Kenneth Dahl Knudsen: Beyond 'Sound American' �C Crafting a Nordic Jazz Identity

by Ieva Pakalniskyte
September 4, 2025

What does finding an authentic musical voice in a genre so deeply connected to history and geography mean? The answer for Danish double bassist, composer, and educator Kenneth Dahl Knudsen is to transcend limitation and let identity shape the sound. A restless presence on the European jazz scene, Knudsen has resisted the pressure to ...

Rahel Talts

Rahel Talts is a younger generation rising jazz pianist and composer from Estonia. In her music, she likes to mix jazz with elements from folk, pop and fusion, using sweet melodies, interesting rhythmic layers and switching between acoustic piano and electric keyboard sound. Rahel plays in many different bands and projects over Europe, either as a leader or a sidewoman.

The Label Head: Nils Winther

by B.D. Lenz
November 27, 2024

Talk to anyone from around the jazz business and they'll all tell you the same thing, there is no shortage of it. There is plenty of great music being made by plenty of great musicians. In fact, the supply is probably outpacing the demand. And yet independent jazz labels are having a tough time. Do they ...

Anders Koppel: The Hammond's Danish Master

by Lawrence Peryer
November 16, 2024

Today, the Spotlight shines On legendary Danish organist Anders Koppel. Today's story starts decades ago when Anders played Newport Jazz Festival with his band Savage Rose. Fast forward to now, and Anders is back at the Hammond B3, making magic with son Benjamin Koppel on alto sax and the incredible Brian Blade on drums. ...

Pernille B��vort: Curious Explorations

by Ian Patterson
June 17, 2024

A veteran of the Danish jazz scene since the '90s, saxophonist/reeds player and composer Pernille B��vort has built an impressive discography as a leader. With the moveable feast that is Radio B��vort, she has demonstrated the depth and range of her musical palette, marrying jazz and tango on Perfect Organisation (Gateway Music, 2011) with bandoneon player ...

Albert "Tootie" Heath: Class Personified

by R.J. DeLuke
April 13, 2024

This article was first published on All About Jazz on March 9, 2015. Albert “Tootie" Heath is among the drummers who lived--and thrived--during what many call the golden age of jazz, the '40s, '50, early '60s. He's enjoyed the fruits of a varied and historic career, but never stayed put. Just kept working. He ...

Eva Sorensen

Born: August 3, 1997

Benjamin Koppel Plays Jazz with a Novelist's Narrative

by Lawrence Peryer
November 11, 2023

Hein Westgaard

Born: March 4, 1996

Hein Westgaard is a guitarist, improviser and composer from Oslo, currently based in Copenhagen.  He can be heard in the post-minimalistic quartet Ototoi, his own genre bending project Hein Westgaard Trio, in ad-hoc free improvised constellations, or in the solo acoustic guitar format where he focuses on his own instrumental songs in the fingerpicking tradition.

The members of Hein Westgaard Trio met in Copenhagen in 2017, and since then they have deepened and matured their unique form of interplay, preparing themselves for the international stage. 

Playing their very own kind of experimental music, Hein Westgaard Trio is clearly inspired by free improvisation and jazz, but also by country, rock, folk and classical music

Copenhagen-Based Saxophonist Oleksandr Kolosii Releases New Album 'Paws Up' Available Now

May 22, 2023

In early 2023, saxophonist and composer Oleksandr Kolosii presents his new project Paws Up released on the label Unit Records (CH) and featuring a special line up of musicans who made a significant impact on Oleksandr's career: Carl Winther (piano), Doug Weiss (double bass) and Anders Mogensen (drums). The music for this project began to come ...