Christina Dahl, Simon Toldam og Peter Bruun
Jeg er så lykkelig og taknemmelig for at udgive mit trio album “Souls of the Wind” med Simon Toldam & Peter Bruun on Zack´s Music.
En kæmpe tak til Simon Toldam & Peter Bruun for vidunderligt smukt spil og til alle de fantastiske hjælpere:
Thomas Vang (The Village Recording) for optagelserne, August Wanngren (Qui Music) for mix, John Fomsgaard (Karmacrew) for mastering, Maria Sattrup for fotos og video, Mark Gry Christiansen (Graphic Design) for grafisk design, Peter Bek (Zack’s MUSIC) for distribution, Mark Solborg for inspiration og til Statens Kunstfond, DJBFA, Koda Kultur og Dansk Kapelmesterforening.
– Og de kollektive Gramex-midler for støtte og Crafton Music AB & D’addario som sponsor af Rico Reeds.
Du kan finde albummet på din foretrukne streamingtjeneste via dette link: https://lnk.to/_souls/
A huge thanks to Simon Toldam & Peter Peter Bruun for wonderfully beautiful playing and to all the amazing helpers:
Thomas Vang (The Village Recording) for the recordings, August Wanngren (Qui Music) for mix, John Fomsgaard (Karmacrew) for mastering, Maria Sattrup for photos and video, Mark Gry Christiansen (Graphic Design) for graphic design, Peter Bek (Zack’s MUSIC ) for distribution, Mark Solborg for inspiration and to Statens Kunstfond (Danish Arts Foundation), DJBFA, and Dansk Kapelmesterforening (Danish Conductors Association) & Gramex-funds & Kodas kulturelle midler/ Koda Kultur for support and Crafton Music AB & D ́addario as sponsor of Rico Reeds.
My Book: Souls of the Wind (2022)
In this musical meeting, a unique expression is created in harmony by three dynamic and creatively creative musicians. Christina Dahl Trio consists of three individual artists, each one with great personality, and together they create an original universe of compositional music and improvisation. The trio is not afraid of experimenting with the musical expression and to seek out the nooks and crannies of the musical landscape. The music has a spectrum of sound facets and expresses itself from the simple lyrical to the more complex layers of musical lines and pulse. The trio thrives in its span and adventurous stories are told and put to life in this musical tone universe that is intuitively conveyed and ranges from deep, inner peace to chaos and wildness – clear, beautiful moments to smoldering, intense and whimsical colors of foggy tone language.
The music is composed by Christina Dahl and is created from inner pictures and storylines. The music is portrayed by the trio in a mutual, organic, musical image that reflects the eternal dynamics and changeability of the human and life. The trio has recorded their first release together in December 2020, released in December 2021 by Zack’s MUSIC.
Besides the album, Christina is releasing a book of photos and poems (written by herself – Christina), in collaboration with photographer Maria Sattrup and graphic designer Mark Gry Christensen, that support the music in a most beautiful manner. The book will give the music another dimension and is an integral part of the album release.
The book was released at a concert at the Copenhagen Jazzfestival on the 28th of June 2022 at 4pm. in the foyer at the Danish National Scene – Sankt Annæ Plads 36, 1250 København K.
The release of the album and the book is supported by the Danish Arts Foundation, DJBFA, Dansk Kapelmesterforening and KODA Kultur.
Christina Dahl is one of Denmarks most original and respected saxophone players. Her playing and her compositions are based on a fearless courage and a deep care for the music. Christina has the gift of expressing herself with her own unique sound from the crystal clear and bright, to the spherical dreamy, to the dark and smoldering. Christina creates musical images and a storytelling of high compositional quality with both an edge and with finesse.
Christina Dahl is one with her saxophone, and she has composed music and played as a conductor in classical and rhythmic ensembles in all sizes, shapes and forms for more than 30 years. During her career, she has released 12 albums in her own naame and she has toured with an innumerable amount of bands and orchestras around the globe. In between shows and tours, she lectures at music schools and the Danish Music Conservatory.
Christina Dahl has been awarded with the Ben Webster Award alongside the ”Europe international Jazz Contest” i Belgium and a number of other great jazz rewards throughout her career.
“Soft toned and breathy tenor saxist Christina Dahl creates Givenchy impressions”. – George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
”… with her compositions, the band works with the music that moves near the edge of the free, but always with a strong sense of a stylistic lifeline. It’s an explosive recipe that lasts longer than you might think” – Christian Munch-Hansen in Politiken
“The music is expressive, energetic and explosive. It’s unpredictable, dynamic, multi faceted, sensory saturated, but also still with a clear lyrical lightness” – Ivan Rod, Gaffa
“Christina Dahl brings us a unique sound package of European Classical and American Jazz combined to form greater freedom of expression in a trio setting. The three are free to create new musical sounds with movement while guided by clear themes and structures. Souls of the Wind is highly recommended if you enjoy third stream, electronic music, and classical influences in improvised group settings being guided by strong composed melodies and modern harmonic colors.” – Jazzsensibilities.com
Simon Toldam is one of Scandinavia’s most exciting jazz musicians with 14 albums under his belt. He has received a Danish Music Award 4 times and in 2015 he received the prestigious scholarship from the Danish Arts Foundation. Besides leading the Simon Toldam Trio and the band STORK, Toldam is also a member of the Dutch legend, Han Bennink’s trio. He is also known for his collaboraton with Axel Dörner, Yasuhiro Yoshigaki, Chris Speed, Marc Ducret, Evan Parker, Peter Brötzmann, Eivind Aarset, Nils-Petter Molvær, Marilyn Mazur, Tristan Honsinger, Dave Douglas and Jakob Bro. He is an ambassador of the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, and he has composed music for theatre, dance, film and orchestras.
Peter Bruun has played the drums since he started at music school at the age of 3. At the age of 18, he enrolled in the Rhythmic Conservatory in Copenhagen and has been a professional musician ever since. Peter is a known figure in the experimental jazz scene. In the latest year, he has played with: Django Bates trio “Beloved” (DK/US/SE), Marc Ducret Quartet, “WBZ”, “Mold” (DK/DE), Simon Toldam “Stork” (DK/SE), Evan Parker, Chris Speed, Herb Robertson, Andrea Parkins, Jesper Zeuthen, Lotte Anker, Tim Berne. As a musical director, he has released albums: Slides, Buffalo Age, Spring, Prima Ballerina, Under The Mile Of Moon, Unintented Consequences, ILK 2003-2013 – Celebrating 10 Years Compilation, This Red-Eyed Earth. In 2020 Peter received the Jazz Scholarship 2020 “Orchestra of the Year” with his band All Too Human and a Danish Jazz Music Award for his “All to Human” album amongst others.
Her er en anmeldelse af cd’en fra Ubuntu.fm:
“From the spherical dreamy, to the dark and smouldering
Christina Dahl is one of Denmark’s most original and respected saxophone players. Her playing and her compositions are based on fearless courage and deep care for the music. So do Simon Toldam and Peter Bruun that accompanied her on this journey.
Christina Dahl is one with her saxophone, and she has composed music and played as a conductor in classical and rhythmic ensembles in all sizes, shapes, and forms for more than 30 years. During her career, she has released 12 albums in her own name and she has toured with an innumerable amount of bands and orchestras around the globe. In between shows and tours, she lectures at music schools and the Danish Music Conservatory.
“Souls Of The Wind” was released last year at a time of chaos in change. This album expresses very well the mood of the time. From drizzling echoes, sallow sub tones, to the silent storm that we have just left behind or still have to face? We will have to listen to the sounds within, the souls of the wind that carry us through time and space.
Honesty, sincerity, purity, and integrity come to mind when we listen to the album and reflect thereof on our own state of being and that of the world”.
En anmeldelse fra Jazzsensibilites:
“Christina Dahl is a saxophonist, bandleader, and composer constantly searching for greater freedom of expression and new challenges as a composer and performer. Dahl says, “It is important to me that the music I compose is creating a frame of freedom. My vision is to challenge and develop new expressions in my music and create new musical sounds. To me, music is love. Love is unconditional. I can choose to receive the music and let it flow through me like a wave of warm energy. I can express myself freely. I can let myself be caught, taken by the music. I can consciously and unconsciously find an embrace of all my feelings in the music – joy, anger, sorrow, longing, fear, and so much more.” This is reflected on Dahl’s latest trio album called Souls of the Wind, where she records with Simon Toldam on piano and keyboards and Peter Bunn on drums and percussion. The music is composed by Dahl with a theme of inner pictures and storylines and trio portrays the music in a mutual, organic, musical image that reflects human and life’s eternal dynamics and changeability.
“Sallow Subtones” is our introduction to the flowing program by the three musicians. The third stream-inspired melody makes use of space and atmospheric sounds. In this selection, Dahl’s saxophone provides both support and lead in different sections. The song’s form switches between twentieth-century classical and modern jazz. Dahl’s playing style combines jazz swing and straight-eight with a fluid time feel. Bruun is very interactive and adds to the drama of the improvisation.
“Chaos in Change” finds the trio developing a contrapuntal melody. The core sounds play against each other as they build to a buoyant groove. Toldam and Bruun build to Dahl entrance as the three proceed to create a passionate improvised statement.
Christina Dahl brings us a unique sound package of European Classical and American Jazz combined to form greater freedom of expression in a trio setting. The three are free to create new musical sounds with movement while guided by clear themes and structures. Souls of the Wind is highly recommended if you enjoy third stream, electronic music, and classical influences in improvised group settings being guided by strong composed melodies and modern harmonic colors”.
Og her en anmeldelse af Jan Gralie (https://salt-peanuts.eu/record/christina-dahl-trio/):
“Den danske saksofonisten Christina Dahl er, i hovedsak, en relativt hardtspillende saksofonist. Hun «slites» litt mellom den mer tradisjonelle, danske måten å spille jazz på, og mer moderne uttrykksformer, og ved de fleste tilfeller, i alle fall jeg, har hatt mulighet for å høre henne, er i helt andre sammenhenger enn det landskapet vi møter henne på denne innspillingen.
Her møter hun to av Danmarks mest spennende musikere – pianisten Simon Toldam og trommeslageren Peter Brun – en kombinasjon jeg ikke helt hadde sett for meg. Men trioen har turnert tidligere i år, og har blant annet vært å høre på Victoria – Nasjonal jazzscene i Oslo og på Oleana utenfor Bergen.
Innspillingen er gjort den 13. til 15. desember i 2020 i The Village Recording i Vanløse i København. Og jeg mener at dette studioet er i ferd med å overta etter Rainbow i Oslo som det beste stedet for det som ofte blir betegnet som «ECM-musikk». Så lyden Thomas Vang har kommet fram til på denne innspillingen er fremragende, og helt i front av god lyd på et lyrisk jazzalbum.
For når Christina Dahl møter Toldam og Brun blir det lyrisk jazz av beste merke. De seks komposisjonene, som alle er laget av Dahl, er som skapt for Toldam og Brun. Og hele veien legger de et underlag for Dahls lyriske side som er strålende. Toldams piano og keyboardspill er deilig, neddempet og helt på plass gjennom hele innspillingen, og Bruns trommespill har mye luft under vingene og er på mange måter kontrasterende til Toldams mer lyriske spill. Og på mange måter er det Bruns distinkte trommespill som gjør dette til en fin innspilling.
Og over det hele nærmest svever Christina Dahl med relativt lange og lyriske toneganger som fester seg godt i sjelen.
En overraskende og fin plate fra Christina Dahl, hvor hun har strålende assistanse og samspill med to av de mest kreative, danske jazzmusikerne per i dag.
Jeg vet ikke helt grunnen til at Dahl har valgt å utgi denne platen selv, uten å gå gjennom et etablert plateselskap, men skal man dømme etter resultatet, så burde flere danske og skandinaviske selskaper ha vært interesserte i å utgi denne fine platen.
Jan Granlie