Ida Sand was born in 1977 into a very musical family in Stockholm. Her family roots lie in Piteå, a town in the far north of Sweden. Ida’s father was a well-known opera singer who sang at the Stockholm Opera for 30 years, her mother is still an active church musician. Both parents were a strong inspiration for young Ida.

She started playing the cello at age 8 but the instrument did not leave much of an impression. Instead, Ida spent more and more time at the piano, singing along while tinkling the keys for hours. She did not let her mum teach her, she wanted to learn for herself and so she did. At 16, Ida went to study at the music gymnasium in Stockholm and two years later, she went on to the Academy of Music in Gothenburg, where she immersed herself in the city’s lively jazz scene.

As fascinating as jazz was to Ida, her musical influences remained Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and Aretha Franklin. After graduating in 2000, she worked continually, spending her time doing nightclub gigs, playing piano bars and soul clubs. Always busy, always learning.

Since Ida started her career as a freelance singer and keyboard player, she has worked with the cream of the crop of the music scene in Sweden: Christian Waltz, Stephen Simmonds, Carola, Lisa Nilsson, Eric Gadd, Bo Kaspers, Jerry Williams, Uno Svenningsson, Jennifer Brown and Nils Landgren, to mention a few.

In spring 2007 Ida’s debut album Meet Me Around Midnight (ACT 9716-2) was released and critics and music lovers felt confident. “Ida Sand sings with power and she is the most soulful white female singer to come along in some time”, said JAZZ PODIUM.

Ida’s second album True Love (ACT 9481-2) was released in 2009. It takes on an even more personal sound than her previous work – one reason for this is that in the interim period Sand has become the mother of a baby girl. True Love is produced by her husband, the guitar player Ola Gustafsson. At the album’s core are five outstanding original compositions, framed by classics from a variety of genres – a very personal declaration of love to her family, the music, and the world

With her third album “The Gospel Truth” (ACT 9725-2), released in September 2011, Ida Sand fulfils a long harboured dream: to unite her three great musical influences – jazz, gospel and soul – with her own personal signature. The album was produced by Nils Landgren who is also involved as a musical guest as is guitarist Raul Midón, singer Rigmor Gustafsson, saxophonist Magnus Lindgren and guitarist and Ida Sand’s husband Ola Gustafsson

Tender-hearted yet tenacious, Nils Landgren is a world-class artist. His Funk Unit’s groove is irresistible, and The Man with the Red Horn himself has led the band through their highly successful run of CDs, and in rapturously received concerts everywhere from Stockholm to Beijing. "Funk is my Religion" is the band’s eleventh album – the album title just says it all. Landgren and his Norsemen bring a passion, an intensity and a freshness to their craft which has remained undimmed since the start. For more than 25 years, jazz-funk has been the force driving Landgren. This veritable elixir of life produces the bubbling energy, groove and joy that can be heard and felt in every note of the music. The band’s deliciously easy and laid-back vibe gets straight through to audiences. With the crispness of their funk rhythms, blazing brass, cool vocals and persuasive melodies, a new chapter for the Nils Landgren Funk Unit is only just beginning.

Magnus Lindgren is a multi-talented creator of music. His ability to express himself on the tenorsax, clarinet or flute wears the sign of a real master. However, he is also able to explore interesting music on several other instruments. Multi is a good expression of this gifted person. As a composer he has a great potential to fulfil his own creative impulses. He dresses them in a melodical costume, optimal for the stylish frame that is proper for the moment.

Last but certainly not least; the obvious masterclass in the musically versatile arsenal of Magnus Lindgren is his brilliant emotion for arranging music. The greatness lies in the way he puts together the sublime samples of notes, the sound colours, the rhythm figures, the harmony sequences.

All this in a truly organic way; no risk for overdoing. The final result brings a sence of dewfresh contemporary statement. If you on top of this add the natural gifted Magnus Lindgren´s ability to accommodate the subtle quality from a large range of musical genres; then the comparison with the musical titan Quincy Jones is obvious.

Therefore, it´s not surprising that Quincy is the mentor who Magnus admires the most, along with giants as Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. In Magnus way of looking at it, those three legends have had the guts to always look further into the universal world of music, even though they already had proven their greatness.

In the same manner Magnus works all the time to extend his musical frames, no matter if he deals with small jazz combos, big bands, choirs with instrumental soloist, intergration between classical orchestra and jazz group, swedish folklore, heavy funk rhythms, brazilian samba or african traditional music. Structures and genres are always given new dimensions, a certain amount of risks are included and the joy to participate is offered to everyone who has the opportunity to experience his enchanting efforts.

When Magnus Lindgren receives well earned honours for his various musicianship he responds with deep confession that his own thoughts on this matter truly is that he has just begun! He claims very prompt that music can vary a lot; the main thing is that it always must be worked out with a solid personality and total honesty.

In his early days, Magnus listened to big band jazz created by Buddy Rich; the melody was Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. With his own words; he was overwhelmed. The first LP he bought was the Michael Jackson album Thriller. It catched him totally. The fact that Quincy Jones had created the intensive dynamic and spectacular varied background for the legendary popicon was a logical summary for the taste of Magnus Lindgren.

All music must come from the bottom of your soul, according to Magnus Lindgren. Therefore, it´s logic that his cd-project from autumn 2013 is called Souls. In a furtile collaboration with the american bassplayer and producer Ira Coleman, Magnus has put together a nice couple of newly written originals. The disc with a certain club feeling and to some degree with old school technology was recorded in New York. The production Souls contents a spectacular group of international musicians, together with vocal artists with star glance. For example the Swedish singers Rigmor Gustafsson, Marie Fredriksson (from Roxette) and Anna Christoffersson. Souls can be considered as a manifest from Magnus Lindgren for his ability to make music with a broad musically spectrum, together with an open hearted attitude.

In Magnus Lindgren´s way of looking at it, the improvisational moment is the centre of the musical universe. The established jazz quartet offers generous possibilities to spread a creative flow. Magnus is steadily returning to that kind of chamber musicial cooperation. He proved it again in the cd-production Four, released 2012. The result gave lots of acclaimed media respons and also a Swedish Grammy nomination. The album Four consists of the world renowned bassplayer Palle Danielsson, the astonishing drummer Jonas Holgersson and Daniel Karlsson respectively Anke Helfrich, two pianoplayers with the ability to give a good back up with sublime expressions. The music is merely Magnus´ own compositions, completed with a colourful version of Michel Jackson´s I Just Can´t Stop Loving You.