Ben Webster swings along

Jan Harbeck's evocative and outgoing style follows in the great swing tradition. He appears completely original, extremely stylish, and like a musician who goes deep into his jazz and who knows the meaning of being present.

Few are able to blow as much soul into a jazz ballad as him. Thomas Michelsen wrote in Politiken: We once had Ben Webster to awaken the soul. Today, we have Jan Harbeck!

And it's pretty strange that the 43-year-old tenor saxophonist has not previously released a tribute to "Big Ben", who lived in Copenhagen for a number of years, is buried there, and still inspires. Well, here it is.

With him on stage, Jan Harbeck brings capable hands like Henrik Gunde, with whom he won the Ben Webster award in 2018. Eske Nørrelykke swings with his calm, stubborn bass figures, and Anders Holm takes care of the drums.

In addition to the prestigious Ben Webster award, the charismatic tenor saxophonist and composer has also won a Danish Music Award and received the Bent Jædig-prisen.

Together with his regular band, Jan Harbeck has long been a regular on most of the country's jazz stages, just as the band has played with great success around Europe.

Over the last decade, the band's releases have been among the absolute best-selling Danish instrumental jazz records.

Jan Harbeck also plays with bands such as Tivoli's Big Band, Niels Jørgen Steens Monday Night Big Band, The Orchestra, and in the drummer Snorre Kirk's band.

The concert is part of the series The Iconic Saxophone at Aarhus Jazz Festival 2021.

The concert series pays tribute to an instrument that has been an important part of jazz music since the beginning, having fostered legendary musicians such as Ben Webster, Stan Getz, Yusef Lateef, and Charlie Parker.

The Iconic Saxophone is supported by The Knud Højgaard Foundation, CAC Foundation, Aarhus Stifttidende Foundation, Gangsted Foundation, Danish Arts Foundation, and Aarhus Municipality.

Read more about Jan Harbeck Quartet

Read more about Jan Harbeck Quartet