Kustbandet

When jazz was young, it was often referred to as Hot Dance Music. It was music that made people dance, smile, fall in love and sometimes forget about everyday life for a while. That remains Kustbandet’s starting point today.

With roots in New Orleans, Harlem and the jazz and dance music of the 1920s and 1930s, the orchestra offers period arrangements, memorable melodies and improvisations created in the moment. The repertoire draws on early blues, the Great American Songbook and the great pioneers of jazz – from Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton to Duke Ellington and Count Basie.

Since its founding in 1962, Kustbandet has performed in numerous countries and collaborated with several of the musicians who themselves helped shape the jazz tradition.

But what matters most is still the connection with the audience. Kustbandet’s annual concerts at Konserthuset Stockholm have become a much-loved tradition. Here, cherished classics mingle with lesser-known gems, sometimes spiced with unexpected elements, humour and musical surprises. In short: jazz as it sounded when it conquered the world – and with the power to do so still.