DIMMA - a tribute to Jan Johansson
In April 2018 a young jazz quartet and the singers of ENSEMBLE EDGE came together to celebrate Jan Johansson for the first time - and after nearly three intense years of fundraising, music making and planning (especially due to the corona pandemic), we were finally able and allowed to record this (our first) album together as one large family. We hope that our listeners will enjoy the fruit of this rare musical collaboration.
DIMMA REVIEWS
This is choral music at the very highest level. Dimma is a very successful and recommendable tribute to the great Swedish jazz musician Jan Johansson - JAZZNYT (DK) Even if you’re not Scandinavian, there is a timelessness and unifying folkishness that will touch your roots, no matter how shallow they’ve been planted - Jazz Weekly (US) The longing for a parallel between "Nordic" tonality and the blues is intensified by this paean to the Swedish folk-jazz pianist - Jazz Journal (UK) EDGE meets jazzSwedish jazz-pianist Jan Johansson (1931-1968) was a musician with a distinctively courageous sense of combining several styles of music, blending jazz and folk music into his own voice. With his characteristically light touch on the piano, Johansson created a unique and melancholic sound which many listeners associate with Nordic identity and history.
On September 16th 2021 Jan Johansson would have turned 90. If not for a tragic car accident in 1968, perhaps Johansson would have lived to experience the important musical mark his music has made upon over two generations. This album stands as a testimony of those effects. A deeply grateful generation of singers and musicians come together across musical genres to celebrate and pay tribute to Scandinavia's biggest jazz icon: Jan Johansson. The inspiration for this album arose back in 2017, when siblings classical cellist Martha Marie Petri and jazz bassist Matthias Flemming Petri were looking for an opportunity to perform together, despite their differing musical backgrounds. A common ground was found in their mutual love for Jan Johansson’s music. Good to know about Dimma
Album contributors:
Calle Brickman, piano · Karmen Rõivassepp, vocals, Matthias Flemming Petri, bass · Andreas Fryland, drums Michala Petri, recorder · Martha Marie Petri, cello · Thomas Fryland, flugelhorn 16 singers from ENSEMBLE EDGE: Kristine Mågård, Johanne Sofie Bech Madsen, Nadja Marie Schmedes Enevoldsen, Susanne Cecilie Nielsen, Frieda Funk, Malene Rohden, Martha Marie Petri, Andrea Krüger Holm, Yngve Lyngsø, Erik Buchreitz, Daniel Kjær Holmberg, Troels Geil Thalling, Malte Øster, Severin Martin Korsgaard Thorsen, Gunnar Sigfússon & Gert Bonde Nielsen - conducted by Mathias Skaarup Sørensen. Composers/arrangers: Jakob Høgsbro, Matthias Flemming Petri & Martha Marie Petri Engineer, mix & mastering: Henrik Winther Hansen Executive manager & producer: Martha Marie Petri Cover-artwork: Mette Skov // On-set photography: Klavs Kehlet Hansen |
Release concert photo credit: Klavs Kehlet Hansen
Previous concerts and workshops with this project:
September 19 2021 15:00 // John's Hall, Kirsten Kjærs Museum, Frøstrup: Musical talk about Dimma and Jan Johansson by Martha Marie Petri September 17 2021 19:30 // Sankt Lukas Kirke, Aarhus: Dimma - a tribute to Jan Johansson (official release concert) August 31 2021 19:30 // Houlkær Kirke, Viborg: Dimma - a tribute to Jan Johansson (pre-release concert) July 18 2018 // ATLAS, Aarhus Jazzfestival 30th anniversary edition: ENSEMBLE EDGE & The Jan Johansson Tribute. April 7 2018 // Symfonisk Sal, Musikhuset Aarhus // RAMA Festival: ENSEMBLE EDGE & The Jan Johansson Tribute (world premiere performance) Listen and watch our first 2018-performance of this project below: |
This recording was made possible through generous donations by the following foundations, sponsors and collaborators:
Photos from recording session April 2021 by Klavs Kehlet Hansen