Since Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and others from their generation paved the way for modern jazz during the 1940´s and 1950´s, their influence on younger jazz musicians has been dominant. Alongside new styles like bebop and cool, traditional jazz, inspired by 1920´s giants like Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Bix Beiderbecke and Jelly Roll Morton, continued to flourish.
During this time there was often disagreement between these two schools of ötraditionalistsö and ömodernistsö, and it was virtually unthinkable to be a member of both groups. The two schools managed to eventually bury the hatchet long ago, and younger jazz musicians today are free to draw influ-ences from all sorts
of styles because of this. How liberating it is to hear the tasteful, relaxed and elegant Stockholm Swing All Stars play what Duke Ellington simply called ömusicö.
Jens öJesseö Lindgren Curator/Swedish Jazz Archives