Few musicians are endorsed on their debut releases with a poem by the great American double bass player William Parker. Copenhagen-based, Polish double bass player Tomo Jacobson, known from the European free-improv quartet Mount Meander that released its debut album earlier this year on Clean Feed, asked the influential musician for his opinion on the music that he composed for his pan-European septet Moonbow. Parker sent him in return a poem that encapsulate the essence of Moonbow:

«…There are no wrong notes / “Hear” / We go into the ringing drums the rhythm of them “MOONBOW” us who know it’s / okay to dance it is mandatory / Nothing on earth is black and white / Carry now on to the edge of the world / Where / The gospel according to silence lives…»

Moonbow is a rare atmospheric phenomenon, a lunar rainbow, relatively faint one, due to the smaller amount of light reflected from the surface of the moon. The septet Moonbow was founded last year in Copenhagen and features musicians from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Poland and Germany. Its musical essence celebrates the joy of life and freedom, the freedom that we all need and desire. The freedom to create, to engage and to follow our diverse, shifting intuitions.

The six-part suite «When the sleeping fish turn red and the skies start אo sing in C major I will follow you till the end» indeed dances and grooves. The septet sound as small big band, playing with intense passion and conviction but also with a great sense of freedom, as many of Parker outfits. Like many of Parker bands, Moonbow incorporates elements of rhythm n’ blues, soul and even prog-rock. The rhythm section of Jacobson, German pianist Lucas Leidinger, Jacobson and Danish drummer Kresten Osgood anchor Moonbow music. This earthy, resourceful rhythm section enable the emotional flights of the septet frontline –  three sax players, Norwegian Danielle Dahl, Danish Mads Egetoft and Polish Maciek Kadziela plus Swedish guitarist Anton Jansson. Moonbow compassionate music is not shy of sounding melodramatic on «And the Skies», emotional on «In C Major», and even sentimental as on the introduction of «Start to Sing» or and funky and soulful on «I Will Follow You» and «The End».

And as Parker suggests: «…What is this music? / It is beautiful music especially if you give a listen in the early morning or late dawn / where anthems find themselves stranded inside the piano’s that are left on the side / of mountains / Then everything comes together it all makes sense / And we are back to silence».

Eyal Hareuveni

Danielle Dahl (s); Mads Egetoft (s); Maciek Kadziela (s); Anton Jansson (g); Lucas Leidinger (p); Tomo Jacobson (b); Kresten Osgood (dr)