The Moon Ray Quintet

**Magnus Carlson & The Moon Ray Quintet** is a Swedish jazz ensemble formed in 2008 (or 2009, per some accounts) around the soulful vocals of Magnus Carlson, best known from his band Weeping Willows. It kicked off with an idea for a jazz album on EMI/Blue Note, where Carlson teamed up with top talents like trumpeter Goran Kajfeš, saxophonist/flutist Per "Ruskträsk" Johansson, drummer Lars Skoglund, pianist Carl Bagge, bassist Peter Forss, and vibraphonist Mattias Ståhl—dropping acclaimed debut tracks covering tunes from The Zombies to Rodriguez.

The group built a buzz with their fresh takes on non-standard jazz material, touring and releasing follow-ups like *Echoes* before a hiatus around 2013 as other projects took over. They're back swinging with recent gems like *Shadows* (featuring "Who Knows" and "Mystery of Love"), plus fresh 2025 drops including *Mystery of Love*—all delivered with Carlson's magical voice and the band's tight, joyful vibe on labels like We Jazz Records.