Crikey, this was good. Tight. Hot. Funky. At times it even rocked. Four master musicians with CV’s so long you’d need a telescope to finish reading. Accompanying central legend Benjamin Koppel on Alto Sax were Jacob Karlzon on piano, Scott Colley on double bass and Magnus Ostrom on drums and percussion (have a google). Making it work because they love, but more importantly, live, what they do. The setting of the bar at The Traverse lends itself well to these events, allowing just the right ratio of reverence to informality. As Benjamin announces, this will be one long set, no interval, but one is welcome to frequent the bar.
The quartet recorded an eponymously titled album in 2023, (available from Cowbell Music, Bandcamp and most of the usual platforms) and this is pretty much what we hear tonight. Artful, meandering beginnings coalesce, take flight, soar, land and take off again. At points it’s difficult to hold back a (joyful) tear, at others the desire to simply get up and dance is near-on overwhelming. They blew, tinkled, plucked and struck with well-drilled dynamics, which is not to say there was clearly some improvisation going on. Magnus employed an arsenal of bells and shakers topped off with a row of mini gongs (actually sounding like Caribbean steel drums) the atmosphere riveting in the quieter passages. Some momentum was lost when the odd solo missed its mark, but that’s the nature of the beast (and will probably be different tomorrow night); the displays of virtuosity were impressive but things definitely worked best when they performed ensemble.
They finished with ‘Them Trees’, a Karlzon-composed number, taking the ovation before fulfilling the encore routine (‘we’re too old to walk back and forth to the Green Room’), where Benjamin confirmed his hard bop credentials in uncompromising manner, an appropriate, stirring finale.
The only shame, if you’re reading this, is that there don’t appear to be any more UK dates; but what the heck, a mini break in any of the destinations below looks pretty tempting?
March 2025
20th Aberdeen, jazz at the blue lamp – Gone!
23rd Trapholt, Kolding, Denmark
24th Palermo, Italy
25th Catania, Italy
26th A-trane, Berlin, Germany
27th NDR, Hamburg, Germany
28th NDR, Hamburg, Germany
29th Jazz in Herrenberg, Germany
30th Moods, Zurich, Switzerland
Reviewer: Roger Jacobs
Reviewed: 21st March 2025
North West End UK Rating:
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