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Big Band/ Contemporary Jazz ECHO JAZZ 2010!
Helge Sunde Ensemble Denada
| Norway
Booking-Agent:
Amaya Collantes
+49 30 261032927
ac@f-cat.de
For a French review click here.
"[...]The Ensemble Denada, created by Norwegian trombonist Helge Sunde, which mingles the most unlikely things, cinematic jump-cutting and film noir atmospherics, Brazilian suavite, swing and a touch of Norwegian folksiness." The Daily Telegraph, November 20, 2010
"Sunde's Denada ensemble has produced powerful work before, but the balance of moods, melodic variety and arranging ingenuity on Finding Nymo (the sax-playing Nymo brothers Frode and Atle are star soloists) ought to raise his standing outside continental Europe. He throws listeners off the big-band scent with the eerie vocoder whispers at the start, but busy phrase-swapping between the horns, and arrhythmic ensemble riffs with solo-sax wails rising out of them introduce a Django Bates feel." John Fordham, www.guardian.co.uk, February 19, 2010
“Staying firmly within the big band tradition, Norwegian composer and multi-instrumentalist Helge Sunde deftly coaxes fresh sounds from the conventional instrumentation, spiced with some electronics. His reed voicings occasionally hint at Gil Evans, though there’s a playfulness and rhythmic vivacity to his work that suggest an altogether more ebullient spirit. Sunde’s charts for the big band extract incident and colour from imaginative play with motivic development and counterpoint, yet stay clear and accessible and, driven by a rhythm section that includes the great percussionist Marilyn Mazur, swing mightily.” Ray Comiskey, The Irish Times, January 22, 2010
RICH, COLOURFUL AND OFTEN HUMOROUS, THIS IS A FINE EXAMPLE OF HIGH QUALITY CONTEMPORARY LARGE ENSEMBLE WRITING
“Finding Nymo” is a richly entertaining and often humorous record but that humour is derived from an enormous degree of musical sophistication. Sunde’s writing is witty, intelligent and colourful and his horn arrangements masterful, sometimes reminiscent of a more eccentric Mike Gibbs. The way he incorporates electronics into his arrangements is also highly impressive.” Ian Mann, The Jazzmann online, January 15, 2010
“Ensemble Denada is no less then one of the best big bands in Europe, greased by equal portions of electronics, pianist Olga Konkova and the percussionist Marilyn Mazur. That fact that the ensemble after years of work has has grown together is not only shown by titles like “Obstler” (a homage to the Norwegians experience of local alcohol following a festival concert in rural Austria), but in particular by the unrestricted, open and inspired way the musicians perform together.” Concerto (AT) schu
“Piano player Olga Konkova also comes forward with strong minded-solos and an almost Michelangelan sensitivity in the “travel letter” “Valse Trieste”, in a brief sequence arranged by Sunde as if it were a love letter from Maria Schneider to Maurice Ravel.” Terje Mosnes, Dagbladet (NO)
“Performing the entire Finding Nymo CD, Sunde proved that the big band tradition is alive, well, and growing in the 21st Century.(...) Together with the rest of Ensemble Denada, Russian pianist Olga Konkova brings Sunde's vivid charts to life on a set that's in turns exciting and poignant; a sign that the recent revival of large ensembles in North America is being mirrored with equal aplomb across the pond.” John Kelman, Allaboutjazz.com (UK), 12th November 2009
“BRING ENSEMBLE DENADA BACK TO LONDON!
This is one of the most versatile, high-spirited and original 15-piece bands heard in London for years. As they strode up to the bandstand, playing spiky counterpoint, an evening of free-form New Orleans beckoned. Moments later, their four saxes, three trumpets and three trombones punched out meaty ensembles with the precision of a top Las Vegas showband.” Evening Standard, London UK
“DENADA” IS SO GOOD THAT IT DESERVES TO BE EXPERIENCED IN TOTO.
The various compositions have an overarching flow that gives them a conceptual unity which one seldom encounters in jazz. Helge Sunde and his band have produced an album that is both thought-provoking and forward-looking, but never looses its will to swing. “Denada” is by far one of the best albums of big band jazz of the last decade.” William Grim, All about jazz
“DELIGHTFUL AND SUBLIME, BRUTE FORCE
The concert moved from atonal madness at full power into lyrical passages and meditative folk themes, constantly embellished with innovative impulses and musical esprit.” Adresseavisen, Norway
“Denada” by Helge Sunde and the orchestra is a grooving, entraining music experience. Lyric poetry and power, but also individuality and straightness find an unusual conversion in the recording. High sound quality and a vibrating intensity of the music also contribute to the 56 minutes and 33 seconds of enjoyment.” Carola Faber, Jazz Podium
“Olga Konkova is the soloist in another Norwegian big band of international standard, on an album you have to turn up to full volume and fill the room with, without telling the neighbors.” Dagsavisen, Norway
“Sunde's material is extraordinarily varied, rhythmically, texturally and dynamically: his horns whisper almost like strings at times, but are also capable of producing lush, delicate, crooning chorales or punchy ensembles.” The Vortex, London
“With DENADA a large part of the world will be exposed to Helge Sundes magnificent music, and he should very soon achieve a central position among the worlds best composers and arrangers.” Norwegian TV 2
"The ensemble sounds fantastic when Helge Sunde challenges the band with his music. Sunde is not saving ammo, he is clearly delighted by his own capacity as far as orchestration, and we enjoy it with him – through shifting musical landscapes and moods, reaching from grief to absurd musical action.” Norwegian national broadcasting NRK P2
"DENADA is full of impressively glamorous and unique big band playing, it is a listening-adventure and at the same time an iridescent delight." Roland Spiegel, Bayerischer Rundfunk
"Again a genius from Norway: Helge Sunde not only play trombone, trumpet, tuba and French horn, he leads the ensemble and is the composer and arranger of all music on the album. Sunde doesn’t allow Nordic clichés, where everything has to sound dark and consecration, to arise. Here the around-the-corner-thinking, grotesque tone effects included, becomes vital, passionate fun, with all musicians pulling along equally." Rolf Thomas, Jazzthing
