Record Reviews

RASMUS HENRIKSEN BIG BAND ~ OUT OF THE SHADOWS GATEWAY RHBB 01 (Barcode: 5707471046494) ~ DENMARK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by Danish trombonist / composer / arranger / conductor Rasmus HenriksenFind albums by this artist, recorded with an international Big Band comprising of musicians associated with the Odense Music Academy, which includes twelve musicians, several of which are from Poland, like trumpeters Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist and Wojciech MorelowskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Lukasz BorowickiFind albums by this artist and bassist Mariusz PrasniewskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight pieces, six of which are original compositions by Henriksen and two are standards. Fours of the pieces feature vocals performed by Amanda LagoniFind albums by this artist. The music is well within the mainstream Jazz idiom, with excellent compositions by the leader and of course the wonderful sound of a Big Band that melts my heart every time. The arrangements are very elegant and interesting, typical of European Big Band approach, which treats the Big Band as a complex instrument. In view of the fact that there are so few Big Band albums released each year these days, every one of them is a blessing. The Big Band performs excellently, obviously well rehearsed and including gifted instrumentalists. There are plenty of superb, albeit short, solos by the band members, testifying to the generally high level of the players. The vocal tracks are also first-rate, much to my surprise, as singing with a Bing Band requires a special talent, but Lagoni handles the task splendidly. The overall sound and atmosphere are at times a bit too "retro", mimicking the great Swing orchestras of times long gone, but that does not spoil the great fun one can have with this music. This is pure pleasure from start to finish and mainstream Big Band / Orchestral Jazz should enjoy this effort to the max. Very impressive for a debut album and definitely worth getting!

Updated: 22/02/2019Posted: 09/05/2017

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RASMUS HENRIKSEN OCTET ~ FORTOLKER HERMAN BANG GATEWAY RHBB 02 (Barcode: 5707471055762) ~ DENMARK ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2012 - 2014 Released: 2018 This is the second album by Danish Jazz trombonist / composer / arranger / bandleader Rasmus HenriksenFind albums by this artist, this time recorded in an octet setting with musicians associated with the Odense Music Academy, including two Polish participants: guitarist Lukasz BorowickiFind albums by this artist and bassist Michal NienadowskiFind albums by this artist. The octet also includes vocalist Amanda LagoniFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions by Henriksen, which are based on poems by the Danish poet Herman BangFind albums by this artist, which together construct a suite of two three-part cycles, separated by another three poems serving as prelude, entr´acte and epilogue. As such this is of course a splendid example of the Jazz & Poetry idiom. The music is beautifully lyrical and melancholic, with a strong Nordic tinge, flowing gently from one melody to another, perfectly matched together. The arrangements are classic big ensemble Jazz formats, featuring the vocals in the centre of the attention, but allowing short instrumental soli to appear as well. Sadly the lyrics in Danish are accessible only to listeners who understand the language, but even if one is not a native Danish speaker, the vocal parts are still impressive in their melodic / theatrical delivery. The performances are all perfect and although executed by student, under the watchful supervision of Henriksen they are simply excellent. Overall this is a very delicate and wonderfully put together project that offers the essence of Scandinavian / European Jazz, which is highly aesthetic and intelligent and combines music and poetry in order to enhance the splendor of both these elements of Art. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 22/02/2019Posted: 22/02/2019

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RASMUS HENRIKSEN & POLYMETRUM ENSEMBLE ~ EASTERN INFLUENCE NOT ON LABEL 1 (Barcode: 5707471076774) ~ DENMARK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the third album by Danish Jazz trombonist / composer / arranger / conductor Rasmus HenriksenFind albums by this artist recorded with a Danish / Polish septet called Polymetrum EnsembleFind albums by this artist, which also includes saxophonists Kasper WagnerFind albums by this artist and Andreas BottingerFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Mads la CourFind albums by this artist, Polish guitarist Lukasz BorowickiFind albums by this artist, Polish bassist Mariusz PrasniewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Anders MogensenFind albums by this artist. The album presents a four-part suite (on four tracks) composed by Henriksen, which according to his note on the album’s artwork celebrates the Jazz made behind the Iron Curtain in the 1960s and 1970s, a period marking an incredible development of the Jazz Art Form despite difficult political circumstances of the Socialist Regime. Denmark (but also Sweden and Finland), being geographical Baltic neighbors to Poland, always maintained a close relationship with Polish Jazz, allowing many of them to play and record locally during that period. In the last two decades the artistic proximity repeated itself with many young Polish Jazz musicians either studying or moving to Denmark, mixing with local young scene, often creating some remarkable achievements. As his two earlier recordings clearly show, Henriksen clearly prefers larger ensembles, which allow him to showcase his composing and arranging skills to the max. His music is always melody based, with beautiful lyrical atmosphere, meticulously put together and superbly executed by the excellent ensembles he puts together to record his work, with a relative stable lineup. Despite the fact that the players are all brilliant soloists, the music is more ensemble oriented, following the European Jazz orchestral concept, and features relatively little soloing, which does not mean that the album avoids soloing completely and there are definitely some wonderful examples of solo and ensemble cooperation. The compositions are all superbly crafted and dull of dynamics and versatility, which makes the music flow splendidly, with the listener completely losing the sense of time. Overall, this is a beautiful and deeply moving album, definitely the best work by Henriksen so far, which shows his rapid development as a composer and arranger. The music is brilliant from start to end with never a dull moment in between. Fans of European Orchestral Jazz will be obviously delighted to hear this album, but it should be able to satisfy every Jazz lover on this planet. European Jazz at its best – hats off!

Updated: 05/12/2021Posted: 05/12/2021

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