Light

Palle Mikkelborg: Light
Loveland Music (LLM030)
Release date: Jan. 30, 2026 on LP/CD/digital

Limited edition LP comes with nine prints by Tal R

All music by Palle Mikkelborg except At Tænde Lys (written for Palle Mikkelborg in 2006 by Per Nørgård) and Stille, Hjerte, Sol Går Ned (Thomas Laub, 1915).

All soundscapes designed by Palle Mikkelborg.

Trumpet, Flugelhorn and Piano recorded by Palle Mikkelborg at The Village Recording, Copenhagen in August–December 2024 (except At Tænde Lys).

Mixed and recorded by Thomas Vang at The Village Recording
Mastered by David Elberling at The Village Studio B

Artwork: Tal R
Cover Design: Claus Due Studio
Produced by Jakob Bro

About:

Palle Mikkelborg (b. 1941) – a spiritual jazz legend, acclaimed composer, trumpet player and electronic music pioneer – is back in the studio recording his first solo album in more than 25 years. Working with him as a producer is Jakob Bro, with whom he has recorded the great ECM albums “Returnings” with Jon Christensen and Thomas Morgan, and “Strands” with Marilyn Mazur.

“When Palle decided to stop touring and performing live, I suggested that we sit down together and listen through the many tapes he had tucked away, hoping we might find a new direction for making music together. We went through everything — recordings of orchestras and choirs, soundscapes, and so on — material he had worked on throughout his career,” says Jakob Bro. “I can still remember the first time we said it out loud. Suddenly, it made perfect sense in my mind: a solo album. An album devoted entirely to Palle — his sound, his vision, his voice. It felt like something the world truly needed.”

This final opus sees Palle Mikkelborg re-interpret and record his own orchestral works and two pieces by Per Nørgaard and Thomas Laub as ‘meditations’ on solo piano, trumpet and flugelhorn mixed with soundscapes and guest performances by longtime collaborators Helen Davis, Jakob Bro and Thomas Li.

As a soloist his sound on trumpet and flugelhorn is both much loved and familiar after decades at the forefront of Nordic Music, but on “Light” one is struck by the weight Palle Mikkelborg has given his soundscapes and the grand piano. Forever curious on what’s ahead, the album underlines his spiritual and ever-seeking approach to free improvisation, classical composition, choral works and experimental sound landcapes.

Biography:

Palle Mikkelborg, a towering figure in Danish jazz, stands as one of the most innovative and influential trumpeters of his generation. Despite early formal training, Mikkelborg’s unique voice is largely self-taught, drawing inspiration from a diverse palette ranging from jazz luminaries Miles Davis and Gil Evans to classical masters Ravel and Messiaen.

Since the 1960s, Mikkelborg has consistently pushed the boundaries of jazz, his distinctive trumpet style and ambitious compositions challenging conventional norms. His signature sound seamlessly blends lyrical introspection with dramatic flair, often creating expansive, atmospheric soundscapes enhanced by pioneering use of electronics and unconventional orchestrations.

Mikkelborg’s work often transcends mere musicality, delving into spiritual and philosophical realms. This is evident in compositions like Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart (2002) and My God and My All (1991).

His influence extends far beyond Scandinavian borders. The critically acclaimed Aura, composed for and recorded with Miles Davis, solidified Mikkelborg’s international reputation. His appearance at the 1968 Newport Jazz Festival marked him as a rising star, and he has since collaborated with an impressive roster of jazz giants including Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Abdullah Ibrahim, Jan Garbarek, Dexter Gordon, Gil Evans and Miles Davis.

Palle Mikkelborg has recorded as a bandleader for labels such as Debut, Metronome, Sonet, Storyville, Columbia and not least a series of albums on ECM Records with Terje Rypdal, Gary Peacock, Jakob Bro and Marilyn Mazur. (Source: Da Capo Records)

Supported by the Danish Arts Foundation, Dansk Artist Forbund & KODA