Timeline

Trio with Gary Willis (Tribal Tech, Wayne Shorter) fretless bass & Bas Cornelissen (Isotope, RHP) drums - Out now on Munich Records!

One Spirit

Feat. Frans Vollink, Bas Cornelissen, Rich Hallebeek, Rob van Bavel, Martin Verdonk, Lale Larson and special guests Jeff Beal (John Patitucci, Dave Weckl) and the legendary Randy Brecker (Brecker Bros).

Sir Millard Mulch

How To Sell The Whole F#@!ing Universe to everybody… once and for all! (Triple Disc) Mimicry Records.With Virgil Donati (Steve Vai, Planet X), Nick D’Virgilio (Tears For Fears, Spock’s Beard), Morgan Ågren (Zappa, Mats/Morgan), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad) & others… Estimated release date in July

Phi Yaan-Zek - Solar Flare

Feat. Marco Minneman, Fabio Trentini, Bumblefoot, Peter Stacey and others… coming soon.

 

Lars-Egon ”Lalle” Larsson är kanske inte så känd för den svenska publiken men är desto mer etablerad utomlands under namnet Lale Larson.

Lalle har medverkat på över 20 CD-skivor jämte världsnamn som Gary Willis, Virgil Donati, Richard Hallebeek, Shawn Lane, Sebastiaan Cornelissen, Randy Brecker, för att nämna några, och har influerat många unga musiker runt om i världen.

Lalles egen musik har beskrivits som vacker, virtuos och lite vemodig. Med sin största inspiration hämtad från John Coltrane och Eric Dolphy har han blandat ett personligt jazz-sound med de moderna klangerna av europeisk avantgarde. Larssons unika spelstil har gjort att inspelningarna hamnat hos samlare över hela världen; inspelningar med kultrykte än idag.

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År 2001 mottog Lalle Larsson Helsingborgs kulturstipendium på 25 000 kr.
Året efter uruppfördes det nyskapande verket ”Sju Dödliga Stycken” för kammarorkester och thrashmetal-band på Dunkers Kulturhus i Helsingborg. Ett verk som han hade jobbat på sen 1996. Sveriges radio P2 gjorde en intervju med kompositören och konserten blev en stor succe med lysande recensioner.    

Konserten filmades och den planeras att släppas på DVD som ett multimediapaket med bl.a en nyfilmad dokumentär om kompositören.

År 2002 släpper Lalle sin egenproducerade solopiano-CD State Of Mind via sin hemsida www.lallelarsson.com. Legendariska jazztidningen Orkesterjournalen beskriver Larsson som:

 ”en skicklig solist… melodisk med en glasklar ton”

Två år senare utger Liquid Note Records den banbrytande CD’n Electrocution 250 - “Electric Cartoon Music From Hell” med Lalle, Todd Duane på gitarr och Peter Wildoer (Darkane, Time Requiem) på trummor.

E-250 hamnar etta på en lista i Englands mest respekterade Jazztidning , Jazzwise, och den kallas för ett mästerverk i orginalitet” av världspressen.

I September samma år släpps skivan i Japan via Marquee/Avalon med nytt omslag och med bonusspåret “In The Mudd”. Plattan är flitigt spelad på Indie-radiostationer i Australien, USA, Mexico, Japan och Holland.

Lalle bidrar även med tre kompositioner till Richard Hallebeeks CD Richard Hallebeek Project, där han också medverkar som solist jämte Brett Garsed och gitarrlegenden Shawn Lane som kort efter tragiskt går bort bara 40 år gammal. Lalles komposition “Free” publiceras i Januarinumret av Italienska tidningen AXE.

RHP får lysande recensioner och toppar guitar9.com i flera veckor som den mest populära fusionplattan. Larsson kallas för en ”svensk sensation” och jämförs med pianister som Chick Corea i amerikansk press.

Hösten 2004 släpper Liquid Note Records “Contemporary Past”, ett retrospektiv av Larssons första Ominox inspelningar från´93 till ´95.

Ominox har varit något av ett “underground”-fenomen i många år och har mottagit uppskattning av bl.a Mark Varney och fans av virtuos jazz-fusion från hela världen.
MJ Brady från ProgGnosis beskriver musiken så här:

“a statement of grand proportions that elevate this CD to the level of the very best in the history of progressive related fusion recordings.”

2004 rekryteras Lalle till basisten Jonas Reingold’s (Flower Kings) band Karmakanic tillsammans med Zoltan Csörsz (Flower Kings, Hellborg), Krister Jonsson, Rob Palmen & Göran Edman (ex Yngwie Malmsteen) för en Europaturne i Belgien, Holland och Tyskland.

2005 släppte Munich Records projektet TimeLine. En trio-CD med holländske trummisen Sebastiaan Cornelissen (Isotope) och Amerikanske basisten Gary Willis (Tribal Tech, Wayne Shorter, Allan Holdsworth).

Man kan även höra Lalle framföra sina noterade kompositioner med marimbasolisten Thomas Widlund i den orginella duon Marimba Flesheaters. Duon tar sina övningar till nästan omänskliga gränser. Vissa stycken tog dem ett år att öva in innan de kunde framföras inför publik.

Larssons känsla för detaljer kan bl.a höras i hans ”The Electric Lobster Marimba Sandwich” , ett stycke på bara 1:50 minuter men med ett 40 sidor långt partitur. Musiken är influerad av bl.a jazz och nutida konstmusik, och den har beskrivits som personlig och nyskapande.

Lalle Larssons kompositioner har blivit uruppförda i Sverige och Danmark med lysande recensioner och en inspelning av dessa verk är under planering.

I april 2006 var Karmakanic inbjudna att spela på den progressiva festivalen RosFest i Philadelphia,USA, där dom mottog en stående ovation redan i tredje låten av en entusiastisk publik . En ny platta är inspelad och förväntas att släppas hösten 2006.

Som gäst och studiomusiker har Lalle Larsson medverkat på flera plattor tillsammans med bl.a Milan Polak, Alessandro Benvenuti, Joel Rivard, Bas Cornelissen, Gary Willis, Frans Vollink, Randy Brecker, Owe Thörnqvist, Sir Millard Mulch, Virgil Donati, Phi Yaan Zek, Marco Minnemann, Richard Hallebeek, Shawn Lane, Brett Garsed, för att nämna några.

Besök hemsidan www.lallelarsson.com för mer information.
 

Press:
“Conlon Nancarrowsk halsbraekkende virtuos polyrytmik”
Ursula Andkjaer Olsen, Berlinske Tidene , Köpenhamn, Danmark 2000

“Lalle Larssons fantasier om musik hindras knappast av hans teknik som pianist. Båda är gränslösa tycks det “.
Helsingborgs Dagblad 2002

“Vacker, virtuos och lite vemodig. En musik som är smeksam mot publiken men som ställer stora krav på sina utövare. När jag gick ut från konserten förstod jag att det här är bara början. Den här tonsättaren och musikern kan gå hur långt som helst.”
Tjerstin Thorsen, Helsingborgs Dagblad, Sweden 2002

“Lale Larson, a Swedish sensation, Larson has all the chops, and on RHP he really shows his aptitude for technically challenging fusion, right on the same standard as Chick Corea & Scott Kinsey. He really is amazing.”
MJ Brady, ProgGnosis, USA Mars 2004

“…another amazing international “super-trio” with bassist Gary Willis and Lale Larson–one of the most compositionally inventive and technically impressive keyboardists I’ve heard in a while–a musician that Allan Holdsworth told me about”
Chris - DJ Los Angeles Radio KPFK 90.7 /Co-founder of Alternity Records,  USA 2006

“While everyone here (at RosFest) is a great player, the absolute standout musician (of this set or the whole weekend) was keyboardist Lalle Larsson. An absolute monster of a player, his solos throughout the set were mind blowing and just blew away the audience.”
Dave Thomas, Meteornotes, USA, 2006

Musiker:

“The trio CD with Gary Willis blew me away.
You are outstanding ! Thank you for being a real champion for music, you are one of my favorites”

Kai Eckhardt (John Mclaughlin)
“Highly creative and inspiring music!”

Lisa Dalbello

“Awesome solos!”

Gary Willis (Tribal Tech, Wayne Shorter)
“Playing next to Lale Larson… he’s such a natural musician.
 it pushes your own playing to a different level.”

Richard Hallebeek

“All those piano lines are fantastic, he can add all those beautiful creative touches to the music. I’m lost for words when it comes to Lale… that’s him just improvising straight off! I wish I could improvise like that ”

Phi Yaan Zek
“You are certifiably out of your mind!
That is some of the sickest bad ass shit I have heard in a very long time! My hats off to you… That is some serious writing you are doing.”

Evan Stone (Maynard Ferguson, Larry Carlton)

“I’m blown away! You are simply incredible.”

Lyle Workman (Sting, Sheryl Crow)
 

Selected Discography

2005
One Spirit - Sebastiaan Cornelissen/Frans Vollink (feat Randy Brecker)
Timeline - feat. Bas Cornelissen & Gary Willis (CD)
Phi Yaan Zek - Solar Flare (CD)
Sir Millard Mulch - How To Sell The Whole F#@!ing Universe to Everybody (2 CD)
Owe Thörnqvist - Recovered
Christofer Malmström - Non-Human Level
2004
Ominox - Contemporary Past (LNR) Recordings from 1993-1995
The Richard Hallebeek Project (LNR, UK)
Electrocution 250 - Electric Cartoon Music From Hell
Electrocution 250 - Japan release with bonus track
J.A.M - Milan Polak, Alessandro Benvenuti, Joel Rivard
2002
Lalle Larson - State Of Mind - Solo piano
Sebastiaan Cornelissen - Aggressive Attack
The Alchemists - Compilation album
2001
The Warmth In The Wilderness - Compilation
1997
Philippe Ansari - Anomalies (MC)
1994
Ominox - In Time (MC)
1993
Guitar On The Edge Vol.1 No.4 - Compilation CD

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Lalle Larsson (English)     

Swedish pianist Lars-Egon “Lalle” Larsson, also known as Lale Larson has appeared on several acclaimed recordings over the years.

Larsson’s own music has been described as beautiful, virtuostic and a bit melancholic. With his main influences being John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy he has mixed a jazz sound with the modern sounds of the avant garde.

His devotion to music have lead him to countless hours in front of the piano and he has appeared on over 20 CD’s over the years alongside people like Gary Willis, Virgil Donati, Todd Duane, Shawn Lane, Sebastiaan Cornelissen, Randy Brecker, to mention but a few.

His unique keyboard style have made some of these recordings cult collectors’ items the world over and his playing has been described as a mixture of Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea combined with the almost inhuman virtuoso sounds of Art Tatum and Conlon Nancarrow.

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In 2001 Larsson received the Helsingborg culture award, a diploma from the city, plus 25.000 swedish kronor.
The following year he premiered the groundbreaking Seven Deadly Pieces at the Henry Dunker Culture Center in Helsingborg, Sweden. The music required a 200 page score written for chamber orchestra and thrash metal band, with no less than fifteen people on stage.    

For the metal sections Lalle invited members from the highly acclaimed Swedish metal band Darkane. The concert was a great success, receiving rave reviews. Never before had the Culture Center witnessed such a mixed but enthusiastic audience, young and old, classical and metal, culminating in the composer receiving a standing ovation.

The concert was recorded and videoed and is being released on DVD together with a documentary about the composer.

In 2002 Lalle released the solo piano album State Of Mind via his website www.lallelarsson.com.

Lalle Larsson’s CD’s include several recordings for Liquid Note Records, his solo piano album State Of Mind, jazz-rock cd’s Ominox, Richard Hallebeek Project with the late guitar legend Shawn Lane, and Electrocution 250, electric cartoon music with Todd Duane & Peter Wildoer.

E-250 made number 1 in a chart in the UK’s most respected jazz magazine, Jazzwise, and is called “a masterpiece of originality” by the world press. In September of the same year it was released in Japan via Marquee/Avalon with new artwork and a brand new bonus track.

Larsson´s music is being played regularly on independent radiostations in Australia, USA, Mexico, Japan and Holland.

RHP topped guitar9.com remaining the most popular fusion album for several weeks, as well as receiving rave reviews.
The chart to Lalle´s composition “Free” is published in the January issue of Italian AXE magazine and he is called a “Swedish sensation” by the American press.

MJ Brady of Proggnosis describes the music on Ominox as:
“a statement of grand proportions that elevate this CD to the level of the very best in the history of progressive related fusion recordings.”

In 2004 Larsson joins bassist Jonas Reingold’s (Flower Kings) band Karmakanic together with Zoltan Csörsz (Flower Kings), Krister Jonsson, Rob Palmen & Göran Edman (ex Yngwie Malmsteen) for a European tour in Belgium, Holland and Germany.

In april 2006 they played at the progressive RosFestival in Philadelphia,US where they received a spontanous standing ovation by an enthusiastic audience in the middle of the set. A new album is now recorded so expect a release this fall, 2006.

Lalle’s latest trio release TimeLine, on Munich Records, features world reknowned bassist Gary Willis (Tribal Tech, Wayne Shorter) and drummer Sebastiaan Cornelissen (Isotope, RHP).

As a guest and session musician “Lale Larson” has appeared on albums with Milan Polak, Alessandro Benvenuti, Joel Rivard, Bas Cornelissen, Gary Willis, Frans Vollink, Randy Brecker, Sir Millard Mulch, Virgil Donati, Phi Yaan Zek, Marco Minnemann, Richard Hallebeek, Shawn Lane, Brett Garsed, Jonas Reingold to name but a few.

Press quotes

“Remarkable, breathtaking polyrhythmic virtousity.”
Ursula Andkjaer Olsen, Berlinske Tidene , Denmark 2000
“Larson’s musical imagination and piano technique seem almost limitless.”
Helsingborgs Dagblad , Sweden 2002
“Beautiful, virtuostic and a bit melancholic… when I walked out of the concert I understood that this was just the beginning, this composer and musician could go all the way”
Tjerstin Thorsen, Helsingborgs Dagblad, Sweden 2002
“Lale Larson, a Swedish sensation, Larson has all the chops, and on RHP he really shows his aptitude for technically challenging fusion, right on the same standard as Chick Corea & Scott Kinsey. He really is amazing.”
MJ Brady, ProgGnosis, USA March 2004
“…another amazing international “super-trio” with bassist Gary Willis and Lale Larson–one of the most compositionally inventive and technically impressive keyboardists I’ve heard in a while–a musician that Allan Holdsworth told me about.
Chris - DJ Los Angeles Radio KPFK 90.7 /Co-founder of Alternity Records, USA, 2006
“While everyone here (at RosFest) is a great player, the absolute standout musician (of this set or the whole weekend) was keyboardist Lalle Larsson. An absolute monster of a player, his solos throughout the set were mind blowing and just blew away the audience.”
Dave Thomas, Meteornotes, USA, 2006

Musicians:

“The trio CD with Gary Willis blew my mind. You are outstanding ! Thank you for being a real champion for music, you are one of my favorites”

Kai Eckhardt (John Mclaughlin)

“Highly creative and inspiring music!”

Lisa Dalbello

“Awesome solos!”

Gary Willis (Tribal Tech, Wayne Shorter)

“Playing next to Lale Larson… he’s such a natural musician.
 it pushes your own playing to a different level.”

Richard Hallebeek

“All those piano lines are fantastic, he can add all those beautiful creative touches to the music. I’m lost for words when it comes to Lale… that’s him just improvising straight off! I wish I could improvise like that ”

Phi Yaan Zek

“You are certifiably out of your mind!
That is some of the sickest bad ass shit I have heard in a very long time! My hats off to you… That is some serious writing you are doing.”

Evan Stone (Maynard Ferguson, Larry Carlton)

“I’m blown away! You are simply incredible.”

Lyle Workman (Sting, Sheryl Crow)
 

Selected Discography

2005
One Spirit - Sebastiaan Cornelissen/Frans Vollink (feat Randy Brecker)
Timeline - feat. Bas Cornelissen & Gary Willis (CD)
Phi Yaan Zek - Solar Flare (CD)
Sir Millard Mulch - How To Sell The Whole F#@!ing Universe to Everybody (2 CD)
Owe Thörnqvist - Recovered
Christofer Malmström - Non-Human Level
2004
Ominox - Contemporary Past (LNR) Recordings from 1993-1995
The Richard Hallebeek Project (LNR, UK)
Electrocution 250 - Electric Cartoon Music From Hell
Electrocution 250 - Japan release with bonus track
J.A.M - Milan Polak, Alessandro Benvenuti, Joel Rivard
2002
Lalle Larson - State Of Mind - Solo piano
Sebastiaan Cornelissen - Aggressive Attack
The Alchemists - Compilation album
2001
The Warmth In The Wilderness - Compilation
1997
Philippe Ansari - Anomalies (MC)
1994
Ominox - In Time (MC)
1993
Guitar On The Edge Vol.1 No.4 - Compilation CD
 

A concert in seven movements, for chamber orchestra and thrash metal band.

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This piece shows, maybe more than any other piece I’ve written, my eclectic musical background. My early influences from classical music, european avant garde, heavy metal and jazz is very evident in this music I think.

Continue reading…

 

Are you reaching your goals?

I wrote down some thoughts on the subject of “success” and “who is successful?”.
Some Christmas reading for ya! I would be happy to get some feedback.

Who is successful?

I really like the saying “be like a postage stamp and stick to one thing until you get there”. I believe that if you focus on one thing you will find a whole new world, a universe within the universe. This relates to all things in life. If I’m learning a piece of music then I’m practicing it until I know it inside out. Until it becomes a part of my system, a part of me.

You all remember things that you practiced, things that at first seemed impossible to play, things that you now play with ease. Isn’t that rewarding? Didn’t it make you feel incredibly successful?

Still a lot of people seem to have the idea that you are only successful if you reach fame and fortune. It seems to be very important for people to be successful - meaning famous; be admired and loved as a celebrity. I hear this all the time from my students: “Why are you not famous?” “Wow, imagine what it would be like if you played in a well known band!”

I’ve always felt that in order to be and feel successful you have to set up clear goals for yourself and then work until you get there. Nothing can be more satisfying than that.

Of course if money and fame is what it takes for you to be happy then go for it - don’t hold back! If that had been my goal, then I would definitely have put all my time and energy into trying to reach fame and fortune. It would be stupid to do anything else. That’s why I never understood the people who always put other musicians down but never developed their own talents. I guess the jealousy increases if they feel that they’re not utilising their full potential.

The best musicians I’ve met practice; they want to explore new things and learn and they are usually very humble and have a beautiful attitude towards music.

I’ve never seen myself as a “professional musician”, meaning that I’ve never had a dream of working or touring as a hired musician. I would much rather teach a few hours a day and play when I feel like it. I don’t want music to be a job.

I grew up in a musical family and I can honestly say that I cannot remember not playing the piano or not listening to music. It’s such a big part of me, like breathing. I will always continue to develop and learn new things - that’s my drive - not becoming famous in media, or rich (even though money would solve a lot of problems!). I’m always asking myself what my intentions are and if I am reaching my goals; if I’m not, then I’m probably focusing on the wrong things.

We all know that in order to be successful in any field of our lives we have to start with the first step then the second, third and so on. But we often miss the fact that probably the most important thing is to know ourselves and what we really want. When you’re young you really have no idea. I have only met a few young people who are determined and focused on one thing. They are often called geniuses, sometimes strange or weird. I simply call them people who know what they want and are prepared to do anything to get there.

So how do we tap into this fearless creative source?

Well, often the only thing that stands between us and this “source” is ourselves. It’s hard to delete one’s ego when you’re creating/playing, but that’s what we have to do if we want to develop. We always seem to have preconceived ideas of what we think we sound like and we always refer to past references. I have to work with this all the time; trying to get away from myself; channeling my energy into the music and letting it work through me instead of me trying to control it. This is a common problem among us musicians but if we are conscious of it then we can change it and become a part of that constant musical flow available to us.

For instance, if you are only playing to impress people then you are watching yourself from the outside when you play. Like an actor thinking about every word they’re saying instead of expressing and feeling the essence of the text. You cannot be in a flow and at the same time be conscious of it.

Don’t worry about losing your “sound” - even if you erase all your past references you will still sound like yourself, whether you like it or not. No one in the world has your personal touch or rhythmic vocabulary; only if you are copying someone else, in which case there are thousands.

You know, just because I like Charlie Parker’s playing doesn’t mean that I like all the Parker impersonators. That is silly. To me it’s like someone dressing up as Marilyn Monroe or Elvis - it’s not the original, just a carbon copy. Still it’s legitimate in music. Nowadays you can even make a “serious” career out of someone else’s expression. When I hear someone’s music I want to experience something that I can’t find anywhere else. I want to hear your story.

Whether you’re an artist, musician or a famous TV celebrity, you will probably always get confronted by people who will project their dreams on you . They say: “If I had what you have, then I would do this or that”. Don’t pay them much attention. Put your energy where your heart is. I’ve seen too many musicians surrender to what other people want to hear, instead of exploring their own greatness. I believe that everyone is unique and that we can show that in our art if we just follow our own creativity.

It’s also important not to judge people until you know their goals and intentions. There are many different ways of being successful. I personally find that the reward lies in the work and not in the outcome. Once you find the reward in your work then you can reach a state of flow where creativity works through you, and you will spend endless hours perfecting your art and have a lot of fun doing it!.

The most successful people I know are all people who follow their path no matter what. They know what they want and are pretty carefree and happy people - and that’s the biggest success that you can have, isn’t it?

Anyway, thanks for taking time to read this. Please feel free to mail me if you have any thoughts on this subject. Good luck with your work, and I hope that you will reach your goals. I’m working on mine.

Best wishes for the New Year

Lale Larson 2003

 

Audiophile Imports
Great jazz & fusion site where you can also buy my CD’s.

Abstract Logix
Another great Jazz & Fusion site where my albums are available.

Liquidnoterecords
Home of Ominox, Electrocution 250, Hallebeek Project and more..

Sebastiaan Cornelissen
Amazing drummer and a great friend.

Frans Vollink
Great Dutch bass player, One Spirit etc…

Sir Millard Mulch
Original hardworking madman with a masterplan!

Milan Polak
A great emotional guitarist and an old friend (Liquid Note Records)

Todd Duane
Virtuoso mad man. Electrocution 250 and more…

Richard Hallebeek
Jazz/Rock synth-guitar great, brother in RHP.

Magnus Olsson
Swedish Rock fusion virtouso and a very old friend of mine.

Jerry Ericsson
The site of the swedish 6-string bassplayer (Ominox, Janne Schaffer.)

Darkane
Drum virtouso Peter Wildoer’s hardhitting thrash band.

 

The Gig Schedule and Upcoming Events are current and will be updated as the dates are confirmed. Please return soon and visit often.

4 April - Lalle Larsson’s Weaveworld

Jazzklubben - Kullagatan 8, Helsingborg, Sweden

Lalle Larsson - Piano
Mickael Wahlgren - Drums, percussion, bells
Jan Karlsson - Acoustic Bass
Special guest: Stefan Rosqvist - Acoustic guitar

2006