A Swedish "star" Lars Gullin (picture) was the most significant personality in Swedish jazz of the 1950s, and one of the very few independent jazz voices to emerge in Europe. His warm, sensitive sound on the baritone sax and the smooth flow of his playing, his imaginative improvisations and inventive arrangements and compositions with their characteristically beautiful melodies and moods - all this put Lars Gullin in a class of his own. He was more widely acclaimed in international circles than any other Swedish musician of the decade. In 1954 Gullin made a successful tour in Great Britain, and the same year he was voted top “New Star” on his instrument in Down Beat’s international critics’ poll - without ever having visited the United States. Gullin’s recordings were released in America, however, and in many other countries as well, as was other Swedish jazz music. The Swedish record companies also took the opportunity to record visiting American musicians together with their Swedish colleagues. Gullin was on many of these recordings - with Moody, Getz, Zoot Sims, Clifford Brown and others.  Lars Gullin: Danny's dream (1954) from 'Swedish Jazz History Vol.7' [CAP 22042] To a large extent jazz was still music that people danced to, and it appealed mainly to the younger generation. For the most part it was played by small or middle-sized groups, but there was one big band that made its mark on the Swedish jazz scene: Harry Arnold’s Swedish Radio Studio Orchestra. Formed in 1956, the band provided a variety of dance music, pop music accompaniments and jazz for broadcasts on a part-time basis. Its members consisted of leading Swedish jazz soloists, many of whom fronted their own groups. Being a skilled and versatile leader who frequently worked in film and recording studios, Harry Arnold (photo: Bengt H Malmquist) (1920-71) wrote much of the repertoire himself. However, he also welcomed contributions from guests, one of whom was Quincy Jones, who recorded a highly acclaimed album with the orchestra in 1958.  Harry Arnolds Radioband: Quincy's home again (1959) from 'Swedish Jazz History Vol.8' [CAP 22049] The 1950s witnessed the dawn of a more artistic attitude towards jazz-playing, but the increasing complexity of the music, although applauded by many critics and “serious” jazz listeners, frequently led to conflicts with agents and dance enthusiasts. By the beginning of the 1960s a new generation of jazz musicians was ready to take over. They were mainly inspired by the new black jazz from America, represented by names such as Coltrane, Rollins, Mingus, Blakey and Miles Davis. However, the young Swedes suddenly found themselves in a no-man’s-land: rock ‘n’ roll and pop were now the music of the day, jazz was no longer suitable for dancing to, and the commercial entertainment industry lost interest in it. At the same time, jazz found itself shunned by the cultural establishment and cut off from its subsidies.

A Swedish "star
Lars Westin: Jazz in Sweden - an overview