CD Review: Jan Harbeck's Live Jive Jungle - Elevate

Jan Harbeck (tenor); Thor Madsen (guitar); Jeppe Skovbakke (bass); Peter Leth (drums).

(Review by Lance).

The aim, the blurb says, is to get the jazz audience (back) on the dance floor with these charming, riff-based compositions, beats and grooves. Given the right exposure, Live Jive Jungle can't fail.

Given the right exposure - that's the rub...

In Newcastle, I guess, it would be Hoochie Coochie or, maybe, downstairs at The Globe. Few other local venues offer jazz dancing space for visiting bands (somebody correct me if I'm wrong!).

So, perhaps, the best option is to roll back the carpet, crank up the Vitrola, invite your hippest (I use the word advisedly) neighbours around to shake it about - checking on your building insurance first - and enjoy this slice of Danish.

The compositions are all by Harbeck who also blows gutsy tenor. Madsen pedals his way through some funky solos, Skovbakke holds it all together whilst Leth solos like a 21st century Krupa.

I'm going to be playing this a lot more often than some of the better-known offerings that cross my path.

Harbeck is an es (Danish for ace - tks Google) tenor player and the other guys are also es men.

This is just so lovely. It's dance music but it's not rock & roll, and nor is it schmaltzy 1930's Palais slow, slow, quick, quick, slow. It's a combination of all these elements but presented for the contemporary scene of today.

However, in case you think it's unromantic - just listen to Throughshine. This is a ballad performance that must surely be comparable to the one where a Danish jazz critic compared Harbeck's soul to that of Ben Webster. 

If Throughshine is playing and you've made contact - cancel the taxi!
Release date July 28.
Label: Stunt
Distributer: Discovery.

Lance.
YouTube.