You can hear it. This isn’t just another session—it’s a unique moment, where Stańko and the younger players come together to create something special, and we’re lucky to have it.

April Records

Johanna Elina Sulkunen – Vocals; Tomasz Dąbrowski – Trumpet; Snorri Sigurðarson – Trumpet; Thomas Hass – Saxophone; Martin Fabricius – Vibraphone; Artur Tuźnik – Piano; Richard Andersson – Double Bass; Radek Wośko – Drums; Tomasz Stańko – Trumpet

It’s not just an unearthed Tomasz Stańko recording—THE COPENHAGEN SESSION VOL. 1 is a time capsule. A snapshot from 2016, when one of Europe’s great jazz voices walked into a room of younger musicians and decided to build something—not as a teacher, not as a leader, but as an equal.

The story behind this release has floated through Denmark and Poland like a half-remembered tune for nearly a decade. A legendary trumpeter visits a Danish summer jazz workshop, where he’s invited to teach. He joins an ensemble of young Scandinavian and Polish musicians, and together they record a full session that vanishes into the vaults. Now, seven years after Stańko’s passing, THE COPENHAGEN SESSION VOL. 1 finally sees daylight. And it’s worth the wait.

The Scandinavian Art Ensemble is a cross-border collective, born out of JazzDanmark’s annual Summer Session—one of those magical incubators that’s hosted the likes of Bill Frisell and Anat Cohen. Here, though, the spark came from something different. Rather than leading the session, Stańko chose to join it. According to trumpeter Tomasz Dąbrowski, Stańko came in “always listening, always searching.” That humility and curiosity run through every track.

Stańko’s trumpet sound—fragile one moment, fiercely declarative the next—has always carried a kind of haunted lyricism. Think the soul of Miles Davis with the edge of Don Cherry. But this session stretches him in new directions. There’s space here—not just in the music, but in the way Stańko steps back and gives the ensemble equal footing. Tracks like ‘Before the Rain,’ composed by vibraphonist Martin Fabricius, feel like tone poems, carried by Stańko’s echoing phrases, the shimmering of vibes, and a group that’s not afraid to match him note for note.

Stańko was interested in playing the ensemble’s music but they wanted to play his, so ‘The Dark Eyes of Martha Hirsch,’ was his lone penned piece. It may be as brooding as anything from his ECM years but there are more textures. Johanna Elina Sulkunen’s wordless vocals add a vintage vocal glow, like an echo of Jackie and Roy, but set in a much more modern frame. Richard Andersson’s walking bass pushes the music along. It feels like the younger players inspire the 73 year old Stańko. His playing is brilliant—his horn speaks in breath first, loud and gritty, before shaping that air into something musical.

The Scandinavian Art Ensemble with Tomasz Stańko offers a rich, expressive sound that blends the melancholic depth of Polish jazz with the spacious, atmospheric qualities of the Nordic sound.

They’re not just painting with cool tones. On ‘One O’Clock Junk, ’Snorri Sigurðarson’s trumpet opens the album with a playful, almost mischievous energy, perfectly matched by Radek Wośko’s superb drumming. ‘Circles, ’composed by vocalist Johanna Elina Sulkunen, begins with lyrical singing before spiraling into wordless melodies that echo the work of Norma Winstone, Karin Krog, and even Carla Bley.

But make no mistake: this is still Stańko’s world. Not because he dominates, but because his presence elevates everything. Andersson put it perfectly: “He brings together the energies and makes us all play better than usual.” You can hear it. This isn’t just another session—it’s a unique moment, where Stańko and the younger players come together to create something special, and we’re lucky to have it.

And if Volume 2 of THE COPENHAGEN SESSION holds anything like the quiet power and collaborative spirit of this one, we’ve got something truly special to look forward to.