Improvisational three

<Improvisational is a concept that was initiated to create some new and challenging areas for improvised music. All volumes in the series has been recorded under the same conditions: During the night in the concert hall at Nybrokajen 11 in Stockholm, on one and the same grand piano (a handpicked Steinway D), and with only a producer/engineer as creative counterpart. Furthermore, the pianists won’t get to know what the theme of their session will be until just before the session start.

Jacob Karlzon is one of the most prominent jazz musicians in Sweden today. Since his recording debut in 1990 he has been playing with some of Scandinavia’s and the world’s best musicians: Kenny Wheeler, Billy Cobham, Jeff Ballard, Jon Christensen, Cæcilie Norby, Rigmor Gustafsson, Peter Asplund, Anders Bergcrantz and Putte Wickman – just to name a few. He is also the band leader of singer Viktoria Tolstoy’s group and resident pianist in Tolvan Big Band – one of the most celebrated big bands in Sweden.

On this recording we get to hear how Jacob, in a straightforward but respectful way, uses the artistry of Maurice Ravel as a stepping stone for his improvisations. The result is surprisingly more personal and intimate than one could imagine. Jacob finds in Ravel a harmony and lyricism that not only perfectly balances but also challenges his own. In the meeting with Ravel he opens up new spaces in his own artistry and sounds astonishingly more personal than ever.