Jesper Thilo
Jesper Thilo & The American Stars
Storyville Records
www.storyvillerecords.com

Carsten Dahl Experience
Metamorphosis
Storyville Records
www.storyvillerecords.com
By George W. Harris

What these two latest releases from Storyville Records demonstrate is
that musical styles is not as much from geography as it is from
company. Both of these artists are as Scandinavian as the most
navel-gazing ECM artist, but the difference in sound and style between
them is as wide as Louie Armstrong and Lester Bowie. Same country,
different planet.

Tenor saxist Jesper Thilo, now at the prime age of 70, has been one of
Denmark’s prized musical posessions. He’s usually compared to Zoot Sims
in terms of sound and style, but these ears detect an homage to Dexter
Gordon. There’s a muscular quality to his bite, as well as his
dexterity (pun intended) that shows some hard bop dna in the system.
This wonderful 3 disc set is a collection of studio and concert
sessions from the 80s with some American heavies like Harry “Sweets”
Edison and Clark Terry/tp, Sir Roland Hanna and Kenny Drew/p, Billy
Hart/dr and Al Grey/tb. The local cats like Mads Vinding or Jesper
Lundgaard/b, Ole Ousen/g Svend-Erik Norregaard/dr among others hold
their own with respect and verve on all fronts.

Thilo has amazing tone and alacrity, as on his interplay with Lundaard
on “Did You Call Her Today,” and can crackle with aplomb and ease as on
the studio and concert takes of “Cherokee.” His breathy sound on “Seque
in C” is Basie-blue, with Hanna in perfect sympatico here, as well as
when he stretches out on “Stella By Starlight.” The quintets sessions
with Terry, Edison or Grey swing like a Daisy Chain, as on “Frog Eyes”
or “On The Train” where these brass men show how less is always more.
All throughout, Thilo has a grasp of the horn that is musical and
muscular, with each solo having something to say besides “I went to
Berklee College.” These guys play like the the Flying Wallendas, making
the difficult look easy. A Scandinavian Smorgasbord of joy!

Meanwhile, modern 21st century Danish jazz is represented by pianist
Carsten Dahl, who with his quartet of Jesper Zeuthen/as, Nils “Bosse”
Davidson/b and Stefan Pasborg/dr produce music that makes up in
technical prowess what it lacks in musical celebration. Much of the
music, such as “Bosses Song” and the trio of “Metamorphosis” pieces
brood with melancholy, only broken up by percussive kineticisms or
Zeuthern’s gasping alto (as on “Purple Wings”). Some of the tunes such
as “Sing, Sing Loud” have a Mingusy-styled aggressiveness, which keeps
you a bit on your toes, and Nariman’s Mood” actually has a pleasant
European melody which can stay with you for awhile. If you want your
music more cerebral than celebratory, then this is your generation.