Jakob Bro, Palle Mikkelborg, Thomas Morgan, Jon Christensen - Returnings

Danish guitarist Jakob Bro creates magical music, impossible to categorize, wrote Downbeat recently. On 'Returnings' the magic is intensified as Bro and musical soul-mate Thomas Morgan reconnect with two living legends of European jazz, trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg and drummer Jon Christensen.

It's an inspired combination: Bro's watercolour guitar sounds, Mikkelborg's soft Milesian lugelhorn, Morgan's impeccable choice of notes, and Christensen's free-floating drumming. These components add up to one of the prettiest and subtlest jazz albums of recent times.

The theme of returnings is central. The album opens with a new version of Oktober, picking up the story from Bro's album 'Gefion'. In recent years, Jakob's trio with Thomas Morgan and Joey Baron has, happily, gained a strong following. Meanwhile, the guitarist had also been looking for a context in which to continue his association with Jon Christensen � which 'Returnings' provides. It also reunites Christensen with Palle Mikkelborg for the first time on ECM since Terje Rypal's 'Vossabrygg' (recorded in 2003).

'Returnings' was recorded in July 2016 at Oslo's Rainbow Studio and produced by Manfred Eicher.

Personnel: Jacob Bro (guitar), Palle Mikkelborg (trumpet, flugelhorn), Thomas Morgan (double bass), Jon Christensen (drums)