Kruse

A gorgeous session from bassist Eva Kruse, who constructs an album out of melodic fragments and delivers them with a stream-of-conscious flow that makes them all seem connected in very vital ways. The music possesses a natural poetry whether it adopts a chamber jazz sound, a Nordic jazz sound or charts a course that parallels something more straight-ahead in the modern sense. Mixing in oboe with the saxophones is an inspired decision and the occasional use of Fender Rhodes provides some extra personality. In Water is outright mesmerizing at times.

The Royal Danish Orchestra’s performing history stretches back to 1448, making it the oldest orchestra in the world, with Carl Nielsen counted amongst its distinguished former members. His 16 years of experience as one of the orchestra’s second violinists helped shape him as a composer, and it was this ensemble that introduced his symphonies to the world. From the ‘imminent storm of genius’ of the First Symphony to the disarming outlandishness of the Sixth, Nielsen’s symphonies are recognised as among the greatest in their genre, heard here in recordings made with a league of conductors whose bond with Denmark and Nielsen’s music is second to none.