According to the musician's world Jonas Hellborg belongs to the currently five best musicians in the world. He's got everything what somebody possbily could wish, including a record company in New York. - But he's still very down to earth. this and this typical scandinavian shyness make him seem introverted  with a great portion of Symphathy. Or is this all due to his overdimensional talent, which put people often into a sort excentric position?!!
However, it is a fact, that the meanwhile 54 year old Swede owns a pretty interesting aura and lives a great musician's life, as he probably has worked with so many other great artists so far. He himself is a natural talent,enjoyed a classical training and was discovered only 23 years young by jazz icon Michael Brecker, who got him to Montreux to the Jazzfestival. Also John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra knew exactly about his skills. 
Past year this super bassist toured with his own band - the Jonas Hellborg Group throughout Europe. The band included some other brilliant musicians such as drummer Ginger Baker from Cream. Past October I could convince myself already about this talent. Now there is another chance but with a huge difference, as this here is a pure solo trip. As I've been told later on, this tour here is a pure luxury extravaganza which he and his wife enjoy by combining it with a vacation. - I mean his occupation ain't no work anyway, as he does love what he's doing much too much. And if this happens then you don't call it work, do you?!


Despite my fear and doubts, there have indeed aprox 50 -  60 people gathered at the Village Club. To beh honest, I thought, it won't be more than about 30, as the name Hellborg is not that much known to a wide audicance. The second reason is, that the music he plays is everything else than easy listening. - His show, as always seperated in two parts here at the Village, are simply 2 huge bass solos no more. And you do need a lot of musical understanding. Whereby he always performs barfooted, but don't ask me why. I presume that this way he's got a better body feeling. He sits on a stool  with mostly closed eyes and caresses his 4 string with lots of passion and smoothness, but also beat it up the next minute...

Jonas seems a little out of this world while playing, and if he does open his eyes, he does it only to have a look onto his mobile, situated next to him on a chair to read.... whatsoever... don't ask me what... –

But though Hellborg's music is rather difficult stuff, it is not exhausting or over demanding us. You can only describe it as jazz orientated fusion structure, which never gets boring at any point. He knows how to draw a fine line between art and skills. 
And so the music runs down like a clear river throughout a peaceful musical landscape, which includes some edges and little thunderstorms. When ending part one, Jonas says: "this was the first song". And at the other half he does the same saying: "this was the second song". Of course we do get a short encore as well. And in the end everybody in here is convinced that Jonas Hellborg is one of the very best bassplayers on this planet. 


He himself puts on his socks and shoes for the.... don't ask me how often.... on again, but this time it's final. Selling a few CDs in the end is a matter of course. And then he starts off to the next stop over. By the way, he's driving all the way by himself. But don't get it wrong, due to his outfit and the way he is and these tiny club shows. For Jonas this is all for fun... because to be honest he doesn't really need to. But sometimes he just wants to live this way with only a few fans who appreciate his music in an intimate living room atmosphere, fans who just listen to him and no more... And jes.... we truyl have dones so tonight.... 
 http://www.hellborg.com/