Asplund Meets BernsteinProphone ****

Asplund, a gifted post-bop Swedish trumpeter and flügelhornist, shines in this lyrical, sensitive, yet robust and classy Leonard Bernstein tribute. A labour of love made with his own quartet of Jacob Karlzon (piano), Hans Andersson (bass) and Johan Löfcrantz Ramsay (drums), and the impressive Dalasinfoniettan, beautifully arranged and conducted by Mats Hålling, it serves the material well. Hålling's writing has created a common ground that respects Bernstein and uses the orchestral and jazz resources with consummate skill, notably in the touches of harmonic ambivalence in Glitter and Be Gayand Asplund's dialogue with the orchestra on the outstanding Some Other Time.Equally memorable is Asplund's and Karlzon's brilliance on Somewhere, Tonight, a gorgeous Neverlandand a delightful I Feel Pretty, on which the full quartet shows its paces. See prophone records.se