Danish sax player Søren Lyhne Skov began his professional career in the Danish-Ethio jazz Debre Damo Dining Orchestra. In 2016 Skov and pianist Peder Merthner Vind, who also plays Debre Damo Dining Orchestra, decided to form the trippy quintet Søren Skov Orbit in 2016 to explore «more jazzy ideas».
Adrift is Orbit’s debut album, following a 7’ single, Orbit Bound (Jazz45, 2019), and features the experienced rhythm section of double bass player Casper Nyvang Rask, drummer Rune Lohse and percussionist Ayi Solomon (of the legendary 80’s Ghanaian roots-highlife band Classique Vibes). The album was recorded live with all the five musicians at the same room «in order to catch the dynamics and authenticity of the music», as Skov notes. The recording enjoys a healthy dose of reverb that corresponds with iconic Sun Ra Arkestra studio albums or the trance-inducing and compressed fidelity of certain Ethio-jazz and Mystic Revelations of Rastafari sessions.
Skov wrote the six pieces and Orbit expands Skov’s musical vision beyond African-inspired modern jazz and suggests the saxophonist love to such seminal sax players as Albert Ayler and Archie Shepp or John Gilmore, Yusef Lateef. The music highlights the great rhythm section of Orbit that colors each piece with profound and distinct touches. The opening piece «Notifications of Nothingness» relies on Skov’s deep love of Ethio jazz and offers a sensual call-and-response motif of Skov and Vind. «The Valley» deepens this seductive vibe, and the conversational-dancing dynamics of Skov and Vind are beautifully abstracted by Rask’s bass solo. «Orbiting» builds a hypnotic, reggae-like groove, allowing Skov to soar gently and freely and explore an uplifting, spiritual theme while «Reflections of Rif» introduces a soulful, energetic vibe into Orbit’s interplay with Skov’s fiery solo. «Narration» nods to Wayne Shorter’s iconic «Footprints» and swings between up-tempo polyrhythmic drive and the commanding tenor sax solo of Skov. This promising, uplifting debut album closes with the short title-piece and demands more of such beautiful music that orbits our dancing bodies and curious minds.
Eyal Hareuveni
Peder Merthner Vind (piano), Casper Nyvang Rask (double bass), Rune Lohse (drums), Ayi Solomon (percussion), Søren Lyhne Skov (tenor saxophone)
