When I was a boy, some friends of the family lent me a battered old drum hit, and playing along to my father's records I used to pretend I was the drummer in e.g. Oscar Peterson's otherwise drumless trios. Since then I have had a strong love for that kind of music and I count myself lucky today to have fellow musicians like Jacob and jesper, who are among the best jazz players in the world.
Jacob has been my musical play-mate for the last ten years. Besides being an outstanding soloist himself, he is able to follow any soloist in any context.
Jesper is a brilliant bass player, who possesses the same communicative skills as Jacob, and who has managed to create the perfect blend of technical virtuosity and sturdiness in his playing.
I hope that we shall be able to get your foot tapping, and get you smiling along the way!
"Mack the knife" is a lovely song - almost circular in its structure - which has been immortalised by Ella Fitzgerald and Sonny Rollins. To me it has a special meaning, because it has been played so often by my great fellow violinists Stuff Smith and Finn Ziegler. "Big Seven Up" was thought up while I was teaching a class at the Danish Rhythmic Conservatory and couldn't come up with a song beginning with the rather unusual interval, an ascending major seventh. Hence the prosaic title.
"Night Train" is partly included as a tribute to Oscar Peterson, and partly because it's in G major - an excellent key for string instruments. "Someone to Watch Over Me" is just one of many fabulous tunes which Gershwin wrote. Please note how Jacob takes care of the verse on this track. "Wee" is a crazy, humorous theme by Dizzy Gillespie, structured on Gershwin's (him again!) "I Got Rhythm".
"Secret Love" is a classic standard, played by jazz musicians of all ages. Besides, it's in E flat major - a wonderful dark key which somehow manages to be contemplative and easy-going at the same time. ,Ud og Lege" means "Come out to Play" in Danish. I wrote it together with my girlfriend, Mette, and we thought it sounded a bit like a children's song, hence its childish title. I love "Cheek to Cheek" because it is such a happy song. And then it has this curious little bridge in C minor ("Dance with me, I want my arms around you..."), which has a dramatic gipsy-ring to it. "Andre de Sapato Novo" is by Jacob Bittencourt, the excellent Brazilian mandolin player. We play it as a tribute to Svend Asmussen - what a great musician! It was through Svend's exotic record collection that I was introduced to Bittencourt. "The Flight of the roo Birds" by Neil Hefti, is taken straight out of Count Basic's repertoire, and in some miraculous way Jacob managed to capture an entire big band arrangement on the guitar, and that without losing any of Basic's vitality.
- Kristian Jorgensen