Jakob Bro (1978) is a guitarist, composer and ECM recording artist based in Copenhagen, Denmark. His latest albums are “Strands”, a live recording from 2023 with Danish jazz masters Palle Mikkelborg and Marilyn Mazur, and the 2024 release “Taking Turns” with a star-studded cast featuring Lee Konitz, Andrew Cyrille, Jason Moran, Bill Frisell and Thomas Morgan playing compositions by Jakob Bro.
His yearly stint for ECM Records also includes the deeply felt homage “Once Around the Room: A Tribute to Paul Motian” (2022) co-lead by Joe Lovano and other highly acclaimed albums such as “Uma Elmo” (2021) with Arve Henriksen and Jorge Rossy; “Returnings” (2018) with Palle Mikkelborg, Thomas Morgan and Jon Christensen; and three trio albums “Bay of Rainbows” (2018), “Streams” (2017) and “Gefion” (2016) – produced by Manfred Eicher.
He is currently collaborating with Charles Lloyd, Midori Takada, Joe Lovano, Brian Blade, Jorge Rossy, Ambrose Akinmusire, Marilyn Crispell, Wadada Leo Smith, Andrew Cyrille, Larry Grenadier, Joey Baron, Thomas Morgan, Palle Mikkelborg, Marilyn Mazur, Anders Christensen, Anja Lechner, Arve Henriksen, Brussels Philharmonic and many more.
Jakob Bro has won the DownBeat Critics Poll in the Rising Star Guitarist category and received numerous honors including the Carl Prize, Danish Music Award, the Danish Arts Foundation Award and a nomination for the Nordic Council Music Prize for the trilogy: “Balladeering” (2009), “Time” (2011) & “December Song” (2013), which was released on his own label Loveland Records.
Jakob Bro is a former member of Paul Motian & The Electric Bebop Band (Garden of Eden, ECM – 2006) and of Tomasz Stanko’s Dark Eyes Quintet (Dark Eyes, ECM – 2009).
He has released 20 albums as a bandleader including musicians like Lee Konitz, Bill Frisell, Paul Motian, Kenny Wheeler, Paul Bley, Chris Cheek, Thomas Morgan, Ben Street, Mark Turner, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Andrew D’Angelo, Chris Speed, George Garzone, Craig Taborn, Oscar Noriega, David Virelles, Jon Christensen, Jesper Zeuthen, Anders Christensen, Peter Laugesen, Kresten Osgood, Jakob Høyer, Nicolai Munch-Hansen, Jonas Westergaard, Søren Kjærgaard, Nikolaj Torp Larsen and many more.
“Danish guitarist Jakob Bro creates magical music, impossible to categorize or capture. His songs are best described as jewels revolving in mid-air, reflecting and refracting light,” writes Downbeat. “Based on an idea of the slow, simple melody and a nearly Buddhist ideal of relinquishing the ego, Jakob Bro has lifted jazz into a new future,” Danish newspaper Politiken adds. It is Bro’s conviction that “the music has to breathe. It’s important that a kind of organic conversation is taking place.”
His worldwide touring activities extend to venues and festivals across Japan, China, South Korea, Greenland, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, South Africa, USA and most of Europe.
Jakob Bro’s music and various ensembles are depicted in the award-winning film “Music for Black Pigeons” (directed by Jørgen Leth and Andreas Koefoed), which premiered at the 79th Venice Biennale and has been featured at film festivals around the world.
Awards and Recognitions
• 2024: Nomination, Danish Music Award – Jazz Composer of the Year (for Music For Black Pigeons)
• 2023: Honorary Award (from Dansk Artist Forbund)
• 2022: Official Selection of the 79th Venice Film Festival + winner MUSE Cinema & Arts Award (for Music For Black Pigeons)
• 2018: Downbeats 66th Annual Critics Poll winner “Rising Star Guitar” (for Returnings)
• 2016: The Carl Prize – Jazz Composer of the Year (for the album Gefion)
• 2015: Danish Music Award – Danish Jazz Album of the Year (for the album Gefion)
• 2014: Nomination – The Nordic Council Music Prize (for Balladeering/Time/December Song)
• 2013: The Carl Prize – Jazz Composer of the Year (for the album Bro/Knak)
• 2013: Danish Music Award – Danish Crossover Album of the Year (for the album Bro/Knak)
• 2013: Jazz Special Prize – Danish Jazz Album of the Year (for the album December Song)
• 2013: The Jazznyt Prize (for the album December Song)
• 2012: DJBFA’s honorary award (from the organisation Danish Jazz, Beat and Folk Authors)
• 2012: The Danish Arts Foundation reward (for the album Bro/Knak)
• 2010: Danish Music Award – Danish Jazz Album of the Year (for the album Balladeering)
• 2009: Jazz Special Prize – Danish Jazz Album of the Year (for the album Balladeering)
• 2007: The Danish Arts Foundation reward (for the album Pearl River)
• 2006: Danish Music Award – Danish Jazz Album of the Year (for the album Sidetracked)
• 2006: Danish Music Award – Danish Crossover Album of the Year (for Sidetracked)
• 2003: Danish Music Award – New Danish Jazz Artist of the Year (for Beautiful Day)