Spirit by Oliver Lake, Mathias Landaeus, Kresten Osgood

In October 2017, three celebrated musicians from both sides of the Atlantic gathered in Lund, Sweden to play an almost entirely spontaneous set of music in front of a live audience.

Six years later, American saxophone legend Oliver Lake, Swedish piano master Mathias Landæus and the ferociously talented drummer/multi-instrumentalist Kresten Osgood are proud to present the release of these joyfully daring recordings – ‘Spirit’.

Playing a selection of Lake’s compositions, Landæus and Osgood took to the stage as clean slates with little to no familiarity with the music they were about to interpret on the spot.

The resulting sound is daring, explorative and spontaneous, ebbing and flowing between tension-riddled cacophonous chaos, bluesy improvisations over broken swing-feels, and spacious textural explorations featuring the additional timbres of voice, kalimba, prepared piano, recorder and whistling.

“I remember the music being so easy and free…” says Osgood, reflecting upon the evening of October 25th, 2017 when the trio gathered for a special performance at Underground Club in Lund, Sweden.

And what a trio…

Oliver Lake’s half-century career has seen him work with titans of music including Bjork, Lou Reed, A Tribe Called Quest and the Brooklyn Philharmonic, publish two books of poetry, co-found the internationally acclaimed World Saxophone Quartet, and receive a number of prestigious awards including the Mellon Jazz Living Legacy Award, the Guggenheim Fellowship Grant and the Duke Doris Artist Award.

Best-known as a drummer who has worked with the likes of Lee Scratch Perry, Yusef Lateef, Sam Riversand Dr Lonnie Smith, Kresten Osgood is a prolific multi-instrumentalist with over 100 albums to his credit, spanning spells in both New York and Europe.

Bringing the project together, pianist Mathias Landæuscut his teeth in New York in the 90’s before returning to Sweden where he established himself as a cornerstone of the country’s jazz scene as an active musician and community builder, setting up the Glenn Miller Café and Underground where he has been curating since 2010.

Together, they showcase the true spirit of jazz in all its glory.

Mathias Landæus is a Swedish jazz pianist and composer, well known for his adventurous attitude and excellent musicianship. He has released 24 albums since his record debut in 1996. His output ranges from jazz jazz to electronic and improv. As a composer, visionary leader and master collaborator, his work celebrates connection, imagination and freedom.

landaeus.com