Jakob Bro / Thomas Morgan / Jon Christensen: Copenhagen, Denmark, July 8, 2012

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Henning Bolte

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Jakob Bro / Thomas Morgan / Jon Christensen
Hofteatret
Copenhagen, Denmark
July 8, 2012

The Copenhagen Jazz Festival, with its more than 1,000 concerts in 10 days spread over more than 100 venues and stages in all parts of the Danish capital is like a musical monsoon cloudburst. The concerts range from big international stars to up-and-coming Danish artists and the avant-garde, reaching beyond common perceptions of jazz music. The festival also offers a wide range of admission-free concerts in cafés and squares, and brings together locals and tourists, young and old, as well as local and touring musicians. As a non-profit organization, it is a communal affair that aims to serve the Danish jazz scene.

One of the festival's highlights was the first appearance of a new trio consisting of Danish guitarist Jakob Bro Jakob Bro
b.1978
guitar , American double bassist Thomas Morgan Thomas Morgan
and veteran Norwegian drummer Jon Christensen Jon Christensen
b.1943
drums . The trio will be touring Europe in the fall of this year.

One of the more illustrious concert venues in Copenhagen is Christiansborg's Hofteatret auditorium, with its deep, sloping stage, plush velvet upholstery, elegant royal boxes and beautifully decorated oriental ceiling. This former 18th century Court Theatre is now the Danish theatre museum, and is part of Christiansborg Castle, which accommodates the Danish Parliament, Folketinget.

Seven groups were programmed at the venue during the festival, in addition to the premiere of the Bro/Morgan/Christensen trio: Danish saxophonist Lotte Anker Lotte Anker
b.1958
saxophone 's large international ensemble Still Arriving, with saxophonist Tim Berne Tim Berne
b.1954
saxophone , trumpeter Nils Davidsen, drummer Gerald Cleaver Gerald Cleaver

drums , guitarist Marc Ducret Marc Ducret
b.1957
guitar , violist Mat Maneri Mat Maneri
b.1969
viola and celloist Hank Roberts Hank Roberts
b.1954
cello ; the Dutch/Danish/Belgian Han Bennink Han Bennink
b.1942
drums Trio; a trio featuring drummer Sven Ake Johansson Sven Ake Johansson
, saxophonist Lars Greve, and pianist August Rosenbaum August Rosenbaum
b.1987
piano ; guitarist Soren Dahl Jeppesen Soren Dahl Jeppesen
's quartet; guitarist Mark Solborg Mark Solborg
's 4+4 group; drummer Peter Bruun's glockenspiel trio; and the strings/percussion/piano formation of pianist Jacob Anderskov Jacob Anderskov

piano .

Bro is a member of polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko Tomasz Stanko
b.1942
trumpet 's Dark Eyes quintet, and has played in drummer Paul Motian Paul Motian
1931 - 2011
drums 's groups as well as leading his own bands. He released the remarkable Time (Loveland Records, 2012), with Morgan, alto saxophonist Lee Konitz Lee Konitz
b.1927
sax, alto and guitarist Bill Frisell Bill Frisell
b.1951
guitar , as well as the predecessor, Balladeering (Loveland Records, 2009), with again with Konitz and Frisell, but with Motian and bassist Ben Street Ben Street

bass .

Jakob Bro Copenhagen Jazzfestival 2012—© Karolina Zapolska

Morgan is one of the most in-demand bassists of the moment, having played on more than 60 albums. Like Bro, the bassist has worked with Motian, as well as in various combinations with saxophonists David Binney David Binney
b.1961
saxophone and Steve Coleman Steve Coleman
b.1956
saxophone , pianists Sylvie Courvoisier Sylvie Courvoisier

piano and Masabumi Kikuchi Masabumi Kikuchi
b.1939
piano , and trombonist Samuel Blaser Samuel Blaser
b.1981
trombone .

Christensen was the nearest thing to a house drummer in the early days of the German ECM label. He was the drummer on saxophonist Jan Garbarek Jan Garbarek
b.1947
sax, tenor 's first ECM album, Afric Pepperbird (1970)—collected in the just-released, three-CD ECM box, Dansere (2012)—and has also played with pianists Keith Jarrett Keith Jarrett
b.1945
piano (including the recent Sleeper (ECM, 2012), a previously unissued 1979 live recording of the "Belonging" group), and Bobo Stenson Bobo Stenson
b.1944
piano ; guitarist Terje Rypdal Terje Rypdal
b.1947
guitar ; bassist Arild Andersen Arild Andersen
b.1945
bass, acoustic ; pianist/guitarist Ralph Towner Ralph Towner
b.1940
guitar ; saxophonist Charles Lloyd Charles Lloyd
b.1938
saxophone ; Stańko; and guitarist Jacob Young Jacob Young
b.1970
guitar . He is currently the drummer with pianist/harpist Iro Haarla Iro Haarla
's Finish/Norwegian quintet, heard most recently on Vespers (ECM, 2011).

Bro and Morgan had just played two days before at the Roskilde rock festival together with Danish electronic wizard Thomas Knak (aka Opiate) to present the new electronics-centric double album Bro/Knak (Loveland Records, 2012), a collage of variations based on collaboration with pianists Paul Bley Paul Bley
b.1932
piano and David Virelles David Virelles
b.1983
piano , Bill Frisell, trumpeter Kenny Wheeler Kenny Wheeler
b.1930
trumpet , saxophonist Oscar Noriega Oscar Noriega

clarinet , theremin expert Pamelia Kurstin and cellist Jakob Kullberg.

The trio's performance revealed a special sensation of free(d) playing. Three musical worlds getting together; three musicians bringing their very own way of sound making into a realm of listening that builds upon their mutual musical confidence. Circling around each other, they miraculously got closer and closer with a very own fluidity emerging. It was in the way that it happened and carried on that was so special about this new trio.

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