INTERVIEW: Morten Lund (CD Sun Blowing with Marius Neset and Lars Danielsson, release date 29th April)

By ljazzn on 11 April 2016 • ( Leave a comment )

L-R: Morten Lund, Marius Neset, Lars Danielsson
Photo © ACT/Stephen Freiheit

The album ‘Sun Blowing’, with the trio of saxophonist Marius Neset, drummer Morten Lund and bassist Lars Danielsson, will be released on 29th April on the ACT Label. Sebastian interviewed the instigator of the project, Danish drummer Morten Lund:

LondonJazz News: Morten, can you just give some quick background about yourself?

Morten Lund: I started playing drums VERY young, 4 years old. I grew up in a musical family, studied classical percussion from when I was 8… started playing professionally at 11!! I worked and toured with pretty much who is who in Scandinavian and European Jazz… member of Stefano Bollani Trio, Sinne Eeg Quartet, worked and toured with Enrico Rava, Paolo Fresu, Lars Danielsson, Ulf Wakenius, Viktoria Tolstoy, Cæcilie Norby, Aarhus Jazz Orchestra, Nguyên Lê, Bobo Stenson, Anders Jormin, Palle Danielsson, John Taylor, Michel Portal, Enrico Pieranunzi, Palle Mikkelborg, etc, etc….

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LJN: Can you remember the first time you heard Marius Neset play?

ML: I was teaching at the Conservatory in Copenhagen, and one of my students (Anton Eger) told me about his new friends Marius Neset, Peter Eldh and Magnus Hjorth…

They practised pretty much 24/7 and had formed a band called ‘People are Machines’… I heard them at Anton’s recital concert ending his first year of study, and I was literally blown away already then by all four of them!

LJN: But you and Lars are regular partners-in-rhythm?

ML: Lars and I have done quite a lot of rhythm section sideman gigs together… I was always a big fan of his, and always had this dream that one day I might actually play with him… he is a dream bass player… a true poet on the instrument, and one of the most musical human beings I know. Since he moved to Copenhagen, we quite often get together and just talk about life while drinking way too much coffee… he is a close friend now, but still one of my musical heroes!

LJN: And you were the instigator of ‘Sun Blowing’. How did the idea of doing an album in a day take shape?

ML: I was always a fan of sax-bass-drums trios… Sonny Rollins did this format often. There is so much space – especially in comping on the drums. I really compare the drumset to a piano, and try to think of my playing in this format as a piano player would. I was offered some studio time, and I knew exactly that I wanted to try out this format with these guys, who had almost never played together before.

LJN: And I heard something about a train journey… from somewhere to Copenhagen… which was important in convincing you it could work?

ML: YES!! Lars, Marius and I shared the journey back from JazzBaltica Festival in Germany to Copenhagen sometime back…just from the joyful conversation during the train ride – I knew that this trio would work perfectly in the studio. If you get along as people as well as we do – music making will never be a problem… I was right 😉 Also it’s actually very interesting to share and investigate our Scandinavian roots as a Dane, a Norwegian, and a Swede…

LJN: And you know the Millfactory Studio people and they invited you to record?

ML: Yes… owner Boe Larsen is an old friend (a great keyboard player by the way!). I helped him record a promotion session when he had just bought his Steinway piano for the studio.

LJN: And the other two musicians were up for it straight away?

ML: They both agreed within seconds 😉

LJN: What was the first track you recorded?

ML: ‘Little Jump’ by Lars… first take, which is on the album. I believe in first takes… we all do actually.

LJN: Memorable moments along the way?

ML: All smiles during the afternoon – really great studio espressos – a lot of laughs – and a true spirit of creation. Everybody seemed to be very inspired by each other’s presence.

LJN: How was it when you heard the playback?

ML: We all knew that we had something… we never really listened back during recording. But at the close of the day we sat down and listened to everything, and then we knew we had to release it… Siggi Loch was present at the session. When I called him, and told him about our spontaneous session, he just rushed to Copenhagen because he wanted to be there. Not to produce, but to listen…He phoned me a few days after the session, and said to me it was one of the best trio sessions he had ever attended. Feeling flattered and very, very grateful for his endless support of what each of us does.