Collective interplay is essentially about listening and giving space. If ever there was a credo for this ensemble recording, this would be it. Sometimes the soloist or a small group steps forward, other times they play as a large unit. This collective of musicians are connected through old and new friendships, a set of relations that has been formed through two decades of co-creation on stage and in the studio, and their new recording is a reaffirmation of that with an A-side of free improvisations and a B-side with songs by Jakob Bro.

Jakob Bro’s collaboration with the two distinct saxophonists the New York/Berlin-based multi reed player Andrew D’Angelo and Danish alto legend Jesper Zeuthen dates back to 2007, when they appeared on the ensemble albums The Stars Are All New Songs Vol. 1 and White Rainbow and played multiple concerts together. The core group also consists of career-long trio collaborators Anders Christensen and Jakob Høyer as well as versatile Copenhagen-based improvisers such as Søren Kjærgaard, Kresten Osgood and Jeppe Skovbakke. Joining on this recording session is synth-wizard Adi Zukanovic and the in-demand double bassist Matthias Petri, as well as the tenor saxophone player Bill McHenry, a Paul Motian alumni and bandleader in his own right, who Jakob Bro first heard playing with Reid Anderson, Andrew D’Angelo and Ben Monder while they all lived in New York many years ago.

Originally known as the Nonet, the Jakob Bro Large Ensemble has been a laboratory for a large group expression full of contrasts in sound and fiery blows from tripling up each instrument, but also looking for beauty in every song and each note. By playing the compositions in different size bands, with an ever-evolving group and across years of collaborating, the compositions open up and find new life – a message also conveyed to Bro by the influential drummer and mentor Paul Motian, who appeared on Balladeering and three other albums with Bro. On “New Morning” roots run into the realm of improvisation and creating sounds together in the moment. Søren Kjærgaard, Jeppe Skovbakke and Jesper Zeuthen open the album with “Trio”, and Kresten Osgood and Andrew d’Angelo respectively plays each a solo piece on drums on “Osgood” and bass clarinet/alto saxophone “For Bro”, before the ensemble takes a dive into their collective creation “Tutti” and five soulful compositions by Jakob Bro. 

With the release of “New Morning”, Jakob Bro is finally back with his first large ensemble recording in ten years on the Copenhagen-based platform Loveland Music, which currently is also releasing music by Jesper Zeuthen/AC/Marilyn Mazur, Mark Turner, Thomas Morgan/Maria Laurette Friis and the motion picture soundtrack to Music For Black Pigeons.