Arnold Ludvig Quintet: Live at Maggies ’18

Should anyone doubt that jazz is alive and well in all corners of the globe, Live at Maggies '18, an enjoyable live album by the quintet led by fretless electric bassist Arnold Ludvig will prove the point. Ludvig hails from the Faroe Islands archipelago, an autonomous territory of Denmark located between Norway, Iceland, and Scotland. Born in 1968, he began playing bass at the age of 12 and composing at the age of 23. After studying jazz in Reykjavik and Montreal, Ludvig has played, composed prize-winning pieces and taught in Denmark, Iceland, Canada, Estonia and his home territory.  Live at Maggies '18 was recorded at a small club in Nólsoy, Faroe Islands on June 14, 2018, but not released until 2025, after which it won "Special Release of the Year" at the 2026 Faroese Music Awards ceremony.

While Ludvig's seven characterful compositions and his remarkably fluid bass playing are at the fore here, the other members of his Reykjavik-based quintet acquit themselves nicely throughout the set. Saxophonists Sigurdur Flosason (alto) and Joel Palsson (tenor, soprano), pianist Kjartan Valdemarsson, and drummer Einar Scheving are all multi-award-winning top players in Iceland.

The set opens with one of the best tunes, "Port of Thor." Ludvig states a lovely melody on his bass, soon joined by Flosason, then Palsson on soprano, with support from Valdemarsson as Scheving, on brushes, sets up rolling pattern of gentle swing. Though newly composed, the tune has the timeless feel of an old folk tune, and the groove is wistful, smooth and relaxed. "Journey to Copenhagen"'s slow introduction gives way to a sprightly swing over which Palsson unfolds a winning solo. Valdemarsson and Ludvig follow, the latter expertly incorporating harmonics, slides and some funky phrasing. What's impressive here is the way the entire band's momentum ebbs and flows naturally, keeping the piece consistently interesting. Flosason's alto takes the first solo on the mid-tempo "Midnight Lullaby," raising the temperature a bit with his rapid runs and overblowing, Ludvig and Scheving reacting with some rhythmic shenanigans of their own, the bassist even incorporating a bit of fretboard tapping. "Desire" is pretty, if a bit too similar in feel to the previous tunes. More exciting is "Gróthúsvatn," which begins with a stuttering up-tempo drum intro, Scheving having switched to the sticks and showing more fire. Palsson is inspiring on soprano, after which the drums and piano lay out for an intriguing duet between Ludvig and Flosason.

"Miles Beyond" has a bluesy, loping tune and a relaxed old-school swing that inspire Valdemarsson's best solo of the set, incorporating double-time runs, gospel cadences and block chords. Scheving's manipulation of tempo under Flosason's solo is another highlight here, as is Ludvig's extended technique solo including off-the-fingerboard notes and sliding funk chords. The 14-minute "I Feel Better" ends the set with a dapper swinging line and another superb piano solo. About halfway through, Scheving raises the tempo for a hot tenor solo by Palsson, then moves to a herky-jerky stop-time for the leader's bass solo before the band brings it all home.

If the engaging music on Live at Maggies '18 represents a typical gig for this quintet, one can hope the group will reconvene for a new album soon.