Le quintette de Sven Klang

A drama/comedy about a Swedish dance band in the late 50's. The band gets a new member (a jazz saxophone player) who inspires some of the other band members to go in a more jazzy direction. Not taken to kindly by the leader, Sven Klang. Very funny but also with a deeper side. Some sources state that the main character is based on the Swedish baritone player Lars Gullin. This in not true, but the film coincides in many places with Gullins life. The film features some excellent altosaxaphone playing by Christer Boustedt. If your interested in music in general or jazz in particular, then this is definitely the film to see.

It is unfortunately a general misconception in certain Jazz circuits that the character "Lasse" in Sven Klangs Kvintett, portraits the late Lars Gullin.

It is a mystery why some reviewers would write something like; "Sven Klangs Kvintett is a fictionalized account of Lars Gullins early career". Even in Wikipedia a statement goes: "...and the saxophonist Lars (they probably mean "Lasse") is indeed based on Gullin."

It is not the case. Why? Well first of all, "Lasse" plays an Alto Sax which Lars Gullin never did (he was a Baritone Sax player), and secondly; In the actual film the other band members chats about who "Lasse" had played with and they mention amongst others Lars Gullin (and it's not very likely they meant he had played with himself, you think?). Thirdly the characters name in the film is "Lasse" - now why would they call a fictional character by his real name?

The character that "Lasse" is portraying, are the late Alto Sax player Rolf "Billis" Billberg who shared a lot of similarities with Lars Gullin but had a different approach to the Jazz scene in those days. Lars Gullin and Rolf Billberg played together on numerous occasions and were good friends and colleges.

And it is Rolf Billberg who is widely renowned for the quote: "Alla Danskar lirar bara Dixie" (All Danes only digs Dixie). Last but not least, try and compare images of the character "Lasse" (Christer Boustedt) with some of Rolf Billbergs and the similarity will strike you.

I hope this little misconception soon will be corrected throughout, for the sake of Jazz history and indeed the memory of Rolf Billberg.