There's such a beautiful piano introduction here on 'Hymn to Papa'. I feared ahead of the saxophone coming in, because you just know the piano player is leading up to a moment, that the sound would not live up to the beginning. If anything, and ending all catastrophizIng, it just gets better. Tenor saxophonist Cecilie Strange is the leader and main focus here and yet this enlarges to inspired group play in the moment (the pianist is Peter Rosendal) and the format is piano trio surrounding the sax with bassist Thommy Andersson coming through once the first solo sax solo is over and he projects an organic earthy feel to what he is doing that really enhances the very New Melodic and simply conveyed sound. Think the atmosphere conjured up on a Jakob Bro record perhaps as a parallel running that these fellow Danes produce delving into a distant Coltranian universe in all their imagining. Jakob Høyer on drums reminds me of the late great Norwegian drummer Jon Christensen. Blue is out via April records on 29 May. 'Hymn to Papa' is a less-is-more slice of soulful darkness. SG
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