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Lars Møller & Aarhus Jazz Orchestra: Glow of Benares
by Jakob Baekgaard
The Danish saxophonist, composer and bandleader, Lars Møller, has always been curious about the different languages of music and this curiosity has also followed him in his work as a conductor of Aarhus Jazz Orchestra. He has taken the reputable orchestra to new artistic heights with ReWrite of Spring, his bold homage to Igor Stravinskijs Sacre du Printemps, and with Glow of Benares he takes yet another musical leap, adding the Danish Sinfonietta to the line-up. The ...
read moreLars Møller's Aarhus Jazz Orchestra feat. David Liebman and Marilyn Mazur: ReWrite of Spring
by Karl Ackermann
In the early twentieth century, at a time when the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky was barely known, he had already composed the celebrated works Firebird (1910) and Petrushka (1911). The 1913 work, The Rite of Spring, was to become renowned both as a ballet and as a stand-alone orchestral score. The Paris premier at the newly opened Théâtre des Champs-Élysées set off a violent riot though it was never clear if the avant-garde music, the Vaslav Nijinsky choreography, or a ...
read moreThe Orchestra: New Skies
by Jack Bowers
In his liner notes to this second album by The Orchestra, renowned composer / arranger / trombonist Bob Brookmeyer writes that the Copenhagen-based ensemble “performs one of the rare functions in music -- they play as if they love the music and each other, and they give life to the written page, the key element in expression.” Brookmeyer then admits to a certain bias, as six of its members (including conductor / composer / trumpeter Jesper Riis and composer / ...
read moreThe Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra: Nice Work
by Jack Bowers
There is indeed some “nice work” on this new release by the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra, thanks largely to the DRJO’s world–class stature as a working big band and the imposing talents of chief conductor Jim McNeely whose sharp and swinging arrangement of the Gershwin brothers’ “Nice Work If You Can Get It” was Grammy–nominated this year. Also from the Gershwins comes “. . .and Rhythm” (“I Got Rhythm”) which opens with a brief reminder of “Rhapsody in Blue” and ...
read moreCopenhagen Art Ensemble: Angels' Share
by Glenn Astarita
The folks who comprise the “Copenhagen Art Ensemble” are among the top modern jazz players in Denmark these days. And while many of the members veer off into splinter groups, such as “The Crossover Ensemble”, “When Granny Sleeps” and others, these musicians consistently turn in above par efforts regardless of the format or genre. With their latest release titled, Angels’ Share the band utilizes a phrase derived from the maturation process of Scotch whiskey, as the music and overall concept ...
read moreMarilyn Mazur: Jordsange
by Glenn Astarita
Born in New York yet reared in Denmark, percussionist Marilyn Mazur has performed with a who’s who of modern jazz artists, which includes a stint with the late Miles Davis. Basically, Ms. Mazur is recognized as a percussionist who melds supple rhythms and multihued patterns into lyrically rich frameworks while adhering to compositional structure, nuance and subtly via her variegated array of instruments. These days, Ms. Mazur has been recording and touring with Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek while also performing ...
read moreMarilyn Mazur: Jordsange
by Glenn Astarita
Born in New York yet reared in Denmark, percussionist Marilyn Mazur has performed with a who’s who of modern jazz artists, which includes a stint with the late Miles Davis. Basically, Ms. Mazur is recognized as a percussionist who melds supple rhythms and multihued patterns into lyrically rich frameworks while adhering to compositional structure, nuance and subtly via her variegated array of instruments. These days, Ms. Mazur has been recording and touring with Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek while also performing ...
read moreWhen Granny Sleeps: Welcome
by Glenn Astarita
The often thriving Danish Jazz scene remains somewhat of a mystery to many over here in the USA. Recent recordings by Pierre Dorge and his excellent “New Jungle Orchestra”, “The Crossover Ensemble” and a bunch of hip cats performing the music of legendary saxophonist John Tchicai on a 1999 release titled, Moonstone Journey serve as glowing examples of this thoroughly inventive and enterprising music scene. With that, we bring you the new release from a hot band brimming with savvy ...
read moreJeff Hackworth: What a Wonderful World
by Dave Hughes
Versatile saxophonist Jeff Hackworth, from the Buffalo, NY, area, has gained experience ranging from big band swing to blues. His debut CD,Just for You, concentrated on tasteful contemporary fare. For his sophomore effort, Hackworth presents a blues-oriented program in the austere setting of sax-organ-drums trio. With a smaller number of players to deal with, each musician is more exposed and has greater responsibility for maintaining the melodic, chordal, and rhythmic requirements of a song. This cohesive trio is ...
read moreThe Orchestra: Noxx
by Jack Bowers
For those who’d rather chew and digest their helpings of big–band Jazz slowly and carefully instead of gulping down a series of low–calorie riffs and shout choruses, here’s a lavish spread ably prepared by The Orchestra from beautiful Copenhagen, Denmark. The seven compositions, all by members of the band or director / tenor saxophonist Henrik Frisk, have enough meat on them to give anyone’s molars, incisors and bicuspids a vigorous workout. None is especially hard to swallow, nor are they ...
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