Review Centre: Latin Jazz Bands

"Kulturhuset Bølgen in Ålsgårde is a rare combination of concert hall and restaurant. Hornbæk Jazzklub hosts their events here every first Friday of the month. There is room for more than 100 diners, who take their seats an hour and a half before the music begins. When the musicians take the stage, the lights in the hall are dimmed and the tables retract, and the place becomes a concert hall, where the audience does not have to move, but can remain in their good seats at the tables. The bar is silent when the music is playing, but during the break it wakes up to action, like another Holger Danske, and rattles, not with the saber, but with glasses, bottles, coffee and cake. The audience mingles both with each other and with the musicians, and a temporary close and beautiful community emerges. It was the same good atmosphere that prevailed among the musicians when Jesper Hedegaard presented his Sound of Brasil at Bølgen on Friday. The Brazilian Samba has many ramifications, and each rhythm has its own life and its own name. Jesper Hedegaard knows a lot about that, having lived in Brazil for many years. He came there in 1976 and made friends who he took with him to Denmark. Some still live here, others have returned home and new ones have joined. On Friday it was bassist Sidiel Vieira and drummer Celso de Almeida. When they play it looks playful, but that's only because they are masters of their instruments. The music flows from them, like a tsunami, whose enormous power is not noticed until it meets resistance. On Friday, there was no opposition for Jesper Hedegaard can his sambas and the evening's soloist was world class. It was Alexander Kraglund who, without a single note, played the most terrific Brazilian violin and viola with countless small shifts in the rhythmic and surprising harmony changes in the melodic, which is an essential detail of the music. Alexander Kraglund mostly played the viola and the deep timbre blended beautifully with Jesper Hedegaard's piano playing, which mostly took place in the high register. The bassist played counterrhythm and very little walking bass as in jazz. He played merrily with the already dancing rhythms in moody counterplay and he could frolic freely thanks to the fact that the drummer provided a non-slip surface for the music. The evening's many different pieces of music were a mixture of Jesper Hedegaard's own compositions and the bossa nova that Antonio Carlos Jobim started in the early 60s with A Girl From Ipanema. One is to play the violin, another is to play the harmonica, and Alexander Kraglund used this instrument in about half of the pieces. In his violin playing, there were almost no references to Svend Asmussen, which is surprising. In the harmonica playing there was great inspiration from Toots Thielemans. Jesper Hedegaard may not be the world's best-known pianist, but by thinking of another pianist, namely Chick Corea (who plays at Kulturværftet at the end of April), and some of his samba-inspired compositions such as La Fiesta and Amando's Rhumba, you get a sense of the music that was played at Bølgen on Friday. The fact that Bølgen's own sound man, Casper Skovgaard, also knows which buttons to touch and not to touch is the extra quality that Bølgen has and that many other venues can only dream of."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Gio and the guys from Jazzout were a perfect fit for our holiday party… they added a cool vibe to the event that everyone loved… they were professional and very accommodating … and the pricing is very fair! If you need jazz at your event don’t think twice … they are great!"

Reply by Jazzout4tet
Thank you very much. Was a pleasure play for all of you..

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I've been following CHILLIE WILLIE GROOVE since he first arrived in the LOS ANGELES METROPOLITAN AREA and this Percussionist is an awesome and outstanding musician catering directly to its audience..Whether its Smooth or Latin Jazz or Dance R&B and its interpretation of songs and with his powerful Latinazation of colorful PERCUSSION SOLOS sends a message to his fans that pierce directly into their soul and spirit for a memorable fun filled event!! Simply INCREDIBLE!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The band blasted our crew in Munich from the first song! They didn’t held back for a moment, amazing energy and sound! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Alejandro is a brilliant musician. His performance on guitar and saxophone was top-notch and full of soul. You can feel he loves what he does and plays with true passion. He is also professional, transparent, quick to respond, and a pleasure to work with. The event was a complete success thanks to him. Highly recommended. Thank you again for your venue and great performance, Alejandro! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Victor played at our Happy Hour event honoring Hispanic Heritage Month and did a wonderful job! He played a great selection of music and interacted with the residents. Victor was so friendly and easy to work with! We would gladly welcome him back in to our community!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thanks to you and your saucy musicians for an unforgettable evening of music"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The dancers and musicians were amazing! Our clients couldn't stop dancing and the energy of the party was unparalleled. The production team were with us every step of the way, from preparation to the end of the event. We will definitely be working with them again!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"What an enjoyable experience! I hired them to play for my wife's birthday party, and they exceeded my expectations. The quality of the players stood out, they adapted to our setting effortlessly, and everyone who attended commented on how wonderful it was. My thanks again to the band for enhancing a truly wonderful evening!"

Reply by Komokenó
Hi Christopher, Thank you so much! We’re thrilled the music helped make your wife’s birthday special. It was a joy playing for you all at your amazing beach house! Roberto KomoKeno

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

".."Great Band. Solid Grooves, solos and great choice of material"... The Arts Cafe Manor Park SE13 "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Fiel defensor da música cubana e africana. Com carisma e mestria inigualáveis, é capaz de misturar e combinar vários géneros e instrumentos, proporcionando uma experiência inigualável aos ouvintes."

Reply by Arturo Cruz & Ashe Okun
Muito Obrigado, um prazer inmenso para mim conhecer você

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We thought the performance was a great success. We enjoyed working with you and hope to see you again soon."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We hired AGANJU for the year-end party reception of our association, and they exceeded all our expectations. Our guests were deeply impressed by the musical quality and outstanding performance. On stage, they effortlessly move from the most glamorous to the most powerful and energetic. Highly recommended! A unique experience, like an unprecedented musical journey to Brazil."

Reply by AGANJÚ Brazilian electro music
Gracias Ana Paula por la buena energía! Ojala nos veamos en la próxima fiesta de MUSA con AGANJU! <3 <3

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Made my birthday extra special! This Band really played well together and sounded great! They played all of the pieces I had requested earlier, arrived on time and guests commented how much they'd enjoyed the sets. Wouldn't hesitate to book this band again ..."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We booked Bob and Lou for our Wedding during Welcome Drinks and Dinner and we are very happy with their gig. They created the perfect atmosphere, relaxed and pleasant. They even played longer than what we agreed on. Our guests gave us also fantastic feedback about them, they loved the music. Thank you Bot et Lou, you are true artists!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: