I did not think Into the Storm – the Danish pianist Dahl here with a couple of star American players – could be bettered.
But bettered it is. Instinctively I know this “Composer’s” suite is just about the best thing I have heard thus far in 2026.
Firstly, committed Dahl-ings of any stripe forgive me, before getting to the heart of the matter a word on this particular Dahl as he still isn’t that well known beyond Denmark and the trainspotter community of specialist jazz journalism consumers of which dear reader you are possibly one. It just shows you how hard it is to gain instant familiarity even when you are as phenomenal a player as Dahl and have been around for yonks. Looking at his date sheet there are lots of concerts coming up. But again you’ll have to travel to Denmark to hear this extraordinary trio live up close and personal which is always the ideal.
The 58-year-old leader was born in Copenhagen and worked as a professional drummer before teaching himself the piano and formally switching instruments while studying at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory. He gained prominence in the 1990s as a member of the influential trio Ginman Blachman Dahl. Still doing it Plays Ballads last year was appealing. But this trio under review has the edge given the level of what comes over as spontaneity and “in the moment” hackneyed phrase – but you know what I mean – “inspired” creativity that shuts everything else out prostrate on the altar of art.
Over his four-decade career, Dahl has contributed to hundreds of albums apparently. Catching up is going to take a while – but then again there’s the World Cup to avoid so there’s no better time.
His achievements include winning the Ben Webster Award in 1997, the Jazzpar Prize in 2000, and the Django d’Or in 2006. He has also received two Danish Music Awards for Best Jazz Album. Alongside his performance career, Dahl is a former conservatoire professor and has expanded his portfolio to include classical orchestral compositions.
Here he is then, foreplay almost over, on Komponistens Suite with Swedish double bassist Daniel Franck 11 years his junior who came to live in Denmark in the late-1990s. His style reminds me of Palle Danielsson a bit. DF worked with singer Caroline Henderson on Lonely House, and on Swing Is the Thing tenor saxophonist Jesper Thilo, who sadly died in April, and leads his own quartet.
Completing the trio it’s drummer Martin Maretti Andersen who hails from Silkeborg in Denmark. He is a long time member of Pierre Dørge’s reliably wacky New Jungle Orchestra.
Another Carsten Dahl album you may like from earlier this year and again recommendable: Into the Storm mentioned earlier.
Tune titles are in Danish. I looked a few up – ‘Samtaler med mig selv’ where Dahl does a bit of Jarrett-like nasal “singing” along not at all annoyingly means ‘Conversations with Myself’; ‘En dag i Saties liv’ – ‘A Day in Satie’s Life.’ It isn’t pastiche.
There’s a lot here. I just let it play and play and tried not to think too much about what I was hearing instead attempting to absorb its intensity and go with the flow.
The rhapsodic side of the album is heard best on the unbelievably beautiful ‘Eftertanke’ a word that translates as “Reflection” or “Afterthought”. Given how much the power of the album overall lingers long the notion of afterthought is pertinent.
Certainly there is a compelling narrative urgency to what unfolds.
Highly abstract it’s not very avant-garde although at times there is a challenging dimension to certain passages. But it does feel highly creative in a pushing against boundaries way. I think of Keith Jarrett quite often and break off to go back to Dahl’s Jarrett themed album The Solo Songs of Keith Jarrett. That is rewarding.
