CPH Jazz Festival 2021

LASSE RIISAGER

Cover photo: ‘Supersonic’ (2021) by Lasse Riisager 150 x 120cm Mixed media on canvas “Every picture speaks of an emotion based on my own mood and feelings at the time,” says Lasse Riisager, gesturing around his atelier.

The basement studio is a candy shop of large-scale expressionist works in kaleidoscopic colours: royal blue, banana yellow, moody green, iridescent pink and tendrils of black à la Mondrian’s ‘Trees’. Some contain discernible creatures – birds, horses, people – and others are pure abstraction.

Every summer since 1979, Copenhagen Jazz Festival has been a yearly landmark of the European music calendar, spotlighting new departures in jazz from Scandinavia’s rich vanguard scene and beyond.

The modern summer jazz program is staged in the city’s cafes, bars, legendary concert halls and open-air night venues.

Propelled by Copenhagen’s unique jazz history, the standard is exceptionally high.

From New York to Copenhagen In the 1950s and 60s, Copenhagen became a hotspot for American jazz icons like Dexter Gordon, Kenny Drew, Ben Webster, Stuff Smith, Stan Getz, Ed Thigpen and Thad Jones.

They adopted as their base the now-legendary club Jazzhus Montmartre – still a landmark of the contemporary jazz scene and a must-visit during the Jazz Festival.

Even before its formal conception, the term ‘Copenhagen Jazz Festival’ was being thrown around in the mid-60s to refer to a summer concert series that drew names like Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Lee Konitz.

Meanwhile Danish musicians Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Alex Riel and Palle Mikkelborg were breaking onto the international scene, cementing

2

JAZZ FESTIVAL 2021 GUIDE

Copenhagen as a nucleus of jazz culture in Europe.

The contemporary scene Today, the grandest spots - the baroque-era Royal Theatre, stunning National Opera House, and the Jean Nouvel-designed DR Koncerthus - host the big bands and big names (Herbie Hancock was slated to play at Koncerthuset this year but dropped his entire European tour).

Meanwhile, Copenhagen’s off-beat crevices are just as lively. With snatches of jazz seemingly emanating from all corners, any cracked window, door left ajar or lone smoker standing by a suggestive-looking building façade is lent an aura of mysterious speakeasy potential.

With that in mind, you’re sure to catch some gems even if you improv your itinerary – but see our Top Picks on the following pages, and a spectrum of listings on pages 6 and 7 to get an overview.

tips from musicians and venue owners on how to make the most of this year’s extended program.

Genre-bending program A few special themes will feature in the festival: Something Else, a series of genre-challenging events; Future Sound, gigs at the intersection of modern electronic music and acoustic jazz; and Børnejazz, jazz for kids.

There’s something for aficionados, families, traditionalists and new listeners alike. Keep your ear to the ground for unpublicised, lastminute gigs and enjoy the energy of catching one of Europe’s greatest jazz cities in full bloom.

“The air was soft, the stars so fine, the promise of every cobbled alley so great, that I thought I was in a dream.” – Jack Kerouac, ‘On The Road’

On page 3 we talk biggest jazz influences with New Yorktrained Copenhagen bassist Klaus Nørgaard – whose poetic first record DR Radio dubbed “bubbling and boiling”.

Plus, get under the skin of the festival on page 5 with insider

Lena Hunter, Jazz Mag Editor

Abstract Expressionism and jazz are deeply connected, evolving concurrently in the 1950s and both using artistic improvisation to transmit emotion. The revered Dutch painter Willem de Koonig even compared the two disciplines directly: “Miles Davis bends the notes. He doesn’t play them, he bends them. I bend the paint.”

Lasse’s work borrows from the same impulsive style inherent to jazz and abstract art. “I didn’t always paint like this – one day out of frustration I started using my hands directly on the canvas” he says.

‘Supersonic’ is one of these new departures. “It’s an explosion,” he explains – though Rorschachminded viewers will spot the hallucinations of faces and figures. “Supersonic is about awe – that expansive, explosive feeling.”

Visit Lasse at Dybbølsgade 34, Vesterbro, or via @lasseriisager or lasseriisager.com

TOUCHING BASS WITH LOCAL TALENT

EMIL AAGAARD

By Lena Hunter Local bassist and composer Klaus Nørgaard talks us through his two, wildly different records, favourite jazz albums and biggest influences. Catch Nørgaard live with Jorge Rossy Trio at Gården og Gaden every afternoon from July 2-6, and at Mellemrummet on July 8 Copenhagen double-bassist and composer Klaus Nørgaard recorded both his selfpublished albums, ‘Village Life’ (2018) and ‘Clarinet’ (2020), inside a one-block radius in Nørrebro.

They are, in differing ways, hyper-local productions – highly personal compositions produced in his own home and local wine bar.

Nørgaard has also featured on Søren Dahl Jeppesen’s albums ‘Route One’ (2009), ‘Red Sky’ (2001) and ‘Pipe Dreams’ (2013), Elou Elan’s ‘All That Turns’ (2012), and Niels Lyhne Løkkegaard’s ‘Sikorski’ (2013), amongst others.

In Copenhagen and beyond, he has played with the Jorge Rossy Trio, The Soft Trio and Aaron Parks Trio, and is the bandleader and composer for Tropic Minor.

But Nørgaard’s formative training was in New York with esteemed American bassist Ben Street. Accordingly, his sound melds oldschool American tradition with contemporary Scandinavian jazz sensibilities.

Music in movement Nørgaard’s first record, Village Life, is in his own words “rooted in the golden age of jazz in the 1950s and 60s, but equally firmly grounded in [his] contemporary life”.

With a nod to Ellington’s playful exoticism, the composition is warm and many-layered.

Tonally, it oscillates between rich textures

and tranquil, muted interludes, with each instrument being afforded both frenetic and thoughtful moments.

Following its release, All About Jazz noted the record’s particular lyricism: “His music is in movement and the poetic quality of his tunes is balanced by a cool sense of swing.”

Though the atmosphere is sweetly hypnagogic, ‘Village Life’ owes its sense of intimacy to more than light hands.

Nørgaard is joined by “local musicians, friends and long-time collaborators from afar” on sax, drums, vibraphone, trombone and vocals. Whether by cause or effect, this esprit de corps imbues the sound with a tangible expression of amity and harmony.

“If Sisyphus were to pick up the clarinet” But hang tight: what followed Village Life was a total stylistic departure. Clarinet, recorded in Nørgaard’s own tiny apartment, is built up by a single clarinet voice, repeatedly overdubbed.

“This is not the music of the village, but of the recluse,” says Nørgaard. Neither does the record draw on American jazz traditions – Clarinet is instead founded on “a specific way of relating to the present”.

“There are no breaks, rhythms, or harmonic developments in any classical sense. Just constant retakes, none of them exactly the same as the previous one, all of them slowly building up an ever-changing present,” he explains.

“This is what it might sound like if Sisyphus were to pick up the clarinet.” Certainly, if Village Life is a late-afternoon stroll through the square, the cerebral Clarinet is the rolling of an immense boulder up a hill.

Though strikingly polar, the disparities encompassed by Clarinet and Village Life are all contained in Nørgaard himself.

Taken together they illustrate a perspective on jazz that is both philosophical and introspective, both freewheeling and referential.

Whose style are you influenced by?

As a composer my biggest influences are Duke Ellington, Jobim, Joe Zawinul, and a lot of folklore from Africa and Latin America. As a bass player they are Wilbur Ware, Charles Mingus and Ron Carter. But the guy who turned me on to them was my first real teacher, Ben Street.

What did you do to develop your sound?

Lots of manual labour on the bass and ear training. Also reading and listening widely.

Studying jazz, along with the cultural and racial history behind.

What new departures in jazz do you think are most interesting?

One of my favourite recent jazz albums (parts of it anyway) is Kurt Rosenwinkel’s Caipi.

What non-musical sources do you look to for inspiration?

I take a lot from books. Specifically classic literature and philosophy.

What’s your favourite jazz album?

Probably Afro Bossa or Indigos by Duke Ellington ... Or in fact any Duke album.

Publisher: CPH POST • Editor: Lena Hunter• Layout: CPH POST • Info: hans@cphpost.dk • Tel: +452420 2411

JAZZ FESTIVAL 2021 GUIDE

3

If you only have time to attend a few events, take inspiration from these guaranteed good-time gigs and venues as selected by the editor:

TOP PICKS

EVENTS Jorge Rossy Trio (ES/DK) July 2, 14:00; Gården og Gaden, Nørrebrogade 88, Cph N; free adm Basel-based Jorge Rossy is internationally renowned for his genre-defining playing in Brad Mehldau’s trio. A multi-instrumentalist, in recent years he has devoted himself to the vibraphone.

He is joined by Martin Andersen on the drums and Klaus Nørgaard – with whom he played on a previous album – on the bass for an intimate, acoustic gig. With few musicians performing on the vibraphone at the festival, this is a chance to hear something ethereal and off-piste in one of the city’s most charming small venues.

LEA GULDDITTE HESTELUND & EA VERDONER

4

JAZZ FESTIVAL 2021 GUIDE

jazz manifesto to which Montmartre strives emphasises international talent, intimate performances, and a non-profit structure that reinvests all takings into improving the venue. www.jazzhusmontmartre.dk

VENUES Gården og Gaden Nørrebrogade 88, Cph N Local, all-day natural wine hangout Gården og Gaden offers the pinnacle of Nørrebro’s people-watching potential. With sunsplashed street seating, a large, varied cellar and a selection of simple, well-executed dishes, Gården og Gaden is a must-visit – jazz or no jazz. That said, during the festival Gaaga’s gigs are some of the most intimate and easy-going on the calendar. They’re free and acoustic, and guests can enjoy the music alongside the friendly small-bar energy. With strong ties to the local arts scene, Gaaga puts on an excellent range of high-quality and offbeat events. www.gaaga.dk, @gaardenoggaden Jazzhus Montmartre Store Regnegade 19A, Cph K It would be a crime to omit Jazzhus Montmartre from a list of top jazz venues. The historic club – which once hosted masters like Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster and Stan Getz – was reopened in 2010 by journalist-turned-entrepreneur Rune Bech and jazz pianist Niels Lan Doky. Soon after, the New York Times hyped Montmartre on its authoritative Copenhagen city guide under the headline “Rebirth Of Cool”. Its nickname – “The Village Vanguard of Europe” – pays homage to its legendary sister club in New York. The

Jazzcup Gothersgade 107, Cph K Jazzcup is a combined record store, café and venue that, since 1987, has had as its MO “to sell and spread the knowledge of good music”.

Not only do they host some of the city’s best musicians, Jazzcup also offers a membership to ’Jazzklubben’. Members get six editions of Jazz Special – Denmark’s only dedicated jazz magazine – per year, plus discounts on gig tickets and records. During the festival it’s packed from open to close and is a no-brainer for anyone looking to keep their finger on the pulse of the Scandinavian jazz scene. www.jazzklubben.dk/jazzcup LENA HUNTER

Bodilsen/Milder/Weber/Gatto (DK/IT/DE) July 3, 20:00; Jazzhus Montmartre, Store Regnegade 19A, Cph K; 320kr Renowned Danish bassist Jesper Bodilsen has assembled his dream quartet at the behest of Montmartre. For their debut at Copenhagen’s jazz mecca, Swedish tenor saxophonist Joakim Milder, German pianist Florian Weber and Italian drummer Roberto Gatto will join for a truly international and richly varied performance.

Catch this gig to get a taste of the theatrics and atmosphere of Montmartre and to experience its tradition of drawing foreign masters to the stage.

Hess/AC/Hess “Spacelab Salon” July 9, 22:30; Apollo Bar, Nyhavn 2, Kbh K; tickets on the door Nikolaj, AC and Mikkel have played together since childhood in Vejle. Every year during the Jazz Festival, they play a string of nightly residency gigs called Spacelab Salon, at which the audience can enjoy an evolving sound from day to day. “In short, it is the best piano trio in Denmark and Nikolaj Hess is one of the most innovative jazz pianists today,” reported Downbeat Magazine. On July 9 the trio will play their last Friday night gig of the festival. Expect a packed audience and party vibes.

JAZZHUS MONTMARTRE

Celeste with CTM & August Rosenbaum July 3, 17:00; Copenhagen Contemporary, Refshalevej 173 A, Cph K; 150kr The artists – visual and musical – will occupy the space together alongside a solo dancer in Refshaleøen’s cavernous modern art gallery.

The installation, ‘Celeste’, is by the artists Cæcilie Trier, August Rosenbaum, Lea Guldditte Hestelund and Ea Verdoner. It connects sound, sculpture, video and performance around a circular ‘crater’. Guests are welcome to move around the gallery during the performance, and each session ends with a jazz performance

by Cæcilie Trier and August Rosenbaum. The ticket gives access to both the performance and CC’s other exhibitions that day. Catch the 17:00 session on Saturday and then go out and enjoy the sunset on Refshaleøen afterwards.

TOP TIPS

KRISTOFFER JUEL POULSEN

HREINN GUDLAUGSSON

Ned Fern

We asked within Copenhagen’s jazz community for advice on how to get the most out of the festival, and received a great many answers!

- This festival will be unique in many ways. Due to the extended programming period, there will be more opportunities to hear things that might have otherwise been competing with other concerts. Hopefully, this will result in listeners having to make fewer tough decisions regarding what they attend and what they have to skip. Enjoy this new, relaxed tempo!

- Carve out time in your festival activity schedule to take some chances on artists/bands/venues you aren’t already familiar with.

ANNE MIE DREVES

- If you find a venue you fall in love with that hosts multiple events per day/night, spend a whole day/night there and enjoy the program.

- If you have a positive concert experience, communicate that to performers and venues/ staff and ask what else they recommend.

like this anywhere in Copenhagen. Between concerts a group of reputable DJs will play in the cozy cobblestone alley in front of the venue, where food and drinks are also served.”

(Find out more at jazz.dk/ilk)

- Not everything will make it into the printed/ online program - ask artists about things that they are excited about which might be lastminute additions to their schedules.

- Another venue I could highlight would be Gården & Gaden. The food and drinks are great and their line-up is also pretty good if you are into contemporary jazz.

Ned Ferm is an internationally acclaimed musician, improviser, composer and producer best known for his work on saxophone in jazz, roots, rock, pop and improv. In 2001 he became the first American to attend Copenhagen’s prestigious Rhythmic Music Conservatory (RMC). His contribution to both the American and European saxophone traditions has received global recognition from audiences, reviewers and fellow musicians alike.

Kasper Jensen is the label manager at IKL, an artist-run label and collective of 21 musicians based in Copenhagen, releasing new music hybrids: avant, improv and jazz-related sounds by artists acknowledged as innovators in the international arena. Their catalogue also highlights a wide range of collaborations with masters such as Paul Bley, Henry Grimes, John Tchicai, Dr Lonnie Smith, Airto Moeira, Gerald Cleaver and many more.

HREINN GUDLAUGSSON

Oilly Wallace

- The 21st, 22nd and 23rd are the official jazz afterparty days. At H15 in Kødbyen we’ll be playing from 8-10pm. After that there’s a band called Nebula, who I highly recommend. It’s free improv with different musicians each night. Not everybody is into the traditional or less-accessible

- First of all, let me highlight ILKs venue during CPH Jazz. 5e is in an old slaughterhouse in the Meatpacking District, and during the festival we have four nightly concerts with some of the best and most innovative improvisers Copenhagen has to offer. It’s a pretty intense and intimate listening experience – you won’t get anything stuff like bebop, but Nebula is a lot of fun and will appeal to even those who don’t listen to jazz.

- If you want to see something traditional – like 1950s and 60s style, Miles Davis or John Coltraneesque – then go to Christiania Jazz Club. Because the whole room is built of wood, the acoustics are amazing – especially when there’s a really good band. You feel connected to the music so much more than in other venues. There’s an incredible jazz saxophonist called Tomas Franck … go see him! At Christiania Jazz Club if possible!

- There’s music everywhere ... when you go through the city you can hear four different bands playing – just outside. So I’d also recommend Oncle Danny’s Plads in Vesterbro.

It’s a really great outdoor spot when it’s sunny, and they present a lot of different genres there.

Kødbyen is a really lively place to hang out during the festival, too.

Oilly Wallace is a rising talent in Scandinavian jazz. He won ‘New Jazz Name of the Year” at the 2016 Danish Music Awards and later released the album ‘Easy Living’ to international acclaim, with guitarist Johannes Wamberg.

Wallace has played with a string of Danish jazz musicians including Carsten Dahl, Thomas Blachman, Lennart Ginman, Jan Harbeck and Kjeld Lauritsen, plus a number of international names. He plays the sax in Tabloid – a band led

by Wamberg. Their debut album is slated for release later this year.

JAZZ FESTIVAL 2021 GUIDE

5

STIG NYGAARD

Jorge Rossy Trio

RAI FERNANDES FOTO

Jakob Dinesen/Anders Christensen/Laust Sonne

HREINN GUDLAUGSSON

SELECTED LISTINGS

Henriette Sennenvaldt Jakob Dinesen/Anders Christensen/Laust Sonne July 1, 14:30; Jazzcup, Gothersgade 107, Cph K; 159kr The trio’s collaborative album ‘Blessings’ was released earlier this year on April Records.

Saxophonist Jakob ‘Dino’ Dinesen and bassist Anders ‘AC’ Christensen have been influential on the Danish scene since the ‘90s. Avantgarde jazz-rock drummer Laust Sonne received the prestigious Ken Gudman Award in 2007.

‘Blessings’ is serene and organic – an album full of detail and marked by the weight of experience.

Ben Webster Prize 2021 July 1, 19:00; Bartof Station, Solbjergvej 3, Frederiksberg; 150kr Now in its 45th year, 2021’s prize ceremony recognises Danish bassists Anders ’AC’ Christensen and Thomas Fonnesbæk for their contribution to both the Danish and international sphere of contemporary jazz.

Where Fonnesbæk’s equilibrist style has clear roots in the Danish jazz-bass conventions, AC’s signature draws on the old-school American bass tradition with a more physical and acoustic approach. AC will play in a sextet, and Fonnesbæk in a duo for the evening.

Bisse “Klaverkoncert Nr. 1” July 1, 20:00; Kulturhuset Islands Brygge, Islands Brygge 18, Cph S; 200kr Bisse’s past performances have included the computer, guitar and piano as instruments – but this time it’s all about the keys. “I have long wanted to explore the piano concerto as a genre. It’s both exciting and challenging to rearrange my songs for a piano concerto format, and I look forward to dressing them in new, more spartan – but no-less marvelous – robes,” says Bisse.

Thomas Clausen Trio July 1, 19:00; Jazzcup, Gothersgade 107, Cph K; 159kr Renowned pianist and composer Thomas Clausen is joined by Thomas Fonnesbæk on bass and Karsten Bagge on drums. The trio’s 2007 album ‘Back to Basics’ is economical, harmonic, powerful and measured. In fact, when it was released, Gaffa Magazine enigmatically described the work as having “a presence that is something peculiarly intense and downright virginal”.

6

JAZZ FESTIVAL 2021 GUIDE

Anders Bergcrantz: ‘Elevate’ July 2, 20:00; Jazzhus Montmartre, Store Regnegade 19A, Cph K; 295kr Anders Bergcrantz recorded the majority of his 2020 album ’Elevate’ at Studio 3 in Copenhagen. Now, the ‘Best Jazz Trumpet Player in the World’ prize-winner (according to Jazz Station) returns to Montmartre.

Bergcrantz’s potent and aggressive playing is a vestige of the 1970s and 80s sounds of Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw. His much celebrated physical and rhythmic playing is of the sort to blast back loose hair and leave drinks in hands forgotten.

Jorge Rossy Trio (ES/DK) July 2, 14:00; Gården og Gaden, Nørrebrogade 88, Cph N; free adm Basel-based Jorge Rossy is internationally renowned for his genre-defining playing in Brad Mehldau’s trio. A multi-instrumentalist, in recent years he has devoted himself to the vibraphone. He is joined by Martin Andersen on the drums and Klaus Nørgaard – with whom he played on a previous album – on the bass for an intimate, acoustic gig.

Hess/AC/Hess: ‘Spacelab Salon’ July 2, 22:30; Apollo Bar, Nyhavn 2, Cph K; tickets on the door Nikolaj, AC and Mikkel have played together since childhood in Vejle. Every year during the Jazz Festival, they play a string of nightly residency gigs called Spacelab Salon, at which the audience can enjoy an evolving sound from day to day. “In short, it is the best piano trio in Denmark and Nikolaj Hess is one of the most innovative jazz pianists today,” reported Downbeat Magazine.

Ferm/Gregersen/Forchhammer July 3, 13:00; Skindbuksen, Lille Kongensgade 4, Cph K; free adm American tenor-saxophonist Ned Ferm is a stalwart of the Danish jazz scene. Despite his multifaceted and agile sound, an unmistakable timbre permeates his many collaborations.

He appears on records by Nicolai MunchHansen, Anderskov Accident, Maria Faust, the Kresten Osgood Trio and his own 2014 solo release, ‘Spent All the Money’. Ferm is joined

by Mark Gregersen on the double bass and Simon Forchhammer on the drums for an open-air recital.

Nikolaj Hess, Cæcilie Balling, Palle Mikkelborg, Spacelab & Danmarks Underholdningsorkester July 3, 20:00; Konservatoriets Koncertsal, Rosenørns Allé 22, Frederiksberg C; from 225kr An evening on which jazz meets classical with Palle Mikkelborg on trumpet, Cæcilie Balling on violin, Nikolaj Hess’s ‘Spacelab’ trio and the Danish Entertainment Orchestra at the Conservatory’s Concert Hall (Radiohuset).

Under the direction of conductor Carsten Seyer-Hansen, the performance will be a genre-traversing take on acoustic, Nordic jazz, neo-classical music and the ways in which they reflect and lift one another.

Jakob Dinesen Quartet July 4, 14:30; Jazzcup, Gothersgade 107, Cph K; 159kr Saxophonist Jakob Dinesen plays alongside Jacob Artved on guitar, Felix Moseholm on bass and Frands Rifbjerg on drums. Dinesen is a leading figure among Danish jazz saxophonists and, in addition to his own releases, he has played with Thomas Helmig, Thomas Blachman, Kira Skov, Jakob Bro and Hugo Rasmussen.

Carsten Dahl Trinity July 5, 20:00; Den Sorte Diamant, Søren Kierkegaards Plads 1, Cph K; from 230kr In September 2019, Carsten Dahl Trinity released ’Painting Music’ – an album of poetic reinterpretations of well-known jazz standards alongside new, original work. “This record takes you by the hand and brings you into the music – it’s world class,” wrote Niels Overgård from Jazznyt following its release. Pianist Carsten Dahl is joined by two heavyweights of Danish jazz: Stefan Pasborg on drums and Nils Bo Davidsen on bass.

Henriette Sennenvaldt July 6, 19:00; Karens Minde Kulturhus, Wagnersvej 19, Cph SV; 150kr Henriette Sennenvaldt, frontwoman of the critically acclaimed band Under Byen, marked a new era in her career at the end of 2020 with the release of her first solo album, ‘Something Wonderful’. The record is serene and experimental, punctuated by strange and precarious grooves that oscillate between fragility and muscularity – particularly during the wind instrumentals. It’s a challenging, generous and playful work for which she quickly scooped up three nominations for the 2021 Steppeulven award: ‘Vocalist of the Year’, ‘Composer of the Year’ and ‘Producer of the Year’.

HREINN GUDLAUGSSON

Abdullah S

FACEBOOK/ATHLETIC PROGRESSION

FACEBOOK/ABDULLAH S

FLICKR/HERR SHARIF

Marilyn Mazur Group

Athletic Progression Marilyn Mazur Group July 7, 20:00; Hotel Cecil, Niels Hemmingsens Gade 10, Cph K; 295kr Ever since Miles Davis called late at night in the mid-80s and invited her to go on tour, percussionist Marilyn Mazur has enjoyed a string of international highlights. After a few years’ touring with Miles, she played with Wayne Shorter, and then the Jan Garbarek Group. In the Marilyn Mazur Group, a gathering of her closest musical friends, she produces a joyful, multi-coloured groove full of energy and drama.

Niclas Knudsen Trio - “Go North” feat.

Kresten Osgood og AC July 8, 20:00; KU.BE, Dirch Passers Alle 4, Frederiksberg; 95.40kr The Niclas Knudsen trio oeuvre draws on old folk songs, hymns and ballads to craft something you could feasibly call the ‘Nordic Blues’. Stories of the tribulations, longings and joys of the past mix with the free tones of jazz in a simultaneously new and ancient sound. Guitarist and composer Niclas Knudsen is joined by luminary bassist Anders Christensen and drummer and improviser Kresten Osgood – who has toured all over the world with Dr Lonnie Smith, Sam Rivers, Yusef Lateef and many others.

Bremer/McCoy July 9, 21:00; DR Koncerthuset, Koncertsalen, Ørestads Boulevard 13, Cph S; 295kr Critically-acclaimed double bass and piano duo Jonathan Bremer and Morten McCoy, newly signed to David Byrne’s label Luaka Bop, will perform their biggest tour concert to date at DR’s Concert Hall. Full of improv and innovation, their meditative ‘dub jazz’ style is a non-sequitur in the mainstream of new releases. “Bremer/ McCoy turn the musical circadian rhythm upside down,” wrote Information, while Gilles Peterson of BBC Radio 6 called it “stunning”.

Athletic Progression July 11, 20:00; Bremen Teater, Nyropsgade 3941, Cph K; 225kr The Aarhus trio of Jonas Cook on keyboard, Jonathan J Ludvigsen on drums and Justo Gambula on bass mixes jazz, hip-hop rhythm and soul harmonies. Sometimes ambient, with freaky, twisted beats and electronic/acoustic mashups that are at once delicate and robust, the trio has rightfully attracted rave reviews. Their performance at Bremen Teater is an opportunity to see one of Denmark’s most imaginative bands on the cusp of an international take-off.

Jazzcup’s Afterparty: Jakob Dinesen/Nikolaj Hess Duo July 12, 15:00; Jazzcup, Gothersgade 107, Cph K; free adm This is intimate jazz of the highest class by two evergreen figures of Danish jazz: ‘Dino’ and Hess. The pair’s interaction is characterised by intimacy, soul and warmth, along with a unique sense of groove, melody and creative imagination. Saxophonist Jakob Dinesen has played in the highest echelons of jazz and pop for the past 30 years. Pianist Nikolaj Hess is based between Denmark and New York and draws on the jazz traditions of both in his sought-after sound.

Abdullah S presents ‘Bionic Soul Machine’ + DJ Pac July 14, 19:00; H15 Scene, Halmtorvet 15, Cph V; tickets on the door “Resurrect Prince, send him to Tokyo for a couple of years on steroids, then send him to Abdullah S and maybe this is what it would sound like,” mused Thomas Vibe from DRP3 about Abdulla S’s single ‘What Am I’. Abdullah’s musical universe spans jazz, tecno and funk via synth, keys, drum machines, analog drums, bass, and guitar. His experimental compositions have earned him back-slaps from Jazz FM, Blackwax, DJ Simbad, Stereo MCs, Kiss FM and Horse Meat Disco amongst others.

Dose Sampu Live presents Desta French July 15, 19:00; H15 Scene, Halmtorvet 15, Cph V; 150kr Colombian-Italian artist and songwriter Desta French is one of the most exciting voices emerging from London’s Latin music scene. Her influences span RnB, salsa, cambia, hip-hop, lofi, grime and Latin pop music, and her tracks lay down the blueprint for a new generation of British Latin creatives. French will be joined by a live band by music and event collective Dose Sampu. Tip: stick around for the afterparty.

Ibrahim Electric July 16, 19:00; Sommer i Haveselskabet, Frederiksberg Runddel 1A, Frederiksberg; from 300kr Over the past two decades, Ibrahim Electric has become one of the most popular instrumental groups in Europe. Their latest album, ‘Time Machine’, is a tribute to the diversity of the band’s expression, with smouldering mixes of Polishethno-disco contending with country influences and everything from crisp soul and jazz, to afrobeat, punk and the acid power of the ‘60s.

Coco O & August Rosenbaum: “En koncert” July 17, 21:00; DR Koncerthuset, Koncertsalen, Ørestads Boulevard 13, Cph S; 370kr Drake fans might recognise Coco O’s voice in his latest track ‘Lemon Pepper Freestyle’.

She has also worked with Tyler The Creator, Kendrick Lamar, Vulfpeck and Jay Z on his soundtrack to ‘The Great Gatsby’. Her first solo album ‘It’s a Process’ was released earlier this year. Here, she is joined by album co-creator, pianist and producer August Rosenbaum in a stripped-back performance of grand piano, drum machine and vocals.

Jazzcup’s Afterparty: Ned Ferm/AC Duo July 21, 15:00; Jazzcup, Gothersgade 107, Cph K; free adm Anders ‘AC’ Christensen and Ned Ferm have been jamming together since 2001 in various jazz, rock, pop and free-form arrangements.

The two, legends of the Danish jazz repertoire in their own right, have been honing their duo project for years. Here they play in the final days of the jazz-fest, sealing the program with an intimate gig that gets under the skin of contemporary Scandinavian jazz.

Mikael Simpson feat Baden, AC, Høyer & Tranberg July 22, 21:00; DR Koncerthuset, Koncertsalen, Ørestads Boulevard 13, Cph S; 370kr “I have been so extremely privileged to be able to play with many amazing musicians over the last 20 years. With this group, I have reached a point in my musical life where dreams come true,” says acclaimed singer-songwriter and radio host Mikael Simpson. His new group consists of pianist Asger Baden, AC on bass, Jakob Høyer on drums, and sought-after trumpeter Kasper Tranberg.

Tabloid + Nebula Afterburner July 22, 19:00; H15 Scene, Halmtorvet 15, Cph V; 175kr Shooting star and guitarist band-leader Johannes Wamberg has gathered four of the most significant Danish musicians across jazz, hip-hop, gospel and disco to create a new sound with an incredible virtuosity: Oilly Wallace on sax, Malthe Rostrup on piano, Jonathan Bremer on bass and Felix Ewert on drums. Together they are Tabloid. From 22:00 the improvisation collective Nebula takes over the stage to curate an open and improvised live concert with hand-picked friends and guests from across the festival program.

JAZZ FESTIVAL 2021 GUIDE

7

COPENHAGEN POST

DENMARK’S LEADING SOURCE FOR NEWS IN ENGLISH Making expats life easier since 1998 CPH POST publishes a free printed newspaper

consisting of around 32 pages that includes one or more additional supplement. Published twice per month, it has a print-run of 10,000. The paper is distributed to companies, hotels, agencies, embassies, schools and other places frequented by internationals in Denmark.

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS are included with

the paper on specific themes. These can be anything from profiles of countries with embassy involvement, tips on relocating to Denmark, learning Danish, providing a helping hand through the educational system or profiling events such as the Copenhagen Jazz Festival.

DIPLOMACY MAGAZINE

Our target readership is more than 200,000: diplomats, university researchers, corporate professionals, teachers, students, tourists, as well as online visitors from outside Denmark.

CPH POST has an editorial staff of

Diplomats in Denmark - from exclusive interviews of leaders and ambassadors to current affairs and a historical aspect of diplomacy, CPH POST provides the definitive guide!

journalists with skills obtained in an English-speaking country who have lived in Denmark long enough to understand the country and its inhabitants.

CPH POST serves the community in real-time, while delivering commercial information/advertising to a group of consumers that might otherwise be hard to reach.

THE DAILY POST is a free online bulletin sent out Monday-Friday at 12 o'clock with the top stories of the day. A quick glimpse tells you all you need to know about Danish news.

CPH POST has a free ONLINE news service –

www.cphpost.dk – with articles about expats, Danes and Denmark. ONLINE receives more than 200,000 unique visitors per month.

International House Copenhagen • Gyldenløvesgade 11, 1.sal • 1600 Copenhagen V Phone: +45 9393 9201 • www.cphpost.dk • Email: sales@cphpost.dk