A · Way · With · Words (CD)

A double CD by the quartet Benjamin Koppel, Kenny Werner, Alex Riel, and Thommy Andersson. This release is a statement from a remarkable jazz quartet that performed a series of concerts across Denmark throughout 2009 and January 2010.

The album title, A WAY WITH WORDS, suggests "away with words," as it’s now music’s turn to speak in its abstract language. Yet, the title also carries a touch of irony, implying "a knack for words," a unique ability to engage with them. At the same time, words/conversation provide the direct foundation for the musical dialogue taking place within this international setup.

The double CD consists of two sets, separated by a break, just as audiences experienced it live over three evenings in Prøvehallen, Valby, during the Copenhagen Jazz Festival 2009. It begins with the title "What Seas, What Shores," the opening line from a T.S. Eliot poem, and closes with "The End Of...," signaling the conclusion of the conversation. Along the way, the music delves into the conditions of language and music for dialogue, with track titles like "Distracted Vocabulary," "The Final Word," "The Eloquence of…," and "Conversation Interrupted."

Benjamin Koppel - alto sax, mezzo soprano sax (on CD1: #3 & 6 and CD2: #1 & 4

Kenny Werner - piano

Thommy Andersson - bass

Alex Riel - drums

#Cowbell ApS 2009