Jazz giants from six European countries coalesce to play wide-open music. One of Norway’s greatest jazz singers, Karin Krog has worked and recorded with Jan Garbarek and Clare Fischer. English multi-saxophonist John Surman and Krog have jointly won two Norwegian Grammys. Surman has played with Mike Westbrook’s Orchestra and John McLaughlin, as well as recorded a slew of records on the prestigious ECM label. Trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff was simply Germany’s most valuable jazz export and a major innovator on the instrument. Belgium pianist Francy Boland arranged for Sarah Vaughan and Count Basie, and co-led one of the great big bands of the 60’s. Danish bassist Niels H. O. Pederson received an American Grammy with the Oscar Peterson trio, played with Dexter Gordon and toured with Bill Evans. Swiss drummer Daniel Humair made his name in Paris, playing with musicians ranging from Jim Hall to Anthony Braxton. Maiden Voyage features Krog and the two horns; on Triple Play the pianist and bass take the solos. Rainy Day has Krog and Pederson in duo. Winter Song features Mangelsdorff’s buttery sound melting the snow and Surman’s heated baritone sax solo. There’s a freewheeling Nature Boy and a quirky Hello Thursday. Open Space leaves lots of room for free play; Ryoan-Ji is a Zen-like meditation on the possibilities of sound. A tantalizing album signifying that great jazz is universal.
