01	Amanda						03:07
	02	Trollpasen (The Troll Bag)						04:18
	03	Josefins Dopvals (Josefin's Baptism Waltz)						03:48
	04	Pennknivsmordaren (The Pen-Knife Murderer)						04:59
	05	Brudmarsch Efter Byss-Kalle / Roddare I Barsark (Bridal March After Byss-Kalle / Rowers Go Berserk)						03:56
	06	Vralkada (Roar-Resin)						03:31
	07	Mordarhararna (The Killer Hares)						02:49
	08	Bisonpolska (Bison Polska)						03:32
	09	Vals Av Karl Styvberg						02:41
	10	Halsingemarschen (The Halsinge March)						02:40
	11	Trollrikepolska (The Troll Kingdom Polska)						02:32
	12	Dubbel Strutz (Double Strutz)						03:28
	13	Pedalpolska (Pedal Polska)						04:00
	14	Byggnan (The Building)						04:01
	15	Femtolen						04:00
	16	Griffenfeldt						01:55
	17	Polska Efter Erlandsson						02:23
	18	Sugghugg (Pork Slash)						04:37
	19	Polskanizer						04:12
	20	Hollo!						04:00

Spirit

by
Vasen



Vasen (VEH-sen) is an acoustic trio which features an instrument unique to Sweden called the nyckelharpa (keyed fiddle) along with viola and guitar. Vasen plays heavenly music based in the rural Swedish tradition with a contemporary flavor.

This is acoustic ensemble playing at its best, with sounds that can connote classical string quartets at one moment and upbeat folk/pop another. "Spirit" (one of the English translations of Vasen, which also include essence, being, nature, character, noise, sounds, fuss, ado, alien, and soul) compiles the band's work to date, from two Swedish and one French studio album, a live album, and 5 previously unreleased tracks (including one which features the trio imitating pigs in heat).

This compilation is 20 tracks and over 70 minutes long.


"All in all one could hardly ask for a better introduction to an international group. Spirit is a truly well-thought out and well-produced collection. Not to be missed. -- Kurt Keefner, All Music Guide


Vasen means "spirit," "noise," "fuss," and much more. It's an acoustic folk trio with a secret weapon -- the nyckelharpa, or keyed fiddle, as well as viola and guitar. Most songs are waltzes or Swedish polskas composed by the group or reworked versions of older songs." -- Dirty Linen


1 Amanda 3:06
2 Trollpasen 4:17
3 Josefins Dopvals 3:47
4 Pennknivsmordaren 4:57
5 Brudmarsch after Byss-Kalle 3:55
6 Vralkada 3:30
7 Mordarharama 2:48
8 Bisonpolska 3:32
9 Vals av Karl Styfberg 2:40
10 Halsingemarschen 2:36
11 Trollrikepolska 2:30
12 Dubbel Strutz 3:25
13 Pedalpolska 3:57
14 Byggnan 3:58
15 Femtolen 3:56
16 Griffenfeldt 1:52
17 Polska efter Erlandsson 2:20
18 Sugghugg 4:35
19 Polskanizer 4:10
20 Hollo! 4:00




Vasen Spirit


Notes

Amanda
The polska enjoyed its peak popularity in Sweden between 1730 and 1830. The classical music tradition uses the name "Polonaise" for this 3-beat music, not to be confused with the 2-beat Polka of Polish origin. This tune was composed by Roger, inspired by his close friend.

Trollpеsen (The Troll Bag)
A Polska composed by Olov, inspired by a very short notation of an interlude by Byss-Kalle. Older nyckelharpa players would keep a small bag hanging inside their nyckelharpa, containing the ground heads of seven perch and knuckle bones of dead nyckelharpa players. It was used to ward off evil witchcraft cast by competing fiddlers.

Josefins Dopvals (Josefin's Baptism Waltz)
A beautiful waltz composed by Roger for his brother's youngest child's baptism reception coffee.

Pennknivsmordaren (The Pen-knife Murderer)
A polska after H.L. Erlandsson, who served 10 years in prison after committing murder with a penknife.

Brudmarsch efter Byss-Kalle / Roddare i Barsark
(Bridal March after Byss-Kalle / Rowers go Berserk)
Something old, something new: A bridal march by Byss-Kalle and a tune by Olov and Mikael. Byss Kalle (1783-1847), was easily the best nyckelharpa player of his time. Traditionally, a new march was composed for each wedding in honor of the bride, and played as the wedding couple left the church. The title of the second tune comes from the word used to refer to a Viking when he went crazy with blood lust during battle. "Barsark" is the source of the english word "Berserk".

Vrеlkеda (Roar-Resin)
The schottis is a relatively new dance in Sweden, dating from about 1840. This one is newly composed by Roger, but fits well within the tradition.

Mordarhararna (Killer Hare)
A tune after Byss-Kalle, fancifully renamed by Vasen. Literally translated as "The Murdering Rabbits". Why? We don't know.

Bisonpolska (Bison Polska)
After his first visit to America, Olov's mind was filled with images of the West, and he was moved to compose this tune.

Vals av Karl Styvberg
A waltz composed by Karl Styvberg, a shoemaker and musician from Vendel in Uppland. Karl Styvberg was one of Eric Sahlstrom's early teachers.

Halsingemarschen (The Halsinge March)
Johan Bohlin was straightening up the dung pile outside his barn (the larger the dung pile, the more prosperous the farmer, you know) when the regiment from Halsingland marched by, complete with music. He thought it sounded beautiful, and used the melody as inspiration for this march.

Trollrikepolska (The Troll Kingdom Polska)
This tune is one of about 2 dozen surviving tunes composed by Eric Sahlstrom (1912 -1986), arguably the best nyckelharpa player of this century. He could compose a tune at the drop of a hat, but could forget them just as quickly. "Trollriket" (the Troll Kingdom) was the name of the farm where he lived as a boy.

Dubbel Strutz (Double Strutz)
Two polskas after Gustaf Strutz. The first is called "Byriln" and is after Anders Jansson from In in Hedesunda, the other's origins are unknown.

Pedalpolska (Pedal Polska)
Composed by Olov, this polska is perhaps dedicated to Roger's volume pedal...

Byggnan (Building)
One day, as Byss-Kalle was passing the church in his hometown of Alvkarleby, The foreman of the crew rebuilding the spire started to tease him, calling him a lazy musician. Byss-Kalle countered that it was hard to be a musician, always having to work at parties while everyone else was having fun, and having to compose new bridal marches all the time. They bet a small sum of money and a cask of bronnvin (Swedish vodka) that Byss-Kalle could make a polska and a waltz before the work on the spire was completed. Byss-Kalle won, and though the bronnvin and the money are gone, the tunes are still played today. This is the polska.

Femtolen
Another polska after Byss-Kalle. The second beat of the first measure contains 5 notes, called a "kvinttol" is Swedish. Vasen re-named the tune using the Swedish word for five, "fem".

Griffenfeldt
A Norwegian Reinlander (a dance similar to the Swedish Schottis) from Agder that Vasen learned from Anon Egeland, a fantastic fiddle player from Norway.

Polska efter Erlandsson
A polska after H.L. Erlandsson, a tinsmith, murderer and musician from Rickombergen.

Sugghugg (Pork Slash)
Olov went to India with a larger group of Swedish musicians and dancers as part of a cultural exchange project. There were many things in India that Olov had never met before, including about a zillion people, and many new and interesting kinds of bacteria. When he got back, there were a lot of things that had to come out, including this schottis.

Polskanizer
A tune by Roger with a half-Swedish, half-English word play for a title: "When the dance is over, out comes the big nasty Polska-nizer."

Hollo!
"Hollo" is what people in Olov's home town yell to get your attention: "Hey you!" or "Hello there!". This piece is the result of Olov's re-working of some traditional material, and is about a very angry hitch-hiker. Listen closely and you can hear Olov screaming.
Notes by Bart Brashers, The American Nyckelharpa Association




http://www.atmos.washington.edu/~brash/vasen.html



About Vasen

Olov and Mikael started playing together as teenagers right around 1980, and both 'studied' with Curt and Ivar Tallroth and Eric Sahlstrom as teenagers. I say 'studied' because it's not as formalized as with other kinds of music. They would go to their elder's house and play with them and learn by example, just as the elders had learned from their elders, becoming a link in the Living Tradition that Swedish folk music enjoys. They still count playing with the Curt as the best of experiences, and go out there to play whenever they can. Photo: Eduard Koinberg

Olov and Mikael were at the Vintermarknad in Roros in 1989, as was Roger, and Olov asked Roger if he wanted to jam a little with him and Mikael. Roger said "No, I'm gonna go take a shower instead." Fortunately, somebody else was in the shower, so he came back and got out his guitar, and they played for the rest of the day and far into the night. Among the people in the room was Olle Paulsson, who thought that was the best music he had ever heard, and promised them right there that if they would record a CD he would form a record label to issue it. Thus DRONE Music came into being....

The following summer, at the first-ever Nyckelharpa World Championships at Osterbybruk, Olov outdid himself and won both the modern chromatic nyckelharpa and the gammelharpa (older historical versions) classes. He played kontrabasharpa (made by Hasse Gille) in addition to chromatic nyckelharpa (made by Esbjorn Hogmark). For a history of the various forms of the nyckelharpa through the ages, look here. Winning the Nyckelharpa World Championships added momentum to making the first CD, entitled "Olov Johansson: Vasen". Vasen was just the name of the album, but when people started calling Olov on the phone asking to hire this band "Vasen", he realized that the name had stuck. Photo: Marilee Cowan

It took a little while for the Swedish folkmusic community to accept Vasen, since they present a different treatment of the traditional tunes than had been done before. But if you take away the guitar you'll hear that Mikael and Olov play together in a very traditional style. It's just Roger's fantastic guitar playing that was an obstacle to those who had never heard anything like it before. Nowadays, even the staunchest traditionalists likes Vasen and their treatment of the music.

In 1994 a band called Nordman released their first CD, which featured Vasen along with the other more traditional Rock and Roll instruments. It was a huge success in Sweden, and Vasen toured with them twice, playing before audiences as large as 25,000 people. Nordman's music is essentially Rock, but with Vasen supplying the riffs in between verses that is traditionally supplied by the lead guitar or the synthesizer. The drummer for the first Nordman tour was Andre Ferrari. One set of Andre's grandparents are Italian (thus the name), but he was born and raised in Sweden.

Vasen experimented with playing music with Andre on drum kit and the electric bassist from Nordman, calling themselves "Vasen V". They would play a few tunes before the rest of the Nordman band came on. Olov says "it was a kick to play for so many people, but in the end we felt that the details and finesse of the music was lost when we played with the drum set and the electric bass." A few tunes from Vasen V are on Vasen's new compilation CD "Spirit" on the NorthSide label, the first Vasen CD released in the US. Photo: Olle Paulsson)

In 1996 Vasen added Andre as a permanent member. This is the first band in which Andre has played exclusively small percussion, as opposed to a full drum set. Andre's background and education are in music, and he's played everything from classical to Rock, but he says that he's making Vasen's music one of his own musics now. He's been interested in drumming from different cultures around the world for a long time, and finds the Native American culture to be one of the most alluring. With Vasen, he uses the Ecuadorian Bambo (bass drum), the Middle-eastern darabouka (doumbek), an egyptian drum similar to the doumbek, Indian bells, South American rattles, triangle, chimes, and... you get the picture.

With Andre, Vasen has shifted to playing almost exclusively their own compositions rather than traditional folk tunes. They've taken the traditional Swedish folk music from Northern Uppland as a base, and expanded it to see where it will lead. They're not quite sure themselves, but they're sure they'll have a lot of fun getting there. They still have the same humor onstage and off, the kind of humor that Roger describes as Swedish "living room" humor. It's a genuine unpretentious wit, with the added ability to make puns in two languages, and even between two languages. They're just as likely to crack up each other as to make the audience laugh. Indeed, my experience is that they are more reserved on stage than off, if that's possible! Their music is awesome, with a rich rhythmic texture supplied by Andre and Roger, a rich harmonic texture supplied by Roger and Mikael, and a clean melodic lead supplied by Olov. This doesn't mean that they'll forget how to play the traditional stuff. They still feel that going over to Curt Tallroth's house to play with him is the best thing they can do for their playing and for their souls. And most of their own compositions follow in the style of the traditional music -- they are easily recognized as a schottis or a polska or what have you. But the new hybrid "traditio-Vasen" music has something more, something worldly, something new about it. It's just good music. Listenable, grooveable, likeable. If they come to a town near you, don't pass them up! Photo: Anette Hilmersson



VASEN

MEMBERS
Olov Johansson, Nyckelharpor
Roger Tallroth, Gitarrer
Mikael Marin, Viola
(from 1997: Andre Ferarri
percussion)
E-mail: vasen@drone.se

BOOKINGS
Roger Tallroth roger@tallroth.se








A nyckelharpa steeped in the traditions of folkmusic. A viola of sophisticated symphonic taste.And a mad guitar. Together they're are a supernatural being called Vasen and a supremely musical one. The individual parts of the Being are: Olov Johansson, Mikael Marin and Roger Tallroth. A folkmusic group whose fame has spread far beyond the borders of their native Sweden. And we can promise you one thing you never know quite what's going to happen.

Vasen's origins are, of course, deeply rooted in the forests and rich earth of the Swedish countryside, in the centuries-old tradition of the folk music of Uppland. And it's a tradition spiced with consummate playing skills. But Vasen is more than just folk sounds. There's a playfulness to their music, joyousness, and a delight in clothing new ideas in a wonderfully original musical garb. And there's more than a dash of disrespect, too. If ever a group was determined to go its own way, Vasen is it. Rock, jazz, ballads, folk, classical - the influence is there, in a subtly interwowen tapestry of sound. And what you hear is always the inspiration and improvisation of the moment. Like fine champange Vasen's music bubbles with "vitality". "Playing's got to be fun," says Vasen. And the audience have got to have fun, too". On stage, the group give free rein to their imagination. Between tunes, you might think you were at a great stand-up comedy show. Or you might find yourself regaled by strange tales of mystery and music. No two concerts are alike. Vasen, as someone once said, is a gut-feeling.

Olov Johansson, nyckelharpa In 1990 Olov Johansson became history's first world nyckelharpa champion. Olov has been playing nyckelharpa since he was fourteen an boasts as hist eachers both Curt Tallroth, a National Master Musician and Eric Sahlstrom, the undisputed nyckelharpa master of our times. In 1990 he was commended for his musical contribution to the highly acclaimed production of Hamlet put on by the Gavle Folk Theatre in that year. He has also toured India and Libya. National Master Musican 1984. Recipient of the Viksta-Lasse sholarship in 1989.

Roger Tallroth, guitar A musican whose merrymaking is founded on good solid experience of the folk music tradition. After studies at the Orebro College of Music and other music shools, Roger went on to teach guitar and take folk music classes both in Sweden an abroad. He has featured on disc, radio and TV and has played in numerous shows and theatrical performances. He recently won acclaim at the Gota Lejon Theatre in Stockholm, where he appeared in a musical production starring the popular Ainbusk Singers.

Mikael Marin, viola Mikael, who has been playing folk music since theage of nine, was taught his craft by Ivar Tallroth.After studies at the National College of Music in Stockholm, Mikael played in several different symphony orchestras and was section leader for a numberof chamber orchestras. Mikael was also selected to play in a world youth orchestra conducted by Leonard Bernstein. National Master Musician 1983.


http://www.drone.se/English/vasen.html





Vasen

Never before has Swedish folk music swung with such intensity. Dense, complex arrangements with one foot firmly planted in the Swedish fiddle tradition, and the other in new acoustic music. The pieces are equally suitable for dancing, as well as for listening. The combination is as unique as it is natural: nyckelharpa (a keyed fiddle unique to Sweden), viola, twelve-string guitar, and percussion. But this is more than just a traditional sound. There's a playfulness to their music, joy, and delight in making exciting new arrangements of centuries-old tunes. Rock, jazz, traditional, and classical influences weave together, making a music that's beautiful but never too sweet. You always hear the inspiration and improvisation of the moment: "Playing's got to be fun, and the audience has to have fun, too."

Vasen's first 4 discs released in Sweden and Europe are compiled on their NorthSide debut Spirit, plus live tracks and unreleased studio sessions. Their recent releases Whirled and Gront take all these elements to a new level, with sinuous original compositions and telepathic arrangements. Traditional music with a modern attitude. Tremendous individual musicians taking ensemble playing to new heights. Acoustic instruments with power and emotion. This is Vasen.

Vasen are:
Olov Johansson - nyckelharpa
In 1990, Olov became the first world champion of the nyckelharpa. He began to play the nyckelharpa in 1980 as a fourteen-year old, and was named a 'riksspelman' (master musician) in 1984. Olov has studied with the legendary Curt Tallroth and Erik Sahlstrom, and is presently a teacher at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. He is regarded as one of Sweden's most prominent nyckelharpa players, and is an inspiration for numerous young performers on the instrument.
Apart from his association with Vasen, Olov has also played with groups such as Kronos Quartet, Nordman, Trio Con X, as well as solo performances. He has recorded with the chart-topping Swedish rock group Nordman, and has played on the albums Early Music (with Kronos Quartet), Till Eric (with the Nyckelharpa Orchestra), and his solo project, Storsvarten (released on NorthSide).


Mikael Marin - viola
Mikael is a violist who isn't satisfied with merely playing "second fiddle." His influences are literally unlimited in their scope, and oscillate between Schoenberg and the Beatles. He became a national fiddler in 1983, and was chosen to play in a world orchestra under the direction of Leonard Bernstein in 1989.
When not performing with Vasen, he composes, produces, and arranges music for artists such as Mikael Samuelsson, Nordman, and The Kronos Quartet. He composed (together with Mats Wester) the opening music to the World Police and Fire Games in Stockholm, 1999.
Mikael can be heard on several recordings, for example Nordman (with Nordman), Barfota (with Mikael Samuelsson), Anon (with Anon Egeland, released on NorthSide), and Flow my Tears (with The Forge Players). A solo recording, Brutal Strings, is now being recorded.

Roger Tallroth - guitar
With his specially tuned guitar (A-D-A-D-A-D), Roger has developed a distinctive sound of his own. In addition to the guitar, he plays the Swedish bouzoki and octave mandolin. Roger received his first guitar when he was thirteen. Since then, he has studied at Sjovik Folkhogskola and Orebro College of Music, and is presently a teacher at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. He has given numerous seminars around Europe and the US. Roger has performed together with Nordman, Annbjorg Lien, and the Gunnel Mauritzson Group, among other artists, and has also participated in several stage and theater productions.
Roger's discography includes Nordman (with Nordman), Felefeber and Prisme (with Annbjorg Lien), Siluette (with the Gunnel Mauritzson Group), The Horse and the Crane by Ale Moller (on NorthSide) and Kat Kombat (Kombat). He also appears on the new Annbjorg Lien recording Baba Yaga, on NorthSide (2000).

Andre Ferrari - percussion
Andre is a creative percussionist who plays an ever-changing array of percussion depending on the occasion. For example, he uses an extremely low-tuned pandeiro as a black grouse pipe. He began to play percussion at the age of nine, and has studied with Olle Landzell. In addition, Andre is an excellent bass player. He attended Berklee College of Music in the US, and the Royal College of Music, in Stockholm.
Andre has appeared alongside a long list of the greatest Swedish artists, such as Eva Dahlgren, Anders Glenmark, Tommy Korberg, Jonas Gardell,and many others. When not touring with Vasen, he teaches at Fryshuset in Stockholm, as part of the program for rock musicians. Andre's drums can be heard on, among other recordings, Stenmannen (with Eva Dahlgren), Livs levande (with Tommy Korberg), and Ogonblick (with Asa Schmalenbach).

Vasen Timeline:
1980
Olov Johansson (nyckelharpa) and Mikael Marin (viola) meet as teenagers, and begin to play together.
1989
Olov and Mikael meet Roger Tallroth (guitar) in Roros, Norway. They play all night, and when finishing in the early morning hours, are offered a recording contract by the record label, Drone.
1990
Their first CD, Olov Johansson: Vasen, is released. Vasen is actually the title of the record, but when calls begin coming in and promoters inquire after the group called Vasen, they realize the name is established.
1994
A group called Nordman makes the Swedish charts, mixing rock and folk music. Vasen goes on tour twice with Nordman. On the first tour, they meet Andre Ferrari (percussion), who is playing the drums. They quickly become good friends and Andre performs on occasion with Vasen.
1996
Andre becomes a permanent member of the group.
1997
Vasen releases their fifth CD, Varldens Vasen. They tour Norway, Denmark, Finland, Italy, France, and naturally, back home in Sweden. They sign a recording contract with NorthSide, and tour the US and Canada.
1998
Varldens Vasen is awarded a Swedish Grammy in the category of Folk music/Ballad. They tour many parts of Europe and go on tour for the second time in North America.
1999
Vasen performs at MIDEM, Cannes; tour the US twice; tour extensively throughout Europe; release their eighth CD Gront; and celebrate their 10 year anniversary with a month-long tour in Sweden.
2000
Vasen return to the US for a national radio appearance on "Prairie Home Companion" in January, and follow-up with a US tour in April.

Vasen Discography:
1990 Olov Johansson: Vasen Drone DROCD001 (Sweden)
1992 Vilda Vasen Drone DROCD004 (Sweden)
1994 Essence Auvidis B6787 (France)
1995 Levande Vasen Drone DROCD009 (Sweden)
1997 Spirit NorthSide NSD6004 (compiles tracks from the 4 import releases
1997 Varldens Vasen Xource XOUCD118 (Sweden)
1997 Whirled NorthSide NSD6006
1999 Gront Xource XOUCD126 / NorthSide NSD 6041
2001 Live at the Nordic Roots Festival NorthSide NSD 6065


The Word on Vasen
"The absurdly broad term 'world music is rendered useless in the face of these four musicians who play with such genuine passion and glee that everything on the globe seems to disappear except their hometown fires. This is 'local music' in the best sense of the word--believable, human-scaled and fluent in the international language of musical interplay." - National Public Radio's "All Things Considered"
"Vasen treads an enchanted territory between classical, folk, and pop." - Utne Reader
"The sound may be traditional, but the attitude is completely modern, mixing up the ideas of folk, the virtuosity of prog, and the humor of the insane asylum into a cuisinart of acoustic bliss. Visualize whirled music." - Wired
"...the band's anciently original compositions can be immensely brooding, stately, fitfully spry or dramatically expansive." - Richard Harrington, The Washington Post
"...Invoking both serene panoramic vistas and sharp blazing melodies, the music has found fans far beyond the borders of the band's native Sweden, and for good reason." - CMJ
"...a hypnotic pastiche that is bathed in the traditions of Vasen's homeland and awe-inspiringly ancient and creative at the same time." - Sing Out!
"Alternately angular and gritty, plaintive and baroque, Spirit is chock-full of inspiring melodies and fine musicianship." - Acoustic Guitar
"Anchored by insistent drones and distinguished by angular fiddle melodies, this music could be the most significant Swedish export since the Vikings." -Rhythm
"The music is, at turns, entrancing, enchanting, uplifting, lilting, lovely, and just plain fun." - Minneapolis Star Tribune
"The sounds that result are dervish-like, laden with instantaneous vitality and age-old importance. Truly, there's nothing quite like it." - Albuquerque Weekly Alibi
"...a very effective contemporary sounding acoustic tour de force." - Dirty Linen
"Whirled is dervish music from the frigid zone." - The Beat
"Hallmarked by instrumental mastery, daring arrangements, and tasteful experiments, Gront is a rich, brooding hour of cold comfort, indeed." -barnesandnoble.com