I have always had a liking for the Gershwin brother’s song “A Foggy Day”; something about the melody, the chords and the lyrics make me feel like it’s the perfect, light-hearted jazz standard. Now I have made an arrangement of this song, for Big Band and a male vocalist, that from today is available in the shop.

My version is a little uptempo, with the song alternating between a pedal ostinato and the regular chords, where I try to illustrate a drizzly, deep grey, murky and foggy London morning, which unexpectedly ends with the sun breaking through – maybe both literally and figuratively. This chart could work as a dance chart, and I hope others will find that I have made a stimulating and challenging arrangement.

There will also be a Summer Sale between the 1:st of June and 31:st of August. Because the pandemic has had such a devastating impact on the Big Band culture, I’ve decided to keep the greater discounts this year too. Prices will therefore be reduced by 30% on all compositions, and 25% on all arrangements. Take the opportunity to buy great sounding, fun and stimulating and unique charts at good prices!

Stay safe everybody! I hope we can put an end to the pandemic very soon.

Late March, early April, is to me the month of growth; the time when plants of all kind start to show up from beneath ground, twigs and branches show hints of the leaves to come, and where the grass on lawns and fields subtly starts showing a background of green to the yellow remnants of last year. This is also the time when my chili plants start to show significant growth and become real plants, from the tiny, minuscule sprouts they were when they first showed up from the soil.

This year, I’ve settled for only sowing three chili plants; partly because I have very much dried chili in store from previous years, partly because I want to have room on the balcony for other things than just a large bunch of chili plants. The sorts of chili I have this year are two slightly hotter variants, “Habanero White” and “Monster Naga”, and one mild and larger type, “Sugar Rush Peach”.

Other than growing chili, there are also some new charts growing on my desk. An arrangement of Gershwin’s “A Foggy Day”, for a male vocalist, and a vocal composition in Japanese modes and scales. Both will be published here when fully grown and matured.

I wish you all visiting here to stay safe and to finding strength to endure the time that still is left before the pandemic is fended off through the vaccination programmes that are pursued all over the world to increasing effect.

From today, there is a new composition available in the web shop. After some deliberation, I decided to compose for a Swedish text I wrote in June this summer; the result is now a piece for female vocalist and Big Band called “Den Första Juni” (Eng. “The First of June”).

When I started writing this piece, I realised that I already had composed a short Big Band poem portraying the spring, and as this new piece would picture the summer – I could as well look and work for inspiration to write lyrics and music for winter and autumn too. We’ll see where it ends, but my plan is to compose four short poems for each of the four seasons of which spring (“Midnatt På Landet”) and summer now are completed and available in the shop.

Between December 1st and 31st, there will, as usual, be a sale. Take the opportunity to buy unique, fantastic sounding and fun to play Big Band charts at a discount.

Because this year is so special, the reduction will be 25% off on all arrangements, and 30% off on all compositions.

Now, when the Corona pandemy ravage the world (as it has for almost a year), and all social activities are shut down due to the need for social distancing, I believe that we have to look forward to a time when we can meet and spend time together unrestricted: The time after Corona. This is why I keep writing music, and arranging recurring sales; because it reminds me of how fun it is to play with others.

Stay safe everybody! I wish all of you visiting here the best.

P.S The contact form on my site is still not working properly, and I’m working to solve the issue. If anyone would want to make contact, there is an e-mail address given in the “Instructions” column, seen on the right side when viewing the individual products. D.S

September seems to be a month in-between; it’s the month which can be very much autumn-like, but can also be warm, humid and strongly resembling a late August – not yet autumn, not still summer. In Sweden, this year’s September has been warm and humid, with trees still green and many plants still finding the strength to mount flowers. I’ve even seen bumblebees flying about; almost into October!

On my part, I’ve had to invest in a new double case for my alto and tenor trombones. I used my old case intensively and daily for some twelve years before it got so worn that it could no longer be in use, and now a new double case – pictured here – has entered my service. I hope it will be a good and long lasting investment.

Here in Sweden, some big bands have begun to cautiously rehearse again, and I sincerely hope that the infection spreading will slow down over the coming months, to make more regular rehearsing and performing possible; but – as has become customary this year – we’ll have to wait and see…… Nevertheless, I am working on some new charts that soon will be published here upon completion.

Stay safe everybody! I wish all of you visiting here good health, and that you remain so.