Back in the 1970s, keyboardist / composer Stefan Nilsson was one of the key artists to emerge during the critically acclaimed European jazz-rock boom of that golden decade. As the leader of the Swedish jazz-rock fusion band Kornet—a band that released three excellent jazz-rock albums along the way—Nilsson was also very active in a supporting role, recording and touring with Sweden's greatest jazz-rock musicians of the era, including guitarist Janne Schaffer and the late, great flutist / keyboardist Björn J:son Lindh, as well as live shows with the late, great Finnish jazz-rock-fusion bassist / composer Pekka Pohjola. In the mid 1980’s the NYC based Breakthru’ Records was instrumental in bringing Nilsson’s music to the US, as was realized on the 1984 Breakthru’ Lp release of Nilsson’s album classic Music For Music Lovers. In 1986, Nilsson’s first CD release—a Neoclassical instrumental music masterpiece, featuring Stefan's grand piano and orchestra called Romantic Piano Dreams—was also released on CD by Breakthru’ in early 1986 . Despite critical acclaim for his solo albums, in the ensuing years, Nilsson ventured away from the jazz fusion sound and went on to score film soundtracks for a number of critically acclaimed movies, mostly from Sweden and Scandinavia. Other session work followed throughout the years and now in 2015, Stefan Nilsson is back with his first album of jazz-rock instrumentals in years, entitled The Gift. It’s almost as if it’s 1985 again as The Gift is full of magical and memorable, heavy keyboard based, jazz rock fusion instrumentals. The Gift features Stefan backed up by a full band, including electric guitarists Max Schultz and Eric Söderlind, along with other fine musicians such as percussionist and album engineer, the late Magnus Persson, who passed away at the end of 2014 and for whom The Gift is dedicated. Most of the music on this 11 cut CD are Stefan Nilsson originals that feature his one of a kind electric keyboards backed by a complete jazz fusion band. There are also two swinging Nilsson adaptations of J.S Bach classics—including the title track "The Gift", which is based around Bach's Dm Concerto—as well as a stately cover of Vivaldi’s “Winter”, from the famous Four Seasons classical suite. There are another two covers here with Nilsson and company performing “Honeysuckle Rose”, written by Fats Waller and “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”, the old evergreen by Duke Ellington. Anyone familiar with Stefan Nilsson’s music will be delighted to find that The Gift is one of the most varied and well rounded albums to date by the much appreciated musician. Those music fans who enjoyed Nilsson’s ground breaking work with Kornet as well his selected solo discography, including Romantic Piano Dreams and Music For Music Lovers, will find much to appreciate about The Gift. Stefan Nilsson's long awaited return to the jazz-rock fusion world, The Gift takes its place as one of the finest keyboard-based instrumental fusion albums of the decade and may, in fact be ultimately regarded as Nilsson’s crowning achievement to date as a recording artist.