London Odense Ensemble - Live At Jaiyede Jazz Festival

Release date: 8/4/2023

1. Energy Ascending (Live at Jaiyede Jazz Festival)
2. Sojourner (Live at Jaiyede Jazz Festival)
3. Exit Momentum (Live at Jaiyede Jazz Festival)

Jonas Munk
Al MacSween
Tamar Osborn
Jakob Skøtt
Martin Rude

London Odense Ensemble is a powerhouse quintet that combines forces from the Causa Sui/El Paraiso family tree (Jakob Skøtt, Jonas Munk, Martin Rude) with the vibrant, experimental London jazz scene (Tamar Osborn, Al MacSween). On two studio full-lengths, released in 2022 and 2023, they have explored the confluence of psychedelia, improvisation and cosmic jazz. On this set, recorded at the 2021 edition of Denmark's Jaiyede Jazz Festival, the energy is cranked up another notch or two.

Comprised almost entirely of exclusive material not found on the two studio records these three sonic excursions dive head-on into the fiery side of the group’s sound. "Energy Ascending" starts out as a gently flowing piece of dreamy jazz that wouldn't have sounded out of place on a late 1960s Pharoah Sanders record. As the piece evolves the guitar takes it into rock territory, where it dissolves in a mesmerising breakdown before commencing a build of epic proportions, lead by Tamar Osborn's baritone sax, channelling The Stooges as much as John Coltrane.

On the two other tracks the ensemble uses "Sojourner" as a starting point for a new improvisation guided by Al MacSween's virtuoso keyboard work. The rhythm section creates a hypnotic foundation for layers of synths and electric keys to fully blossom and travel into cosmic territory.