Glow of Benares Lars Møller

• 1Glow of Benares11:23
• 2Indian Skies06:44
• 3Funky Jog11:34
• 4Indian Train Ride09:22
• 5Epilogue (Mumbai Footprints)03:41
• Total Runtime42:44

Info for Glow of Benares

Colourful and dramatic compositions combining Indian melodic ragas and rhythms with the orchestral formats of jazz and western music.

Glow of Benares is composer, conductor and saxophonist Lars Moller’s vision for combining Jazz, North-Indian ragas and chamber music.

The album was created as a collaboration between Lars Moller and Aarhus Jazz Orchestra and features The Danish Sinfonietta, Kala Ramnath and Abhijit Banerjee – two of Indias finest musicians. Presented by Global Jazz Explorer Institute.

A personal note from the composer and conductor: Since 2012 I have had the great musical experience of working closely with Aarhus Jazz ­Orchestra (AJO), which has it origins in the legendary bandleader Jens Klüver’s unique life’s work, Klüver’s Big Band. In 2012 when Jens – after 34 years as band­leader – bowed out and went into retirement, I was given the unique opportunity to head up what came to be known as Aarhus Jazz Orchestra. My vision was that AJO, as one of Den­mark’s major jazz institutions, would be a cultural lighthouse where the improvisation and expression of jazz in the present moment meets the score-based dramatic expression of the large ensemble format. My angle of approach has been a global perspective on how we discover what we can learn from other musical cultures; how we can cooperate and at the same time reach a deeper understanding of our own tradition and identity.

After the release of ‘ReWrite of Spring’ (Dacapo 2015) I have, as com­poser-in-residence with Aarhus Jazz Orchestra since 2016, been able to continue this vision with the works ‘To a New World’ (performed at the opening of the Aarhus and Paphos (Cyprus) European Cultural Capitals), and ‘Glow of Benares’.

My deepest thanks and appreciation go to: the musicians and soloists of Aarhus Jazz ­Orchestra and The Danish Sinfonietta for their patience and excellent musicianship; Kala ­Ramnath, Thor Madsen, Abhijit Banerjee and Jonas Johansen for our ongoing creative collaboration in RagaJazz; Ole Udengaard for his inspiring videos; Morten Büchert and Thor Madsen for the design and production on this recording; orchestral manager Peder Udengaard and programming manager Rasmus Bøgelund for our inspiring teamwork in recent years; Leif Lønsmann, Dorte Bennike and the staff of DR Musikariet at DR Koncerthuset, and last but not least Dacapo Records, the Danish Arts Foundation and Aarhus 2017 for their contributions to this project. (Lars Møller)

Kala Ramnath, violin, vocals
Abhijit Banerjee, tabla, pakhawaj
Aarhus Jazz Orchestra
The Danish Sinfonietta
Lars Møller, saxophone, conductor

Recorded at DR Koncerthuset, Studio 2, on 7-8 May 2016
Engineered by Lars C. Bruun
Editing and additional recordings by Morten Büchert and Thor Madsen
Mixed and produced by Thor Madsen and Lars Møller at Mazza Mansion
Mastered by Thor Madsen
Produced by Rasmus Bøgelund, Peder Udengaard, Kristian Lønsted

Lars Møller (Composer, saxophone player, conductor)
The Danish saxophone player, composer and conductor Lars Møller (b. 1966) is a leading Scandinavian jazz figure. After living in New York 1987-89, playing with a number of legendary jazzmusicians, Lars Møller spend several prolonged periods in New Delhi in the early 90´s assimilating the highly emotional Indian classical music. As a composer he delicately combines his knowledge of the American jazz tradition with the melodic Nordic tradition and a very broad awareness of European classical music. He is a truly contemporary jazz composer and musician, who easily includes electronica, choir and world infuences in his music. The result is a unique lyrical and forceful personal expression. As artistic director of Aarhus Jazz Orchestra fom 2012 to 2015, he successfully developed this professional bigband (supported by the Danish arts Counsil) in to a creative voice of the 21st century - most notably on the “ReWrite of Spring” CD feat, David Liebman and Marilyn Mazur.

Saxophonist: He has played/recorded with Jimmy Cobb Group, Hermeto Pascoal, Jon Balke, Bobo Stensson, Anders Jormin, Martial Solal, Maria Schneider, Jim McNeely, Tom Harrel, Toots Thielmans, Katrine Madsen, Kasper Villaume Quartet, Sound of Choice Ensemble, The Danish Saxophone Quartet (“classical”) 2005-9 and various other Danish artists. He has performed regularly as a solo-player with The Danish Radio Big Band since 2002. He has also worked as a composer and soloist with leading Danish and European orchestras including European Broadcasting Union Big Band, Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra and Athelas Sinfonietta, Copenhagen.

Composer and conducter: He has worked with EBU Big Band, Danish Radio Big Band, The Slovenian Radio Big Band and Choir, The Croatian Radio Big Band, Cologne Contemporary Jazz Orchestra and various Scandinavian Big Bands, Orchestras and Choirs. Performances in Europe, USA, China and Brazil. Artistic director of The Orchestra (Copenhagen) from 1997 to 2011.

Lars Møller quartet: In 2008 Lars Møller formed a Danish/German quartet with Thor Madsen (guitar), Robert Landfermann (bass) and Jonas Burgwinkel (drums). Previously he has released 9 CD’s in his own name with Geri Allen, Buster Williams, Billy Hart, NHØP, Jimmy Cobb, John Abercrombie and others. He has performed with his bands in Europe, China, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong and at the Blue Note in New York.

Booklet for Glow of Benares