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Jakob Bro / Thomas Morgan / Jon Christensen: Copenhagen, Denmark, July 8, 2012
Hofteatret
Copenhagen, Denmark
July 8, 2012
The Copenhagen Jazz Festival, with its more than 1,000 concerts in 10 days spread over more than 100 venues and stages in all parts of the Danish capital is like a musical monsoon cloudburst. The concerts range from big international stars to up-and-coming Danish artists and the avant-garde, reaching beyond common perceptions of jazz music. The festival also offers a wide range of admission-free concerts in cafés and squares, and brings together locals and tourists, young and old, as well as local and touring musicians. As a non-profit organization, it is a communal affair that aims to serve the Danish jazz scene.
One of the festival's highlights was the first appearance of a new trio consisting of Danish guitarist
Jakob Bro
guitarb.1978
Thomas Morgan
bass, acoustic
Jon Christensen
drums1943 - 2020
One of the more illustrious concert venues in Copenhagen is Christiansborg's Hofteatret auditorium, with its deep, sloping stage, plush velvet upholstery, elegant royal boxes and beautifully decorated oriental ceiling. This former 18th century Court Theatre is now the Danish theatre museum, and is part of Christiansborg Castle, which accommodates the Danish Parliament, Folketinget.
Seven groups were programmed at the venue during the festival, in addition to the premiere of the Bro/Morgan/Christensen trio: Danish saxophonist
Lotte Anker
saxophoneb.1958
Tim Berne
saxophone, altob.1954
Gerald Cleaver
drumsb.1963
Marc Ducret
guitarb.1957
Mat Maneri
violab.1969
Hank Roberts
cellob.1954
Han Bennink
drumsb.1942
Sven-Åke Johansson
drumsb.1943
August Rosenbaum
pianob.1987
"
data-original-title="" title="">Soren Dahl Jeppesen's quartet; guitarist 
Mark Solborg
guitar
Jacob Anderskov
pianoBro is a member of polish trumpeter
Tomasz Stańko
trumpet1942 - 2018
Paul Motian
drums1931 - 2011
Lee Konitz
saxophone, alto1927 - 2020
Bill Frisell
guitar, electricb.1951
Ben Street
bass
Morgan is one of the most in-demand bassists of the moment, having played on more than 60 albums. Like Bro, the bassist has worked with Motian, as well as in various combinations with saxophonists
David Binney
saxophone, altob.1961
Steve Coleman
saxophone, altob.1956
Sylvie Courvoisier
piano
Masabumi Kikuchi
piano1939 - 2015
Samuel Blaser
tromboneb.1981
Christensen was the nearest thing to a house drummer in the early days of the German ECM label. He was the drummer on saxophonist
Jan Garbarek
saxophoneb.1947
Keith Jarrett
pianob.1945
Bobo Stenson
pianob.1944
Terje Rypdal
guitarb.1947
Arild Andersen
bass, acousticb.1945
Ralph Towner
guitarb.1940
Charles Lloyd
saxophoneb.1938
Jacob Young
guitarb.1970
Iro Haarla
pianoBro and Morgan had just played two days before at the Roskilde rock festival together with Danish electronic wizard Thomas Knak (aka Opiate) to present the new electronics-centric double album Bro/Knak (Loveland Records, 2012), a collage of variations based on collaboration with pianists
Paul Bley
piano1932 - 2016
David Virelles
pianob.1983
Kenny Wheeler
flugelhorn1930 - 2014
Oscar Noriega
clarinetThe trio's performance revealed a special sensation of free(d) playing. Three musical worlds getting together; three musicians bringing their very own way of sound making into a realm of listening that builds upon their mutual musical confidence. Circling around each other, they miraculously got closer and closer with a very own fluidity emerging. It was in the way that it happened and carried on that was so special about this new trio.
Christensen opened by hand-playing his three cymbals, producing wonderfully rustling and intensive resonances—extraordinary. After the concert, Christensen said that it was his way to get in touch with the room and the audience. The trio's positioning on stage (seen from the musicians' perspective) clearly had some significance: Christensen at the utmost edge on the left facing his young fellow musicians; Morgan in the center, mainly facing Christensen; and Bro on the right, facing the other two and his electronic devices.
Bro supplied the basic lines—mainly original compositions but also a
Yusef Lateef
woodwinds1920 - 2013
Hiding behind his cymbals, Christensen resembled a lurking tiger ready to pounce at the right moment and crash his cymbals. He often initiated moves, gave impulses and steered the music in different directions. "One tone by Thomas or Jakob makes a whole composition. Every tone offers rich opportunities to make music," Christensen later commented—a comment that hints at the drummer's conception of playing. It was possible to forget about time and tempo during the performance, and just focus on the music unfolding through all the instruments and musicians involved. "It's not just a bang, as to make the music loud or so. It has to be in a place musically spoken. And I can do it because I know it falls on fertile ground with Jakob and Thomas. Playing regularly is not what I want to do. That's because the music (for me) is not happening there," Christensen also said, explained his overall approach.
Tranquility, trust and confidence, accompanied by a high degree of interaction, marked the trio's performance, with intensive eye-contact, waiting and receptiveness all a part of it. In the movements of his hands and fingers Morgan's thinking became visible, the tone-to-next-sound suspended in a split second. "Very often I don't know what is coming next from Thomas," said Bro, describing Morgan's unpredictability and reliability. Morgan was constantly looking forward and overtly "reading" Christensen's actions (to come). Often, Morgan also took the initiative or laid down a groove in time.
Bro had to manage his role as instigator and responding receiver. One of the most fascinating things to watch was when Bro used electronics, including feedback, looping and distortion. Morgan generally continued his measured playing, which at first sounded a bit odd but ultimately fit perfectly in the long run. It also worked this way due to that special subdued quality of Bro's electronics, which created contrast and, at the same time, permeated and "sang through," even when it sometimes became wilder.
It all started with Christensen's rustling cymbals. It ended with the sounds of his thrown up drum-sticks swirling down on the theatre floor at the end of the encore.
Photo Credits
Page 2, Jon Christensen: Henning Bolte
All Other Photos: Karolina Zapolska
Tags
Jakob Bro / Thomas Morgan / Jon Christensen
Live Reviews
Jakob Bro
Henning Bolte
Thomas Morgan
Jon Christensen
Lotte Anker
Tim Berne
Gerald Cleaver
Marc Ducret
Mat Maneri
Hank Roberts
Han Bennink
Sven-Ake Johansson
August Rosenbaum
S?ren Dahl Jeppesen
Mark Solborg
Jacob Anderskov
tomasz stanko
Paul Motian
Lee Konitz
Bill Frisell
Ben Street
David Binney
Steve Coleman
Sylvie Courvoisier
Masabumi Kikuchi
Samuel Blaser
Jan Garbarek
Keith Jarrett
Bobo Stenson
Terje Rypdal
Arild Andersen
Ralph Towner
charles lloyd
Jacob Young
Iro Haarla
Paul Bley
David Virelles
Kenny Wheeler
Oscar Noriega
Yusef Lateef
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