Winter Jazz

If you are not away skiing or hell-bent on hibernating and watching the whole of Breaking Bad, then the world-famous Copenhagen Jazz Festival is ready with a real treat: Vinterjazz, its Winter Jazz edition.

This jazz festival has been going strong for 14 years and for a good reason. Rather than just being a Copenhagen event, you will be able to get lost in jazz at locations as far-flung as Herning, Lyngby, Odense and Brønshøj.

In total you can look forward to more than 400 concerts at 75 different venues and clubs throughout Denmark. The purpose of the festival is, according to the programme, to strengthen Danish jazz by highlighting the fact that Denmark has quite a few jazz venues – Montmartre is not the only place in town.

The programme this year – like previous years really – offers a great variety of jazz genres as well as international headliners, familiar household names and performers from the progressive Danish underground scene.

The wonderful thing about jazz is that it rarely excludes anyone, embracing us all in its soothing, playful rhythms. As Art Blakey put it: “Jazz washes away the dust of every day life.”

A well-oiled machine isn’t perhaps the best description to give a trio who excel in the unexpected, luring you into their universe of rhythm and tempo, unusual compositions and intensity. This American trio of trumpeter Avishai Cohen, bassist Omer Avital and drummer Nasheet Watts are unique in their expression – yet they play jazz as we know it. Their instruments are in sync and the result is pristine. So it’s highly recommended you make your way to the Jazzhouse or Dexter.

Søren Gemmer Quartet

Metronomen, Godthåbsvej 33, Frederiksberg; Feb 16, 20:00; tickets TBA; 3821 0130, frho01@frederiksberg.dk

After their debut album which was released last year, it is no secret that these Scandinavians are worth looking out for. The group have a harmonious approach to jazz and yet it isn’t just easy listening – you are drawn into their universe and look forward to the melodic yet unanticipated turns. It is great the way the piano (Søren Gemmer), the guitar (Per Møllehøj), the bass (Tapani Toivanen) and the drums (Andreas Fryland) give each other room and find each other in mutual compositions.  So head to Frederiksberg to get reacquainted with this unique quartet.

Sinne Eeg Trio feat Martin Schack & Larry Koonse

Sinne Eeg has published five albums since her debut in 2003 and is becoming increasingly popular. Her powerful and beautiful voice easily explains her popularity. The festival offers an altogether very reasonable price to be able to experience her performance.

Drumdrum

Children may just as easily listen to jazz as grown-ups. So really all the concerts could be just as much for children – but for the fact that they may be past their bedtime, or too grown-up in the sense that you aren’t allowed to participate. This is possible and encouraged at Drumdrum. They (Jens Schou Olsen, Kaare Munkholm and Benita Haastrup) promise  drumming, dancing, singing and playing – and possibly one huge jam session.

Swing Partout

As the name promises, this trio is all about the swing music. Their aspirations are not surprisingly to create music in line with legendary Django Reinhardt. This is all about enjoying the fun of jazz  and looking forward to the surprising arrangements and unusual or unexpected outros.

Signe Juhl Kvartet

With this Danish quartet you can look forward to some gorgeous music and a guaranteed good time. Their repertoire is varied, incorporating swinging rhythms in a vocal jazz style similar to Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Annita O’Day, with a bit of American folk music thrown in.