Lets turn back the time for a moment:
In the autumn of 1983 I was about to produce a session with Copenhagen based pianist Duke Jordan. He called me up a few days before we were, scheduled to go to the studio and told me, enthusiastically, that he had just met „this young cat" at a private party, been jamming with him, and would it be OK if he brought him along and let him play a few tunes ?
Being not too experienced at handling producers duties, I may have sounded a bit hesitant, but eventually I agreed, unable to resist Dukes excitement.
Needless to say, my worries turned out to be groundless. Kristian Jørgensen because he was the young cat of whom Duke spoke so warmly - turned in a hard-driving performance, which left everybody in the studio more than just duly impressed. And Dukes laconic "I'told you he could handle it, didn't I ?" at the end of the session had both of us bursting with laughter.
After that day I made it a habit to check out Kristian s playing whenever I had a chance. And no matter whethe he played with his own "neighbourhood band" The Gadevang Swing Central or in the company of experienced pros like Jesper Thilo, Hugo Rasmussen or Finn Ziegler, he never failed to impress me.
Though he had been taught privately for several years, Kristian enrolled at the Rhythmic Conservatory in Copenhagen and graduated in 1991, at the age of 23, highly praised by authorities like Svend Asmussen and Finn Ziegler Not a man to let stylistic fences tie him up, Kristian became involved with various groups, among which this present quartet is just one. He explores a somewhat different area with Tango Orkestret, of which he has been a key member since
its start in 1989, and in particular this band's interpretations of the music of Astor Piazzolla, the undisputed master of the Argentinian tango with all its melancholy, tenderness and pain, reveals aspects of Kristian's playing that are less in focus here.
On the other hand they are not completely absent, for even though he has a broad musical scope, there is always a warm, almost joyous feeling in his music, and even in the more extrovert tunes - a genuinely romantic touch. And those who claim that humour is not a part of jazz any more, ought to check out his version of the old children's song "Lille Peter Edderkop" ("Itsy Bitsy Spider").
The remaining three quarters of this foursome are no less impressive be it for their credentials or for their actual playing here. Guitar player Jacob Fischer has been recognized as one of the greatest talents of improvised music in Denmark in recent years, regardless of instrument. He has played regularly with Christina von Bulow, Swedish saxophone player Peter Guilin (on whose CD "Tenderness" Jacob makes a strong figure), and a year ago he became a
member of another violinist-fronted band, the quartet of Svend Asmussen, one
of the grand old men in Danish Jazz. And as if all this shouldn't keep him busy
enough, Jacob is also leading his own trio - when time permits, that is - and
plays with saxophonist Lars Moller's inventive "Jazz base" quartet. That neither Jørgensen's nor Fischer's talents have escaped notice is also evidenced by the fact that the former was awarded the Ben Webster-prize in 1993 and the latter the JASA-prize in 1992.
Bassist Thomas Ovesen (self-taught as is Fischer),has for three years been busy anchoring the Danish Radio Big Band and - when not on big-band-duties working with that band's pianist Nikolaj Bentzon as well as doing those numerous one-nighters that most Danish jazz musicians have to do if they want to make a decent living. This also goes for drummer Michael Axen, a sophisticated and unobtrusive player who got his first professional experience playing with his father, the excellent pianist Bent Axen. Recently, Michael recorded with Nothing Gulch Quartet and with guitarist Morten Kargaard (who, by the way, succeeded Fischer in afore-mentioned Peter Gullin s trio).
As for the tunes here, they excellently reflect the scope of Jørgensen's musical outlook, from the bouncing "Assanhado" with Fischers talents brightly displayed, via an intimate and sensitive reading of Swedish pianist Lars Jansson s hauntingly beautiful "To the Little Man" to the rarely heard "Golden Earrings" with its into picked from an old gipsy tune. All the way through, no matter what sort of tune, it is obvious that Jørgensen and Fischer are natural talents, to whom the vocabulary of jazz is an instinctive way of expression, as opposed to an acquired one.
For twenty years or so, Denmark has been regarded as the bassist-breeding country. But - not to take anything away from gifted artists like Stephane Grapelli, Jean-Luc Ponty and Michael Urbaniak - I think we are doing pretty well in theviolin field, too.
Equally far from glittering showmanship and pomposity, the music comes across as highly credible and entertaining at the same time. No small thing to acquire, if you ask me.
- Thorbjørn Sjøgren
Jazz critic, Berlingske Tidende, contributor, Jazz Special.