The Danish-Australian Vulkan quintet that originated when Danish trumpeter Jakob Sørensen – known as the leader of Bagland quintet – and guitarist Jens Fisker and Australian pianist Luke Sweeting explored the vibrant music scene of Berlin few years ago. Augmented with fellow-Australian double bass player Max Alduca and drummer Harry Day, these five musicians attempt to link the familiar lyrical Nordic atmosphere with modern jazz sensibility from down under.

«Venting» is the quintet debut EP, featuring five original pieces, contributed by the five musicians. Vulkan democratic spirit led to the schizophrenic identity of this promising quintet that does not settles firmly in the Nordic hemisphere nor the Australian one. Only Sørensen stands out as a musician with a strong, personal voice and as a composer with an original language that offers a fresh, captivating perspective of the somehow melancholic Nordic sound. His «The Mountain That Disappeared» is the most moving composition here, suggesting a fragile and intriguing atmosphere, created beautifully by the whole quintet.

The other four pieces do not meet the high standard set by Sørensen. Sweeting «Landglide» and Alduca «Scenes From a Nonexistent Movie» offer nuanced, dramatic narratives that stress the role of Sørensen as a commanding leader. Fisker opening «Deutz» is a straight-ahead jazz composition that conforms with jazz syntax of breezy-melodic head-solos-head while Day  closing «When Morning Comes» adopts a gentle jazz-pop song structure.

Eyal Hareuveni

Jakob Sørensen (tp), Jens Fisker (g), Luke Sweeting (p),Max Alduca (b), Harry Day (dr)