen, who are very compatible with
Gullin's concept and enhance the broader tone of his concept. Kargaard is the central figure as a composer and performer in taking the music across the great jazz divide. His finger style or steel-toned ideas both buoy the beautiful "Sunrise," adopts a darker modal mood for the title selection, and "Flying Eagle" is a piece that could easily associated with the ECM sound, combining folk and Baroque musics.
Gullin wrote the extended tracks "Incognito" and "Men Stig In/Please Come In," the former an easy swinger with chopped up melodies similar to "Speak Low" while also admittedly referencing
Rimsky-Korsakov and
Prokofiev, the latter loaded with developing stop-start or circular phrases, quoting "I Got Rhythm," Slavic dance melodies, and spiky modal, easy, and interactive swing. The trio interprets standards like "My Romance" and "Autumn Leaves" with Rasmussen firmly grasping the melody lines as if he wrote them, while the group tosses time out the window, extrapolating without forcing anything, then either going with the flow, or conceding to the swing these songs have always demanded. The musicianship here is unquestionably first-rate, the teamwork admirable, and the group sounds unique unto itself. It seem the world at large never knew
Peter Gullin, so the title is apropos, but it's not too late to catch up to this excellent musician and his personal style. ~ Michael G. Nastos