Yesterday, we went to Copenhagen’s Jazzhus Montmartre to see in action the Eric Alexander / Jan Lundgren Quartet, with Jesper Lundgaard on bass and Kristian Leth on drums. I never heard any of these names before. The quartet played two sets of hard bop standards and, um, hard bop originals. The music was great without being groundbreaking. If it was innovative, then it was innovative in very subtle ways. I liked the contrast of Alexander’s (sometimes frenetic) playing with the cool of the Nordic trio. The drumwork of Kristian Leth throughout the evening impressed me most. Two of his solos felt distinctly Brazilian. I was hoping for the encore but apparently the rest of the audience were not too keen, so after the last song more or less everybody did rise and leave. Oh well.
The venue is very hyggelig but a bit small. Since they also serve dinner there, in order to get good seats you’d better arrive early. And it is pricey — both tickets and drinks.
Walking back to the hotel, we passed a cheerful crowd dancing to Balkan rhythms. A free street party, we were told. Alas, by the time we came closer, the brass band responsible for these rhythms has finished the set, to more cheers.
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