Lars Gullin

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Lars Gullin Biography #3 – On his own

Rolf Ericson was the first to leave the Arne Domnérurs band in early 1952 and was temporarily replaced by Weine Renliden and later, permanently, by Bengt-Arne Wallin. Åke Persson on trombone joined the band. Lars and Jack left during 1952, already isolated within the group as two junkies with little concern for the rest of the band.

Jack Norén was about to go back to the US and Lars saw the possibilies of a career as a soloist. But already in January 1951 he was back in the Metronome studio, recording nine sides with James Moody, and in again February, cutting four sides, his first as a leader. Young Bengt Hallberg, 18 and still in high school in Göteborg, played the piano, yet a month away from his recordings with Stan Getz in the same studio.

Jack Norén played the drums, and on Lars Gullin's second recording as a leader in April, Rolf Ericson was still around – yes he lingered long enough to participate in Gullin's session in January 1952.

Parallell to this, Lars signed up for the Polydor label. In all, he made 17 sides for Polydor from September 1951 to the spring of 1953. Most of them were simple quartet renderings of popular tunes like – as in the first session – Alone, The Continental, Dancing in the Dark and I Got it Bad. Long Ago and Far Away, Top Hat and the Swedish ballad Sov du lilla videung would follow. Sometimes a few horns were added and some original tunes introduced, as Dorica, First Walk, Toll Bridge and Smart Alec. All tracks are reissued on Dragon's volume 5, First Walk.

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