Jakob Dinesen: Slow Flow (April/download)

Grammy-winning Danish tenor saxophonist has played with some of the contemporary greats (Paul Motian, Jeff Watts, Steve Swallow, Tony Allen, Eddie Gomez) but with his own group he builds a bridge between European and African instrumentation.

His band includes djembe (drums) and cello alongside keyboards, electric bass and – for two pieces on this new album – drums.

That diversity of instrumentation allows for music which brings in electronica and loops but remains grounded through the physicality of Salieu Dibba's hand-played djembe.

Dinesen's tone is most often seductively gentle (the opening passages of his nod to Lateef on Yusef, the woody warmth of the title track which is offset by some very left-field keyboards).

The experimental nature of the group is best heard on the weaving Sat Wai Nam, and his respect for the tradition in the two final pieces Waynism and Night Hawk, acknowledgements of the influence of Wayne Shorter and Coleman Hawkins.

And Cirkus leans into reggae with scratching. 

Contemporary jazz for thinking folk with open ears.

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You can hear and buy this album at bandcamp here