It was 2019. Four of Europe's most decorated jazz musicians walked into a studio with basically no ego and a lot of shared history. What came out was the Four Wheel Drive album, a record that somehow managed to be incredibly complex and yet totally accessible to people who usually find jazz a bit too "intellectual." You’ve got Nils Landgren on trombone, Michael Wollny on piano, Lars Danielsson on bass, and Wolfgang Haffner on drums. These guys are the heavyweights of the ACT Music label. They aren't just session players; they are bandleaders in their own right. When you put four alphas in a room, you usually get a mess of competing solos. Here? You got a machine.
The "Four Wheel Drive" name isn't just a clever pun on the four musicians. It describes the traction. There’s this specific kind of forward momentum on the record that feels like a rugged vehicle gripping a muddy road. It’s stable. It’s powerful. Honestly, it’s one of the few jazz albums from the last decade that you can play for your parents and your snobby musician friends at the same time without anyone complaining.
The Sound of Four Engines Syncing Up
Most jazz supergroups fail because everyone is trying to prove they’re the smartest person in the booth. This Four Wheel Drive album is the opposite. It’s built on restraint. Take the opening track, "Leblon." It doesn't scream at you. It creeps in with this infectious, groove-heavy bassline from Danielsson that feels more like a 70s funk track than a modern jazz composition.
Landgren’s trombone has this signature "smooth as butter" tone, but he’s not playing a million notes a second. He’s playing melodies you can actually hum. That’s the secret sauce. While Michael Wollny—who is arguably one of the most inventive pianists in the world right now—could easily descend into chaotic, atonal madness, he stays grounded here. He uses the space. He lets the notes breathe.
It’s about the collective. The album feels like a conversation between old friends who don't need to finish their sentences because everyone already knows the punchline. Haffner’s drumming is the glue. He has this "linear" style where he rarely hits more than one thing at a time, but the pocket is so deep you could get lost in it.
Why the Tracklist Matters
The selection of songs is honestly kind of weird on paper. You have originals from the band members, but then you have these covers that shouldn't work. Phil Collins? Sting? Paul McCartney? It sounds like the tracklist for a bad wedding band.
But then you hear "Another Day in Paradise."
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Landgren sings on this one. Now, Landgren’s voice is polarizing. Some people love that fragile, soul-inflected tenor; others wish he’d just stick to the trombone. On this album, it works because the arrangement is so stripped back. They take these massive pop hits and find the "sadness" or the "groove" hidden under the 80s production of the originals. They turn McCartney’s "Maybe I’m Amazed" into a soulful, yearning instrumental that feels like a late-night drive through a rainy city.
Breaking Down the ACT Music "Vibe"
To understand why the Four Wheel Drive album sounds the way it does, you have to look at the label, ACT Music. Founded by Siggi Loch, ACT has spent decades defining what people call "The Sound of the North." It’s a European aesthetic—clean, high-fidelity, and deeply melodic.
- It’s not about New York swing.
- It’s not about bebop traditions.
- It’s about folk influences, classical precision, and a bit of rock energy.
This album is the pinnacle of that philosophy. It was recorded in just a few days at Hansa Studios in Berlin. Yeah, the same place where David Bowie recorded "Heroes." You can almost feel the history of the room in the reverb. The production is dry and intimate. You can hear the click of the trombone valves and the slap of the bass strings. It’s raw.
The Problem With "Supergroups"
Let's be real. When we hear the word "supergroup," we usually think of overblown projects that lack soul. Think of those 80s rock bands that had huge hair and no chemistry. In the jazz world, it’s often just "The [Famous Name] Quartet" where everyone else is just a sideman.
The Four Wheel Drive album succeeds because it actually functions as a collective. There is no "leader." If you look at the credits, the songwriting is split. The solo time is split. Even the mixing gives everyone equal weight in the speakers. This isn't a vanity project; it's a testament to the idea that four distinct voices can merge into one "fifth" entity.
What People Get Wrong About This Record
Some critics called this album "too smooth." They used the dreaded "S" word: Smooth Jazz.
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That’s a lazy take.
Smooth jazz is background music for dentists' offices. It’s programmed, it’s lifeless, and it’s predictable. This record is none of those things. If you listen closely to Wollny’s soloing on "Polygon," he’s throwing in these dissonant clusters and rhythmic shifts that would make a smooth jazz producer have a heart attack. The complexity is there; it’s just not hitting you over the head with a hammer.
It’s sophisticated. It’s the difference between a cheap sugar rush and a 12-course meal. You have to pay attention to catch the nuances, but if you just want to let the groove wash over you, you can do that too. That’s a hard balance to strike.
The Live Impact
The success of the Four Wheel Drive album led to a massive tour across Europe. Seeing these guys live is a different beast entirely. On the record, they are polite. Live, they are aggressive. They stretch these 4-minute songs into 12-minute explorations.
Haffner, in particular, becomes a powerhouse in a live setting. He’s got this way of building tension using nothing but a hi-hat and a snare drum until the room feels like it’s going to explode. Then, Landgren will come in with a whispered trombone line and bring the energy right back down to a simmer. It’s masterclass dynamics.
Technical Brilliance Without the Boring Bits
If you’re a gearhead or a student of music, there is plenty to nerd out on here. Lars Danielsson’s use of the cello (which he often plays like a guitar) adds this mid-range warmth that you don’t get on most jazz records. He’s not just playing the "1" and the "3." He’s playing counter-melodies.
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- He uses a bow to create cinematic textures.
- He uses effects pedals to subtly thicken the sound.
- He locks in with Haffner in a way that feels almost electronic in its precision.
And then there's the McCartney cover. "Maybe I'm Amazed" is a tough song to cover because the original is so iconic. But by stripping away the piano-heavy rock ballad feel and replacing it with a slow-burn jazz build, they actually highlight how good the songwriting is. It’s a lesson in "less is more."
Practical Advice for New Listeners
If you’re just discovering the Four Wheel Drive album, don’t just shuffle it on Spotify while you’re doing chores. It deserves at least one "active" listen.
Start with "Traumwind." It’s a Wollny composition that perfectly captures the "dream wind" title. It’s ethereal. It’s light. Then jump straight into "Get Here." It’s a total 180.
By the time you get to the end of the album, you realize that these four guys have basically mapped out the entire history of their careers in 45 minutes. You hear the funk of Landgren’s "Funk Unit" days, the classical leanings of Danielsson, the avant-garde spirit of Wollny, and the rock-solid pulse of Haffner’s solo work.
Next Steps for Your Ears
If this record clicks for you, don’t stop there. The "sequel," 4nd Drive II, was released later and continues the vibe, but the first one is where the magic really happened for the first time.
Go find the "Four Wheel Drive Live in Hamburg" recordings. They are available on most streaming platforms and capture the raw energy that a studio booth sometimes mutes. Also, check out Nils Landgren’s Sentimental Journey if you liked the ballads, or Michael Wollny’s Wartburg if you want to see how far the "crazy" side of the piano can go.
Stop thinking of jazz as a museum piece. The Four Wheel Drive album is living, breathing proof that four guys with instruments can still create something that feels modern, relevant, and—most importantly—fun.
Go buy the vinyl if you can find it. The artwork is minimal, the pressing is usually top-tier ACT quality, and it’s the kind of record that makes your speakers sound twice as expensive as they actually are. It’s a masterclass in modern production. No gimmicks. Just four wheels, one engine, and a lot of soul.