JAKOB BRO “Taking Turns”

ARTIST

Jakob Bro

ALBUM TITLE

“Taking Turns”

LABEL

ECM

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It is always a pleasure to hear the voice of Lee Konitz. At the time of this session, he was approaching 87, and in his swaying, oblique, diaphanous, and elusive way, he illuminates this recording led by Danish guitarist Jakob Bro. Bro himself was turning 36, and for the occasion he assembled a veritable all-star cast of contemporary jazz musicians.

All seven compositions are Bro’s, and among them Haiti stands out, featuring Konitz on soprano saxophone. A quiet yet relaxed atmosphere dominates much of the album – sometimes more concentrated, intangible, and ethereal, at other times denser, as in Haiti and the following Milford Sound. What emerges above all is a sense of control, a focus on collective work that shapes the material with remarkable consistency. It feels as if the music exists in a fluid container, never rigid, where timbres rise one at a time, always guided by a meticulous pursuit of balance, cohesion, and formal clarity.

Two additional highlights deserve mention: Real River, the fifth track, and the closing Mar del Plata, both touched by a gentle danceability that one might call “Frisellian.” These moments fit seamlessly into a collection of great compactness, one that is both deeply substantial and eminently enjoyable. This is music of genuine depth, yet free of affectation or sentimentality.

—Alberto Bazzurro

DISTRIBUTED BY

Ducale

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