Danish sax player Claus Waidtløw has a new album, «Between Below», and a new quartet featuring pianist Peter Rosendal, double bass player Jesper Bodilsen and drummer Jeppe Gram. Waidtløw plays the here the soprano sax more than the tenor sax that is so identified with him but has on both instruments his familiar beautiful, caressing sound. He composed the eight songs
The spirit of «Between Below» is playful, empathic and elegant compassionate, and the quartet is focused on serving Waidtløw’s soulful melodic themes, with a Nordic European flavor, elegance and grace but also with enough space for personal improvisations, especially for pianist Rosendal, who established a deep rapport with Waidtløw.
Waidtløw’s quartet excels in the more lyrical pieces that sketch reserved emotional dramas like «Mellowland», «Solitude» and «After Tomorrow». The ballads «Short Story», «Quiet Life» and «Round and Round», with Waidtløw on soprano sax, capture best the relaxed and light yet deeply emotional focus of this quartet, where the solos of Waidtløw and Rosendal intensify the drama and build on the nuanced rhythmic basis of Bodilsen and Gram.
Eyal Hareuveni
Claus Waidtløw (ss, ts), Peter Rosendal (p, Rhodes), Jesper Bodilsen (b), Jeppe Gram (dr)
