Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Soren Moller: Christian X Variations

263

Soren Moller: Christian X Variations

By

Sign in to view read count
Soren Moller: Christian X Variations
Making a special social statement with his music, Danish-born pianist Soren Moller honors the memory of Danish King Christian X who, during World War II, protected his country's Jews from discrimination and deportation by the Nazis. The effort to protect and unite fellow countrymen served as the inspiration for the compositions on Christian X Variations.

These are five powerful compositions, arranged for both a conventional quartet and a wind quintet, with Moller blending elements of jazz and classical music. Calling upon saxophonist Dick Oatts—whom the pianist has collaborated with several times since 2005—Moller fills out his quartet with Puerto Rican drummer Henry Cole and American bassist Josh Ginsburg, performing exclusively on "Kvartet I" and the standout "Kvartet II," which also features Oatts and Moller.

The three "Nonet" pieces exhibit a classical texture with the use of the Kirin Winds, an award-winning woodwind quintet—all members of the Sonderjyllands Symphony Orchestra in Denmark—that incorporates oboe, clarinet, flute, horn and bassoon instruments, with exciting results. Introduced by the wind section, the closing "Nonet III" breaks out in a delicious romp by Moller, with Oatts weighing in with a simmering solo of his own, to close out a very interesting session of modern jazz.

Whether or not Moller succeeds in conveying some sort of historical message in homage to an honorable Danish King, what Christian X Variations does accomplish, in quite compelling fashion, is to lay down a polished set of progressive music, in easy to digest form.

Track Listing

Nonet I; Kvartet I; Nonet II; Kvartet II; Nonet III.

Personnel

Soren Moller: piano; Dick Oatts: saxophones; Josh Ginsburg: bass; Henry Cole: drums; Jorunn Solloes: flute; Sai Kai: oboe; Nicolai Eghorst: clarinet; Jeppe Rasmussen: horn; Catarina Zeh: bassoon.

Album information

Title: Christian X Variations | Year Released: 2011 | Record Label: Audial Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.