Dinesen is really good at varying the volume and intensity of his playing to create excitement.
April Records
Jakob Dinesen – Tenor Saxophone; Anders Christensen – Bass; Laust Sonne – Drums, Alto Saxophone (track 7)
Jakob Dinesen’s new CD, MOONLIGHT DRIVE, made me think of Sonny Rollin’s “Way Out West.” They’re the same setup, tenor sax, bass, and drums. Sure, Rollins and Dinesen are completely different players.
Rollins is loud. People thought he’d break his horn because he blew so hard. That’s not Dinesen. Introspection is more his domain.
‘Ingrid’ shows what a subtle and nuanced player Dinesen is. Anders Christensen on bass and Laust Sonne on drums have this beautiful chemistry that’s a joy to hear.
“Moonlight Drive’s intro is serene. Laust Sonne steps away from the drums and plays a spunky alto ssx. He starts out sounding like he’s a west coast player but then switches to bebop mode.
Things get exciting when Dinesen joins in. Both play louder, faster, and then the music settles back to what it sounded like in the intro. Dinesen is really good at varying the volume and intensity of his playing to create excitement.
‘Fela ’is a tribute to the Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. Dinesen, Christensen, and Sonne played with Fela’s drummer Tony Allen; the inventor of Afrobeat. ‘Fela ’has a lot of rhythm and Sonne’s drumming is as compelling as Allen’s.
Dinesen probes the upper register of his tenor on ‘Dino Min Dino ’while the rhythm machine of Christensen and Sonne propel things along. It’s a pleasant ride.
“Way Out West” was the very first time tenor sax, bass, and drums were recorded as a group. Now saxophone trios are pretty common. Joe Henderson, Johnny Griffin, Joe Lovano, and Joshua Redman have all used the format. Jakob Dinesen is in good company.
