Classical Music

The Danish alto saxophonist Christina von B�low has created a very special trio with two jazz masters in their own right: The Swedish bassist Palle Danielsson and the American drummer Eliot Zigmund. Together, they pick up standards from the great songbooks of jazz and make them their unique own creations; like birds singing, never quite repeating the same sound. Thomas Clausen, writer of the liner notes, explains: "The present [album] is all about this element of variation. But also about being natural, playing melodically. And it's an album about interplay! Every bar these musicians play breathe this truth. Some tunes are straight standards. And the presentation of the melody is sometimes straight, as we know it. But it is varied all the time and never feels repetitive." When listening to Christina's playing on the album, you may sometimes be in doubt whether she's improvising or presenting a new melody, based on a familiar song. The truth is sometimes in between! What makes the new album special is a feeling of a collective spirit throughout.

Carsten Dahl, Lennart Ginman and Frands Rifbjerg have played together for more than 20 years now and yet every time they play together, it still sounds completely fresh and new. The combination of the three of them is somehow a magic golden cut in terms of swing, balance, dexterity and imagination. In this particular session, the musicians just met in the studio and recorded the music. First takes, as usual - picking up some rough sketches that Carsten Dahl had composed on the spot that same day. There is a clear link to the trio’s first record Will you make my soup hot & silver from 1996. The inspiration from Carsten Dahl’s heroes Bud Powell, Jan Johansson, Johan Sebastian Bach and many more is also easily detected. Carsten Dahl says: “My dear mentor jazz pianist Ed Thigpen used to say that "you've got to be able to snap your finger to it" and I always try to keep that in mind. I try to discover the magic in space and the simplicity in the music: In rhythmical progressions and in lyrical melodies. All this is what this trio’s essence is all about and we sure did exactly that.”

This 8 CD box set has more than 10 hours of Ben Webster's music including previously unreleased tracks. The sessions were recorded mainly during 1964-1973 in Europe, mostly in Scandinavia, and include live recordings from festivals, clubs and radio and television broadcasts. They feature Webster at Copenhagen's famous Montmartre club and other Danish locations as well as sessions from his renowned month-long residency at London's Ronnie Scott's. Completing the set are recordings from Finland, Sweden, Belgium, Germany and several tracks recorded before he left New York.

This new album is a mix of classics and originals performed by the Erik Lundeqvist Trio, a Swedish trio with a passion for real swinging, improvisational music rooted in the jazz tradition with a modern touch. Based in Malmo, Sweden, the Sven Erik Lundeqvist Trio is Sven Erik Lundeqvist on piano, Simon Petersson on bass, and Olle Dernevik on percussion. The group is forward-thinking, aggressive, and in your face, but don't worry- you won't be pushed away. These three musicians know what they are doing and join one another in a fruitful and supportive cooperation. This is new Swedish jazz with heart, soul, and energy.

Recorded at the end of a string of engagements throughout the Scandinavian countries, Archie Shepp + The New York Contemporary Five, Vol. 2 captures a group of young musicians seeking new musical ground and having found a welcoming environment far from home. In November of 1963, The New York Contemporary Five were consolidating avant-garde jazz as pioneered by Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor in Copenhagen and Sweden, as New York clubs had yet to fully embrace the style The quintet had formed specifically for their engagement at Montmartre in Copenhagen and would disband for some time immediately after. Vol. 2 documents a quintet of experimental artists that had yet to gain the worldwide recognition that they enjoy today, more than 50 years later. In this early era of The New York Contemporary Five, Archie Shepp, who embodied his musical generation's experimental nature, shows compelling technical prowess that runs alongside an early-stage knack for experimentation. From a modern perspective, the album sounds particularly indicative of the Archie Shepp that history has come to know as a central figure in the primary canon of avant-garde jazz.

Classical Music

Trio 65 ½ was the trio that won all the jazz-competitions in the mid 60’s and were “talk of the town”. The three incredibly talented musicians listened to their idol, the pianist Bill Evans’ LP Trio 64 and halfway through 1965 Ole Streenberg came up with the name: Trio 65 ½. Ib Lund Nielsen wrote notable songs such as Bit og Juleballade, which still is remembered by the attending guests at one of the first “Jazz I Reprisen”-events in Holte in 1967. They are all to be found on this new release and as Kenneth Knudsen says: “It hits me, how tight it was. Jens Jorn Gjeldsted Ole Streenberg and I were young, around 20 years old. And unexperienced. Ib Lund Nielsen was a bit older and with some experience from other groups. When we, quite randomly, met each other, it did not take long for us to realize that we shared a mutual pulse, a comfort – a faith, that the music stood by itself. It was new and weirdly wordless. We didn’t even know how special it was, because we were completely focused on creative development. And the problems and challenges that come with it. I myself was equally drawn towards fixing and tearing apart. But looking back, with so much experienced, so much played and heard, it’s clear to me, that this collaboration was the ‘approach to the music´. This feeling of approach that I think everyone experiences at some point – I hope."

Thomas Fonnesbæk is a Danish bass player born in 1977. Fonnesbæk has made a name for himself by being featured on more than 100 recordings throughout his career. Most notably Caroline Henderson, Alex Riel and Denmark's Radio Big Band. On his new record Synethesia, he teams up with New York-based jazz pianist, composer, producer and educator, Justin Kauflin. Known as a regular Quincy Jones Artist he performs worldwide as solo artist or Justin Kauflin Trio. Synethesia will be the first time they join musical forces. Of his previous releases, critics have written: “full of surprising twists and turns and live excitement as the audience waits for the cat to land: a great album…” “[the album is] driven by dynamic flow and a high level of creativity. The scope, the swing, the harmonic insight, the elegant plasticity… are boggling.”

the Carsten Dahl Experience is back with a new album, their fourth since their formation in 2007. It all began when renowned Danish jazz pianist Carsten Dahl decided to gather some of his favorite musicians from the Danish jazz stage for a line-up in what he called a "spiritual and musical vision pointing in a lyrical direction and towards abstract music" - a group whose aim was to grow wings with the creation of music. On Caleidoscopia, they manage to levitate once again. The Carsten Dahl Experience consists of Carsten Dahl on piano, Jesper Zeuthen on altosax, Nils Davidsen on bass and Stefan Pasborg on drums. Even though they'll be celebrating their decennial playing together next year, their friendship and understanding of one another doesn't make their music trvial in any way; rather, it forces them to reach higher an dmor ecomplicated grounds in order to bring forward musical surprises. It's improvisational jazz at it's best: The music multiplies and splits up in colorful patterns and rearranges itself into ever-varying themes and motifs; like the myriad of colros and form-shifting patterns you see when looking through a kaleidoscope. Carsten Dahl sums up the Experience group's motive and cohesive force this way: "I simply find this group to be the most challenging and innovative musical constellation I ever recorded and played with in my musical life". with an ambition like that, Caleidoscopia is sure to keep its listeners on the toes.

The legendary tenor saxophonist, Johnny Griffin's electrifying performance in Valencia, Spain in 1992 is set to be immortalized on the upcoming release, Live in Valencia 92 on June 7, 2024 on Storyville Records. Accompanied by an all-star trio with French pianist Herve Sellin, bassist Reggie Johnson and Doug Sides on drums, this recording, consisting of 6 tracks, is a chance to hear Johnny Griffin at his best, enjoying being out there live with an enthusiastic Spanish audience. The recording made in a defunct savings bank auditorium adorned with warm fabrics and wood accents, sounds great with it's cozy ambiance and impeccable acoustics. From the moment Griffin stepped onto the stage, his charisma was palpable, captivating audiences with his inimitable style, sense of humor and swing. Griff at his best! Live in Valencia 92 offers a glimpse into Griffin's artistry, showcasing a mastery of the tenor saxophone across a repertoire of standards by his favorite composers like Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, but we also get The Cat, one of his own compositions and almost considered a theme Song for Johnny Griffin. Johnny Griffin loved the European way of living and the Europeans loved him back. He settled in France, but spent time in Amsterdam and Copenhagen as well. As Herve Sellin writes about playing jazz "we don't take it too seriously, but we do it very seriously". That was what Johnny Griffin was known for, A little giant making everybody have a good time. And that's exactly what you experience on this recording. Johnny Griffin (1928-2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist known for his blistering speed and technical prowess. A prolific performer and recording artist, Griffin's career spanned over six decades, during which he collaborated with some of the most prominent figures in jazz, including Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane. This recording serves as a poignant reminder of Griffin's enduring impact on the jazz world. For jazz enthusiasts, Live in Valencia 92, is a must have addition to any collection, offering a glimpse into the brilliance of one of jazz music's true icons.

Mads Vinding has performed all over the world, produced several records, written filmscores and is the recipient of several distinguished jazz awards, including best soloist in the International Radiocontest Nordring, the Ben Webster Prize, and Palae Jazz Prize. Peter Larsen from Danish Radio writes: “Along with the acoustic bass, he has refined his playing on the electrical bass, but what makes him an outstanding artist and a sought-after soloist, is his unique musical command and his great maturity, which 35 years of working with such outstanding jazz musicians called upon. He’s played with the majority of jazz musicians worth playing with. Today he plays with the ones satisfying his concepts of what music ought to sound like.” For this release, he joins with vocalist Margrete Grarup, pianist Carsten Dahl, and percussionist Niclas Campagnol to perform standards and newer works in live recordings.

Christina Dahl is one of Denmark’s most respected saxophonists and she has a personal and lyrical sound. As a musician her expressions range from explosive virility to dimmed melancholy. On her new album she brings the unique quartet consisting of one of our very best guitarists, Niclas Knudsen, the internationally acclaimed bassist Jesper Lundgaard and a great talent on the drums, Esben Laub von Liljenskjold. Together, the four musicians have developed a playful and free language, where everyone has a leading role as soloists. This can be heard on seven compositions all written by Dahl. We meet a broad spectrum of musical temperaments. The language is free, but with a heightened sense of melody and a strong Nordic expression. This is pure Scandinavian jazz with soul, depth and intensity.

There aren't many alto saxophonists to whom I'd rather be listening. He has a lovely tone - slender, fibrous and very human - and a shallow vibrato: a highly distinctive combination. If you listen to one of his improvisations and just concentrate on the shaping of his phrases, it can be a good reminder of how inventive and unpredictable a great jazz musician can be. (Richard Williams 2016) Karsten Vogel (born January 11, 1943) is a Danish composer. He is also a conductor, a saxophonist and a music teacher. Vogel was born in Copenhagen and was awarded his MA in Danish language and literature in 1968 from University of Copenhagen. He has received several prizes for his works, e.g. a three-year scholarship from Statens Kunstfond. He has composed for Radiojazzgruppen, the Danish National Chamber Orchestra and written a film score for the movie Er I bange, Er du gr�nl�nder.

A strong and unique collaboration between two of America's greatest jazz heroes and two of Denmark's young, new talents. The group, consisting of Eric Reed, Ralph Moore, Andreas Svendsen and Matthias Petri has existed since 2015, and is now ready to release the album Prism on Nov. 22nd. Eric Reed is one of America's most famous pianists. With his strong roots in gospel traditions, he is recognized for his natural approach to music, and is described as a rare talent on his instrument. He is probably best known for his work with world-renowned trumpet player Wynton Marsalis, for whom he was a pianist from 1990. Since then he has recorded numerous albums both in his own name but also for other artists. The group's saxophonist Ralph Moore, originally English, left the American jazz scene desolate for aspiring saxophonists as he played with practically everyone on the US Jazz scene, shortly after arriving in the United States. As the second half of the group's massive rhythm battery, we find Denmark's is arguably best young drummer Andreas Svendsen. Andreas is sought after on both the Danish and international jazz scene as well as the Danish pop scene. Last but not least we have Matthias Petri - One of the most sought-after bassists in Denmark, who has quietly built a solid reputation since moving to Copenhagen in 2010. Prism is a direct and uncompromising jazz release featuring 10 compositions performed by the members of the group. These compositions are exposed here to both cultural and generational differences, which rounds them off and moves the entire collaboration into a higher unity.