Radio Bévort - BLIK (2020)

Danish saxophonist Pernille Bévort (54) is perhaps best known for her participation in big bands such as The Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band and The Danish Radio Big Band, in which she played with guests such as Randy Brecker, Tony Coe, Putte Wickman, Tim Hagans, John Scofield, Richard Bona and Charlie Watts. But she also came to the fore with the Aarhus Jazz Orchestra, Swedish Monday Night Big Band (Malmö) and from 2016 the Swedish Bohuslän Big Band (Gothenburg). With BBB she performed in October 2017 together with Maria Schneider.

She was also part of the Danish ensemble Maluba with Marilyn Mazur, Fredrik Lundin and Kasper Bai that debuted at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival 2017. And she toured with the famous Danish singer Cæcilie Norby in the project “European Sisters in Jazz”. In addition, Pernille has formed her own trio (Bévort 3) and septet / octet (Radio Bévort) since 1995 and has released 12 CDs (including 'Blik' recorded in January 2020) under her own name. She also performs solo and in duo in small halls, churches or museums (including Æglageret in Holbæk, October 2019).

After "Which Craft?" In 2016, Radio Bévort now follows the album "BLIK" (May 11, 2020) in which Pernille signs for all compositions and arrangements. In the opener "Trefoil" Pernille takes the lead solo, after which the colorful ensemble unfolds in "Blaat i Blaat" with solo accents of bass and piano. Very free and expressive, Pernille performs in "8th March Anthem" (title refers to International Women's Day!) Driven by a powerfully inspired rhythm section and piano solo by Marie Louise Schmidt.

The title track "Blik" (a more elaborated version on the album than on the first released single) is characterized entirely by the fresh, challenging melodic line typical of Pernille's style. Beautiful solos by Pernille and Mariane Bitran (flute).

On the catchy "Tribal Dancing" Kasper Wagner shines on alto sax driven by the rhythm and solo of drummer Bjørn Heebøll and Mariane Bitran adds accents to flute.

"Forundringsfryd" is a restrained yet radiant song starring Ole Visby on bass clarinet. "Det Kanon" is a kind of cat and mouse game of drums and keys (rhodes and piano). In "Apricot Blossom" the blossoms are transformed into sweet sounds of rhodes and saxes.

"Call for Eddie" forms a complex tangle of bass and drums over solos of flute and sax. And the album ends with a beautiful bass line by Morten Ankarfeldt about keys and saxes in "Gaar gennem Verden i Kjoler og Lys". Perhaps the most pronounced Pernille signature in imagination and ingenuity and contained in an excellent arrangement! Chapeau!