The DESS members got the autumn issue of the Bulletin already in mid-August and have most likely read and digested by now.

For those that have not done so yet, here is a short summary of the content.

Rolf Ericson is the key feature in this issue.

Göran Wallén, who knew Ericson very well and had many talks with him over the years, has contributed a five-page detailed article about Ericson’s long and varied career in Sweden, USA and Germany from the 1930’s to 1990s. It gives a perspective much beyond “the Ellington trumpeter” and makes one hope that Göran will find time and enthusiasm to go deeper into Roffes years with Stan Kenton and his years in Germany in another article.

The article is supplemented by a reprint from the May 1994 issue of Orkesterjournalen of an interview that Martin Westin and Lars Westin did with Ericson at the time. It was originally published in Swedish but now it has been translated into English. The original article also appeared in the Bulletin 1999:3

The photo on the cover was shot in 1967 by Lars Westin in the small town of Kramfors.

The interview provides some further glimpses into Ericsons time with Ellington like the story on the 70th birthday party for Ellington in Paris. He also tells the two Westins about what happened when the Ellington band played at dances with a black audience.

“On such nights I almost cried because it was so good. It was the most fantastic thing I have ever experienced.”

Now one only has to hope that a recording of such a dance will surface.

The new issue also has an article by Bo Haufman on “Trumpet in Spades” – the concerto that Ellington wrote for Rex Stewart in 1937 – and three on new CDs with Ellington connections. In particular, don’t miss Anders Asplund’s review of vol. 25 in Storyville’s DETS series. It is full of valuable information.