Danish guitarist and composer Jakob Bro (b. 1978) has released 20 albums as a bandleader and became an renown artist on the international jazz scene after recording and touring with Paul Motian, Tomasz Stanko, Lee Konitz, Joe Lovano, Midori Takada, Brian Blade, Charles Lloyd a.o.
“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. 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 and a nomination for the Nordic Council Music Prize for his Balladeering Trilogy.
His latest album “Taking Turns” features a star-studded cast of the late great Lee Konitz, Bill Frisell, Jason Moran, Thomas Morgan and Andrew Cyrille playing compositions by Bro. It was released by ECM Records and became Jazz Album of The Month in The Guardian after receiving 5/5 stars in January 2025.
For the last couple of years Jakob Bro has been exploring the solo format for a series of concerts in special venues in Japan, Estonia, Norway and at ARoS Museum of Modern Art in Denmark.
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. The soundtrack was released on 2LP in 2024 by Loveland Music.
Photo: Søren Lynggaard
Den danske guitarist og komponist Jakob Bro (f. 1978) har udgivet 20 albums som bandleder og er blevet et anerkendt navn på den internationale jazzscene efter at have spillet med Paul Motian, Tomasz Stanko, Lee Konitz, Joe Lovano, Midori Takada, Brian Blade, Charles Lloyd m.fl. I samarbejde med danske og internationale profiler har Jakob Bro vist facetter af sin særlige melodisans og grundlæggende æstetiske formgreb, som synes at hæve sig over tid og sted.
Hans seneste album “Taking Turns” er en studieoptagelse med et stjernehold af internationale ikoner: Lee Konitz, Bill Frisell, Thomas Morgan, Jason Moran og Andrew Cyrille, der udkom på ECM Records til topkarakter 6/6 stjerner i GAFFA og 5/5 stjerner i The Guardian, der kårede det til Jazz Album of the Month i januar 2025.
Jakob Bro har de seneste år udforsket solo-formatet til særligt udvalgte koncerter i Japan, Estland, Norge og på Aros Kunstmuseum i Aarhus.
Om Bros solokoncerter har Aarhus Stiftstidende skrevet: ”Ingen anden dansk guitarist er i stand til – og tør – hoppe ud i improvisationer, hvor kontrol og de frie tøjler går så godt i spænd. Og ofte lød det altså, som om der var et helt hold bag ham,” og kvitterede med 5 stjerner.
Jakob Bros musik er omdrejningspunkt i Jørgen Leth og Andreas Koefoeds roste film “Music For Black Pigeons”, der havde premiere på Venedig Biennalen og siden er blevet vist på filmfestivaler i hele verden. Soundtracket til filmen udkom i 2024 på Loveland Music.
Foto: Søren Lynggaard