Search - Rolf Billberg :: Rare Danish Recordings 1956-57

The Scandanavian Lee Konitz

Gazzelloni | Cincinnati, OH USA | 05/28/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"American jazz fans of Konitz or Desmond will want to pick this up. Billberg spent the active part of his career traveling between Denmark and Sweden (dying in 1966 at age 36). These titles were recorded by Billberg in Copenhagen over a ten-year period with various Danish musicians and ensembles. With a cool and burning lyricism comparable to that of the American Lee Konitz, Billberg has achieved a mythological status in Europe.



Billberg is not the leader on these recordings, despite having recorded frequently with his own group. Notwithstanding, Billberg's playing takes center stage on these tracks while in the company of musicians like Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Bent Axen, Lars Gullin, and others. Billberg's solo-work on this CD showcases a man with intense lyricism. It is easy to understand how he has come to be regarded as Sweden's finest."