For his new double live CD, The Bäst Band Lajv 2019,  (The Best Band Live 2019), singer-songwriter Mikael Ramel has assembled a great band of Swedish musicians, including 1970's guitar hero Kenny Håkansson, Mats Öberg (keys), Göran Lagerberg, (bass) and Benna Sörman (drums) and there's also a horn section on a track here. Recorded in April 2019, Mikael Ramel live sounds influenced by a range of Americana artists, making him a kind of Swedish Bruce Springsteen or Neil Young. Coming from a musical family that is revered in Sweden, Mikael Ramel is a modern day pop-rock artist that features his own original music, and some of the tracks also feature the music that Mikael cowrote with Swedish pop icon Klas Qvist, who is best known for his Citizen K albums.  As expected of an artist of this renown in his home country, the crowd is quite appreciative of watching Mikael serve up live versions of his favorite tracks, including a remake, on CD1, of his 1972 album debut. Musically, Mikael Ramel live encompasses a range of musical styles including Americana, folk-rock, Beatles style pop, and considering the presence of a true Swedish guitar hero Kenny Håkansson in his band, the sound easily veers into traditional Swedish folk-flavored progressive instrumental rock, which Kenny, the guitarist and co-composer for the late great Bo Hansson, helped introduce in Sweden back in the late 1960s. On his live double CD, Mikael's voice isn't ever overbearing yet it is distinctive and melodic. While the CD and packaging looks great and sounds great, all the music is sung by Mikael in Swedish, which might make it challenging at first for non-Swedes.  A great Swedish rock experience, the energy level is very impressive and with a band that are well-rehearsed, Mikael at times sounds inspired by the late, great Swedish rock hero Lars Hollmer. Towards the end of Bäst Band Lajv 2019, on disc two the band really picks up steam and, if you've never heard Chuck Berry sung in Swedish, give a listen to Mikael Ramel.