Thomas Agergaard Quartet Testing 1-2-3-4

The re-release of Thomas Agergaard Quartet’s ‘Testing 1-2-3-4’ is by all means the promise of an unexpected pleasure. Here we have jazz! The ingenious collaboration of four of the, at the time, most promising musical minds, stretching out into uncharted territory, relying solely on their readiness and profound ability to respond to any impulses reaching their inner ears, is a stellar demonstration of how far this noble art form can take the music. Fresh and ample sounding, as if it was recorded last week, the quartet, consisting of saxophonist Thomas Agergaard, pianist Carsten Dahl, bassist Lennart Ginman and drummer Thomas Blachman, performs with the deepest soulfulness and togetherness, which is bound to make this record a no longer overlooked classic. Thomas Agergaard, tenor saxophone - has no need to excel with a wealth of tones, but much rather fables in his own, subdued tempo. Thomas has played with a wealth of international artists, such as Django Bates, Miroslav Vitous, Andrew Hill, Bob Berg, Marilyn Mazur, Niels Peter Molvær, Lars Larsson, John Tchicai and many others. Carsten Dahl, piano - started out as a drummer, before becoming one of the most expressive Danish jazz pianists, with an intuitive style that, unlike the one cultivated by many of his peers, does not lead to as many tones as possible in the shortest possible time. Lennart Ginman, bass – has that deep, round velvety tone that so many bass players strive for. He has played bass with almost everybody and with a passion for electronica he has often fused his bass playing with computer based styles, but here we hear him in the raw. Thomas Blachman, drums - has earned his national fame as a judge on the Danish version of the tv show X-Factor, although his sublime drumming and compositional skills should be more than enough. His melodic approach shines through every beat he plays and it makes the quartet stand out real sharp. Thomas Agergaard Quartet’s ‘Testing 1-2-3-4’ was recorded in 1998 and was previously released on Thomas Blachman’s record label ManRec as a CD only.