Jakob Bro: December Song

Jakob Bro (guitar)
December Song (Loveland; 2013)
Lee Konitz (sax)
Craig Taborn (piano)
Bill Frisell (guitar)
Thomas Morgan (bass)

With December Song, Jakob Bro concludes a wonderful trilogy that started in 2008 with Balladerring and then Time in 2011. A beautiful and melodic tribute to one his mentors, the late Paul Motain, December Song is another shinning document in the growth of an very subtle yet expressive voice, Bro has become over the last decade.

"Giant" flows heavy and effectively on the notes of Konitz and Bro. But the addition of Taborn adds a complexity that give the atmospherics of Bro's playing more dynamics and experimentation. "Zygaena" and "Tree House" are similar to compositions from Balladerring and Time yet still show the growing aspects of Bro's writing after all these years. Both consist of lush, gentle tones that highlight the weaving patterns of Bro's guitar and Americana themes laid out by Frisell. But as always, Bro turns both pieces into a kind of journey that is rich and imaginable.

"Risskov" and "Vinterhymne" have folkish qualities that both romantic and dream-like. The compositions are like lullabies. "Risskov" is highlighted by Konitz's bold horn and Bro's subtle yet captivating notes. Quiet and short notes that linger with each echoing tone. "Vinterhymne" is more a drifting piece with images that fade that softly in the distant sunset. A wonderful closing number and longing gesture to one of his mentors.

December Song is again another statement of powerful creativity from a composer and performer who seems to be prime, prolific form at the moment. I try every chance I get to tell as many people about Jakob Bro. I'm hoping that an album such as December Song can do it all without me screaming to the hilltops. It's that beautiful and that good. One of my favourite albums of the year. And I already have a small list of them (Jason Moran/Charles Lloyd, MOPDTK, Sunna Gunnlaugs, Soren Gemmer and Soren Dahl Jeppesen to make the short list). But Jakob Bro always seems to make that list. Highly, Highly Recommended!

Soren Dahl Jeppesen

Soren Dahl Jeppesen (guitar)

(photo: Paw Ager)

Young, but with a veteran spirit, Soren Dahl Jeppesen is increasing his presence on the scene. With a solid enveloping tone, Jeppesen has similar qualities to more seasoned guitarists like Bill Frisell and even his contemporary Jakob Bro. But he is finding a growing voice over his highly rewarding three albums as leader.

After two wonderful albums with the band Pauseland as well as through multiple session work, Jeppesen delivered an impressive debut with Route One (2010). A melodic set featuring echoing effects and heavy emotional resonance is exemplified by the exchanges between Jeppesen and saxophonist, Óskar Guðjónsson and drummer, Jakob Høyer. "A Fools Paradise" and "Less" both provide a nice mixture of calm cylindrical rhythmic patterns alongside heavy percussion, which make for a exciting and intriguing experience.

The follow up, Red Sky (2011) is more song based with lots of smooth edges. That doesn't mean Jeppesen went for a commercial sound - far from it. This is just a more mature album. The quartet has more freedom of movement in his new pieces. "In The Loop" weaves small atmospherics in Jeppesen's playing against a backdrop of soulful melodies from the rest of the group. "At Ease" has the Americana vibe that has influenced a large majority of guitarists works. It would be interesting to hear this piece with lyrics. The melody is very lovely and warm.

With the arrival of Pipe Dreams (2013), Jeppesen takes a significant leap forward; a nice balance between the European and American approaches to spacial structures. The addition of Simon Toldam (piano) for the opening "Insomnia," opens the sound for an already steady and collaborative quartet. Toldam's playing is full-bodied and gives the guitar a new challenge. I loved the distancing echoes of Jeppesen's lines.

He maintains a dense and sparse motif throughout but Jeppesen does move into different landscapes as with the Latin-tinged "Fallback" and the very effected and heartfelt "Blinded" and "Broken." Both shoulder strong lyrical passages either from Toldam on "Blinded" or Guðjónsson on "Broken."

"Pipe Dreams" and "Gloom and Doom" while expressing more somber themes, actually lay within some sublime imagery as you begin to peel off the surface. "Gloom & Doom" adds more darker electronics and an almost psychedelic feel thanks to Jeppesen's harmonic delivery. "Pipe Dreams" is slightly more direct but with Toldam and Hoyer being the driving forces.

Soren Dahl Jeppesen has quickly made an impression on the community at large with a solid and growing catalog of maturity with each record - Pipe Dreams being the brilliant gem so far. I say "so far" because history is still not written. Jeppesen may just be the unheard thing at the moment but you and all our other friends now have the chance to spread the word. Pipe Dreams is a highly recommended album for every ear. If not the year.

Jakob Bro: Bro/Knak

Jakob Bro (guitar, piano)

Thomas Knak (electronics)

Bro/Knak (Loveland; 2012)

Jakob Bro has matured since his first release, Daydreamer (2003). His material has spanned contemporary jazz, ensemble, quartet, trio and now an epic and audacious piece in collaboration with Thomas Knak entitled simply, Bro/Knak. And this is a sweeping work over two discs that deserves a lot of your attention.

"Colour Sample" while broad in scope shows the considerable growth Bro has achieved in just the short span of the last two years. With minimal use of electronic manipulation of vocals and the contributions of follow musicians, Wheller, Kulberg, Rehling and Hoyer, Jakob Bro creates a piece that lies somewhere between the new classical world of Stephen Micus and acoustic ambiance of Terje Rypdal or David Sylvian. It's a soothing and expansive work with multiple textures to marvel while listening.

"Izu" has an epic American film quality to it. The brushes by Hoyer and Bro's guitar and echoing vocals provide the long journey cross country in search of something new. Only fitting that the next piece featuring Bro with one of his mentors, Bill Frisell in a performance that highlights both the ambient other-worldly essence of Bro and American folk of Frisell. A luscious and elegant stroll through harmony and rhythm. 

The second disc turns this acoustic outing into a mystic electronic soundscape. "Roots Rebuild" utilizes the soft textures of Paul Bleys original from the first disc with almost Orb-like esthetics by Knak. A complete flip that is almost unrecognizable but original and astounding.

"G Minor Rebuild" also circles around the piano. This time done by David Virelles. It feels like Harold Budd blended through the ambient work of Aphex Twin. "Colour Sample Rebuild"  and "Northern Blues Variation" retain the somber elements of the originals but almost creates it's own imagery that is ghostly and spiritual.

Bro/Knak is a complete divergence from what Jakob Bro has done before that this will be a beautiful shock to the system to most people who have been a fan of his material already. But this is a diversion that is beyond worth taking. Bro/Knak displays a musician and composer who is really pushing ideas forward with a clear sense of deconstruction. Highly Recommended.

Niels Lyhne Lokkegaard: Vesper

Niels Lyhne Lokkegaard (sax)

Vesper (Hiatus; 2012)

Jakob Bro (guitar)

Ole Visby (clarinet)

Birgit Bogh Sonderiis (clarinet)

Mette Alro Stoktoft (clarinet)

Jakob Buchanan (flugelhorn)

Marilyn Mazur (percussion)

Niels Lyhne Lokkegaard has matured with each record. His style has always been dense and emotional but it has grown deeper and more atmospheric with each release.

On his fourth album, Vesper, Niels Lyhne Lokkegaard has created a grand and ambitious work that simply overshadows anything else he's done to date. It's a massive achievement--brilliantly written and performed.

The Danish saxophonist sets the tone for that on the title track with a suite that is dark, ethereal and arching. "Vesper I-IV" contains some lovely lyrical patterns. Lokkegaard places special focus on the wind instruments to emphasize the harmony. Jakob Bro's guitar provides the sonic sculpture that delivers the gentle impact throughout the the suite. Buchanan and Bro share an expansive conversation on the final movement  - haunting and beautiful.

Lokkegaard utilizes space and tempo on "The Lover," a ballad that is as poetic as it is cinematic. Mazur illustrates her unique brilliance on "Alogl I-II." Her brushes and percussion are percolating and tantalizing. Lokkegaard creates a lush atmosphere that reminded me of recent work by Stanko or Rava.

Vesper is Niels Lyhne Lokkegaard most dynamic statement yet. It's beautiful like a clear night sky and shows the blossoming of a strong composer and musician. Vesper will be one of our favourite albums of 2012. Highly Recommended.

Best Album of 2011: Jakob Bro

JazzWrap revisits a great year of discoveries in 2011.

Jakob Bro (guitar)

Time (Loveland Records; 2011)

Thomas Morgan (bass)

Lee Konitz (sax)

Bill Frisell (guitar)

Jakob Bro's presence has been raising in recent years. His last release Balladeering, gained critical acclaim along with prior recordings with Tomasz Stanko. Balladeering was a masterful work that featured Konitz, Frisell and the late Paul Motian. That recording was a monumental step in Bro's career as leader. On his latest, Time (Loveland Records), Bro keeps the quartet setting but sans a drummer. This makes for an even more intimate affair.

With Time, Jakob Bro has written material that is even more deep and personal than the excellent predecessor. Here Konitz and Morgan mingle and create some magnificent colours. The paring of two guitar is just as intriguing as it was on Balladeering. Bro shapes the harmonics and soundscapes while Frisell adds the linear passages to pieces. "Cirkler" is a beautiful number in which Konitz and Morgan provide a calming tone surrounded by mood setting atmospherics from Bro and gentle Americana acoustics of Frisell.

Bro's writing has matured and become rich with various textures and sonic layers than even Balladeering displayed. "Swimmer" is a lonely journey down the motorway. It's a quiet and deeply melodic tone that Bro sets forth but not in a depressing way. It's more a matter of being at piece with ones self.

You can sense there's more intimacy on Time. The musicians feel more affected by each other. They have all played together in various forms over the years so they is great chemistry. "Fiordlands" is another bright moment where Bro's writing is uplifting like a Sunday morning church call. It's bluesy but with close sense of joy that quickly takes hold a few minutes in. Konitz and Bro both wrap this piece like chocolate and caramel.

The closing number "Smaa Dyr" is more of a trio (without Konitz) and it's a beautiful way to close out the album. Just as "Fiordlands" its somber in tone but you can feel the uplifting tone that rising as the piece moves further along.

I fell in love with Time minutes after it finished. Jakob Bro has circled himself with great musicians who effortless craft his material into something special. With Time, Jakob Bro should be on the radar of many jazz fans in 2012. He has grown as a leader, composer and performer. The pieces on this session has stuck with in short time of its release in November. That's why I have named Time as my album of year. Highly Recommended.

JazzWrap was honoured to have another opportunity to discuss recording Time with Jakob Bro recently. Here's a bit of that discussion.

1) Since the acclaim of Balladeering how has your recording process changed?

Time is done pretty much the same way as Balladeering…I composed the songs in August - went to a small cottage by the sea in Denmark and just wrote music for one week straight. Two weeks later I went to New York and met up with Lee, Bill and Thomas at Avatar Studio A…we started playing the songs around 11AM and played pretty much without stopping for two hours…most of the songs are first takes (as with Balladeering)…it was a beautiful experience for which I feel very grateful. 

2) There's more intimacy with Time without a drummer. Was that on purpose?

Yes! I love Balladeering so much and it didn't feel right to me to go in and do the exact same thing again…so I changed the line up. I love Thomas' playing - On "Balladeering" Lee is featured a lot - on "Time" I wanted to feature both Lee and Thomas at the same time and I thought it would be really cool to do so in a very transparent setting without drums. We also recorded "Time" in a different way than Balladeering. All in the same room - sitting in a closed circle without headphones. That in itself is very intimate - you can't change a note once you've played it and you can hear even the slightest sound coming from each other. It was truly a great way to record and James Farber is so incredibly masterful at capturing the moment like that sound wise. 

3) Working with Bill Frisell and Lee Konitz again must have made the recording feel like home?

Well, working with Bill, Lee and Thomas makes me feel honored and very very humble. They all play absolutely incredible on this record and I can't even describe in words how happy I am that they all agreed to join this session and play my songs. 

4) Will you be touring for this record?

I'm touring more and more with my own music. Both in a trio setting and sometimes trio with a soloist…also I have been working with my nonet a bit. I do the same songs as on my recordings but of course they sound different depending on the line up. I'm not going to tour with the original line up from Time. I might do one or two shows if logistics happen to match but nothing is scheduled at the moment. I have some trio gigs lined up for my Danish trio next year, 5 gigs with Jeff Ballard on drums also and in the fall I have a 2 week tour with Thomas Morgan and a drummer.

Admiral Awesome

Admiral Awesome (group)

Admiral Awesome (Gateway Music; 2011)

Jacob Danielson (sax)

Christian Windfeld (drums)

Thomas Sejthen (bass)

Fredrik Lungkvist (sax)

Admiral Awesome are a young new Danish trio whose work is fresh and cracking with energy. Their self-titled debut is aided by legendary saxophonist, Fredrik Lungkvist of the group Atomic. As with Bobo Stenson's work with the young Swedish trio Plunge, Lungkvist gives a hard, grittier edge that challenges the group to reach new heights with each track.

In terms of experience, Admiral Awesome is not new. Each member has considerable work with artists such as Arve Henriksen, Fuzz n' Us, and Jakob Bro in addition to individual efforts. So there is no shortage of skill and creativity within this group. Admiral Awesome grew out of a number sessions and live performances over the last year or so. And the fruit of those experiments has resulted in a exciting and all around triumphant debut, consisting of live and studio material.

While your first thought might be the bombastic brass that sits on top of the melodies--this is more than just your usual free jazz session. The quartet quietly introduces itself on "LSB Vals" with a heavy downbeat from Windfeld just before the rest of the group come soaring in. Eventually the piece steams towards a jubilant cacophony only to return gently to its organic beginnings. "Different Directions" is a fierce little number with a jumpin' bebop touch that Charlie Parker would be proud of. The improvised moments are fun and still keep within a linear compositional structure. Something even the uninitiated to free jazz might still be able grasp hold of and enjoy.

"Stockholm Wilderness" has elements of spy-jazz, improvisation and what feels like a little tribute to Dizzy Gillespie's "Salt Peanuts" mixed in. There is a beauty duel between Danielsen and Lungkvist makes this one of my favourite cuts on the album. The stop/start pace and electricity of the performances here from the entire quartet are killer. "Piratsangen" begins in Brotzmann-esque style with powerful blustery notes from Danielsen. His improvised notes take listener or rocky ride that worth all the eight minutes. As the rest of the group slow move into focus the tune becomes more a bluesy ballad. It's haunting and beauty and closes with band singing farewell to a live audience. And that's a perfect way to end the album.

Admiral Awesome is one of those records I assure you will sneak up on you as the year continues. It is currently available on the Admiral Awesome website and will be released widely later in the year. This is an excellent debut and exciting on multiple levels. It's creative, well balanced and fun between the improvised lines. A great listen. Enjoy...

Niels Lyhne Lokkegaard

Niels Lyhne Lokkegaard (sax)

The Scale Of Grey. The Tone Of Black. (Nelsonian Records)

Christoffer Steen Moller (piano)

Jeppe Kjellberg (guitar)

Jeppe Gram (drums)

Carsten Skov (vibes)

Lise Christensen (vocals)

Lennart Ginman (bass)

A hauntingly beautiful third album, The Scale Of Grey. The Tone Of Black., from Danish saxophonist, Niels Lyhne Lokkegaard will leave many listeners in amazement. Lokkegaard has been a rising star on the Danish scene for a few years now. His playing style is subtle and touching in way many Nordic releases of the last few years have been. For me its reminiscent of the more balladry moments of Dexter Gordon or late period Stan Getz.


But what separates Lokkegaard from the rest is his compositional skills. A layering of lush arrangements combined with the unity and understanding from his bandmates makes The Scale Of Grey. The Tone Of Black. lovely and satisfying experience for any jazz fan.

"The Opening" features a rich atmospheric tone led brilliantly by Kjellberg on guitar and then joined by Steen Moller and Lokkegaard. It's melodic and calming and lays the groundwork for journey into the rest of this session. "The Restraint" delivers another chilling message with Skov and Christensen providing some ethereal treatments just audible enough to twist your subconscious in and out of shape. Lokkegaard has established a beautiful minimalism through the performances of his ensemble that is both in tune with jazz and ambient aesthetics.

"The Unresolved" with its rolling melody from Moller on piano and Lokkegaard's crisp phrasing feels like more accessible Philip Glass piece. It's a cinematic piece that holds the listeners attention through a long journey. On "The Wasteland" Lokkegaard's writing highlights the contribution of Ginman, Kjellberg and Gram with its bluesy pacing and rhythmic tone.

Niels Lyhne Lokkegaard has a young lyrical voice and developed over three records an extraordinary compositional skill that beams through his entire band. Niels Lyhne Lokkegaard is a moving work from an artist that is really only just beginning to make his statement on the European scene but it is a bold statement that should be discovered by everyone. Brilliant stuff and highly recommended.

Also Recommended

Light Airborne (Calibrated Records)

Niels Lyhne Lokkegaard (Calibrated Records)

Lee Konitz: Live At The Village Vanguard

Lee Konitz & Minsarah (sax; b. 1937)
Live At The Village Vanguard (Enja Records)
Jeff Denson (bass)
Florian Weber (piano)
Ziv Ravitz (drums)

Lee Konitz has been one of the most prolific saxophonists of the last two decades. He has performed with fellow luminaries as Miles Davis (on the legendary Birth Of The Cool album), Gerry Mulligan, Jimmy Giuffre, Lenny Tristano and widely known for his partnership with fellow sax great, Wayne Marsh. He has also worked a wide range of new jazz greats such as Brad Mehldau and Mark Turner. The Chicago native was originally influenced by Benny Goodman (clarinet) before turning his sights on playing saxophone.

Lee Konitz is one those few musicians who can play flawlessly in any setting (ensemble, orchestra, small group, solo). His style has always been describe by the often overused moniker " the Cool" referring to the smooth style that Miles Davis is associated with on the aforementioned album. But Konitz was more than that. He can play it "Cool" but he can also distribute blistering attacks on the horn is very subtle ways. His ability to improvise The essential Konitz album is Motion (Verve; 1961) with Elvin Jones and Sonny Dallas. Motion is a killer set of originals and improvising mastery.

More recently his has recorded with some new up and coming European artists such as guitarist, Jakob Bro and Konitz's new quartet consisting of the trio Minsarah.

Konitz recorded a 2008 debut with Minsarah entitled Deep-Lee (Enja) which is a truly sublime and another must. The quartets most recent set is Live At The Village Vanguard (Enja) as it also doesn't disappoint. In Minsarah, Konitz has found a European trio and complements and integrate smoothly with his ability shifting tempos. Live At The Village Vanguard is definitely a group is prime form. Konitz allows the group to really stretch out on Johnny Mercer standard "I Remember You" which Denson and Weber are smokin' to high appreciation of the audience.

Lee show is subtle bebop touch on the self-penned "Subconscious-Lee" with expert interplay from he rhythm section. Konitz again allows the group free reign on Florian Weber's piece "Color" which is a mid-tempo number that builds to joyous conclusion. Konitz rejoins the groups on "Kary's Trance" an original which builds slowly into some fierce phrasing from Konitz and Weber that really tells you this group gets along so well.

Live At The Village Vanguard is definitely a new chapter for Konitz. I personally hope this quartet stays together for awhile because I think they can reach some new heights and really stamp a significant mark on today's scene. Highly Recommended.