Sweden’s most important jazz musician of the 1950s, baritonist Lars Gullin had a tone somewhere between Gerry Mulligan and Serge Chaloff and a dry but swinging style. Danny’s Dream, the eighth in a series of Dragon CDs that reissue many of his most important sessions, has three dates that put the spotlight on Gullin’s playing in small groups.
The first numbers are quartet/quintet numbers with tenor saxophonist Carl-Henrik Norin on three numbers. That set and the two other quartet sessions all feature guitarist Rolf Berg as a key soloist and also include George Riedel’s tasteful bass. The most famous selection is Gullin’s “Danny’s Dream,” a haunting ballad that was considered his greatest “hit.” Overall, this volume gives listeners a strong sampling of Lars Gullin’s baritone performing West Coast-style cool jazz.