Young Swedish trombonist Kristian Persson was one of the stand-out players at this year’s 12 Points festival of new European jazz.
Here he leads his own electro-acoustic five piece Elements through a set of original compositions that confound whatever expectations you may have of cool Scandinavian jazz.
Funk and soul are the main references in Persson’s hot, big-hearted sound, with more than a nod to James Brown and Fred Wesley and echoes of Pat Metheny’s lush harmonic soundscapes.
But these influences are artfully blended with a hip indy-jazz vibe that will give specialist listeners something to get their ears into, but will also find the Stockholm native an audience beyond the jazz ghetto.
