Scheinriese means in German a pseudo or mock giant. Scheinriese is also a character from the popular children’s book of German writer Michael Ende, Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer (Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver). In Ende’s story, out in the desert, orphan boy Jim and train driver Lukas are frightened when they discover a giant on the horizon ahead of them. But as they approach, the giant slowly transforms into a gentle and ordinary-sized man named Tur Tur, whose illusory appearance has made his life lonely and isolated.
Scheinriese is the title of the debut album of the Copenhagen-based jazz trio Jimini – German sax player Jon Sensmeier (who plays in the LEONEsauvage), Danish double bass player Martin Brunbjerg (who plays in the local bands Little North and We Are The Way For The Cosmos To Know Itself) and Norwegian drummer Ivar Myrset Asheim (who plays in Andreas Røysum Ensemble and in Billy Meier). The album was recorded in Rødovre, Denmark, in March 2023.
Jimini began playing together in 2022 and Sensmeier, Brunbjerg and Asheim immediately felt a special bond. The ten short pieces reflect the intimate dynamics of the trio has in its small rehearsal room. The trio suggests a free version of Nordic Jazz, relaxed, melodic and only rarely touches melancholic regions, but still sketches beautiful ballads like «Sultan» and «Hyrderne». Jimini moves seamlessly between story-like songs to more abstract and sparse improvisations and already has its own sound. The trio claims this approach makes «the seemingly intimidating format of improvised music more gentle and tangible – just like Herr Tur Tur, when you approach him».
Some Ideas Arrive in the Form of a Dream documents the duo of Sensmeier and Belgian guitarist Machiel Heremans, both studied jazz in the Netherlands and meth again in residency in Denmark in 2023. The duo released two EP’s before and this is the first full-length album, featuring their improvisations with live electronics and many effects. The cinematic atmosphere explores worlds of sounds, melodies and movements inspired by modern jazz, industrial-indie-post rock, ambient and noise, as Sensmeier and Heremans just let their curious and bold musical minds run free.
Eyal Hareuveni
Jon Sensmeier (tenor saxophone, live electronics), Martin Brunbjerg (double bass), Ivar Myrset Asheim (drums), Machiel Heremans (guitar, live electronics)
