Monk & More by Richard Andersson with Rudi Mahall, Artur Tuznik & Kasper Tom

Kasper Tom’s jaw dropped when he saw Rudi Mahall play years ago in Berlin. He’d never experienced or even imagined someone playing the bass clarinet in such a manner. So when his mate from the Danish National Academy of Music Richard Andersson was arranging a series of concerts at a local venue, he suggested they invite Rudi Mahall.

“Rudi Mahall is so incredibly fast musically and he pushes the music in unexpected directions which is both challenging and extremely fun,” Richard Andersson says of playing with the virtuoso.

Since their first meeting the musicians have played all over Europe in different constellations through the years.

Now the time is ripe for Monk & More, an album to be released on Hobby Horse Records on March 27th.

Here Richard Andersson brings together four distinct voices from the European jazz scene in a vibrant approach to modern jazz standards, revisiting music by Thelonious Monk alongside compositions by Lennie Tristano, Ornette Coleman, Lee Konitz and Jimmy Giuffre

Danish double bassist and bandleader Richard Andersson is a central figure on the Nordic jazz scene, known for his wide-ranging artistic output and collaborations across borders and generations. His work spans Nordic lyricism, American modern jazz and the European avant-garde, and he has released several albums as a leader featuring artists such as Oskar Gudjonsson, Tony Malaby, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Ra-Kalam Bob Moses and Rudi Mahall. Andersson is frequently described as “one of the most interesting characters on the Danish jazz scene.” (Gaffa)

On Monk & More, Andersson is joined by Rudi Mahall, one of Europe’s most exceptional and celebrated bass clarinetists. Based in Berlin since the 1990s, Mahall is renowned for his unique sound, sharp wit and deep knowledge of jazz history. A key figure in European free jazz, he has also famously recorded the complete works of Thelonious Monk, making him an authoritative voice when navigating this repertoire.

Artur Tuznik is a Polish-born pianist who has lived in Copenhagen since 2008, where he has forged a personal harmonic approach formed by classical and contemporary jazz influences. His playing adds clarity, momentum and subtle surprise to the quartet’s interpretations.

Drummer Kasper Tom, a longtime collaborator of Mahall and an in-demand figure on the Danish scene, anchors the group with flexibility, drive and an acute sense of form.

Monk & More is recorded at Hobby Horse Studios in Copenhagen. Rather than aiming for reverence, the quartet approaches the material with curiosity, humor and risk-taking, balancing deep respect for the tradition with an unmistakably contemporary energy.

The result is a recording that feels both rooted and alive: sharp-edged, swinging, playful and conversational; a meeting point between American jazz history and modern European sensibility.

Richard Andersson is a Copenhagen-based Danish bass player with Icelandic and Faroese roots. Known for his deep, resonant tone and highly personal approach to improvisation, he has collaborated with a wide range of musicians, including Jeff 'Tain' Watts, Carl Winther, Jorge Rossy, Anne Efternøler and many others in various settings across the globe.

richardandersson.dk
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